My top 3 white wines for summer
I don’t know if it’s the summer heat that’s getting to me or the thought of not staining more of my clothes with red wine but I have been in the mood to drink white wine all week long. I have tried new ones, old ones, ones which I probably won’t try again anytime soon and ones which have made my eyes all hazy – otherwise known as love at first sip or sniff for that matter.
Out of those (jeeze I am sounding a bit like a wine-slut here aren’t i) I have decided to share my favourite 3 with you. My criteria are not necessarily based alone on tastiness, but also for its uniqueness, its ability to intrigue me right down to the bottom of the glass and of course the way it leaves me feeling in the end. So here goes…
1. Miguel Torres Vina Esmeralda 2006.
I actually picked this one blindly off a wine menu using the eye’s closed and point technique and boy did this work in my favour for once. Up in the Penedes Mountains in Spain they tend to grow a lot of aromatic white varietals. Ms Esmeralda is made up of Moscatel (85%) and Gewurtztraminer (15%) which as you can imagine produces a strikingly fragrant wine. It is 100% pure silk on the palate; an exotic fruit salad made up of kiwis, peach, pear, pineapple with a squeeze of lemon-lime citrus over the top. Floral notes also pop up along the way. The acidity shows through resulting in a beautiful long finish – it is a wine well worth the money and an absolute essential with a sublime shrimp and avocado cocktail.
(Avg: US$12 a bottle)
2. Marques de Caceres White Rioja 2007
I can’t seem to stay away from Spain this week… I blame it on the delicious tapas that kept finding their way to me. I tried this out of pure curiosity, having never tried a white Rioja before let alone a wine made from the Spanish Viura grape. Crisp and clean are the best words to describe this wine. There is not a whole lot to it, but partner it with some scallops in a beautiful creamy sauce and you will have died and gone to heaven. The best bit about this wine is the finish, it leaves you with a lovely touch of lemon on the palate that likes to linger. The perfect wine for a date as you won’t have to worry about getting a bit smoochy. Marques de Caceres White Rioja = Smooch friendly.
(Avg: US$9 a bottle)
3. Joseph Drouhin Chassagne Montrachet ‘Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche’ 2006
Now to mix things up a bit lets head to the beautiful Bourgogne region in France. I have a soft spot for wines that have been hand picked I must admit. Just the thought of all the work and effort that has gone into my particular bottle amazes me and brings back those memories of doing the hard yards myself. Compared to the previous two this wine is a meal in itself; a medium-full bodied white Burgundy which has spent a year in 20% new oak French barrels. When I first caught a sniff I nearly felt like I was in line at the cinema… buttered popcorn anyone? After this the toasty nuttiness shows through and as you explore further you discover tropical fruit notes, predominately apricot and pineapple which then dissipate to leave you with a citrusy finish sprinkled with a touch of white pepper – a little oomph to send you off. Unfortunately I wasn’t in a beautiful restaurant at the time tucking into a fresh lobster but I did so happen to have some delicious olive and oregano baked bread bites – Twistos – that went superbly! A touch of pâté added to this beautiful fusion and anyone would be weak at the knees.
(Avg: US$95 a bottle)
So there you have it, if you’re keen to try the above check out the nearest stockist to you by logging onto winesearcher.com
(PS: Seriously I don’t have that many red wine stains on my clothes!)