As we bid adieu to September and summer 2022, temperatures remain intensely high throughout the country. So we are looking across the pond to toast with a few refreshing white wines that will keep you cool these final days of summer and prepare you for the fall season.

Crisp and fresh, with a mineral-intense backbone, Umani Ronchi Terre di Chieti Vellodoro Pecorino ($17) showcases the juicy, lush brightness of the Pecorino white grape variety grown in ancient vineyards within Italy’s Abruzzo region. The wine opens with aromas of wild herb and white flower, melding with lemon zest, crushed stone, and fennel pollen. The perfect wine to pair with shellfish, like grilled shrimp scampi or linguini and clams.

Fragrantly floral with an attractive freshness that wraps you around its beautiful finger upon the first sip, Loire Valley’s Chateau de la Ragotiere Cuvée Amélie Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine ages 12 months sur lie (on the lees/yeasts) to create a textured wine with finesse and fragrant refinement. The Muscadet variety showcases floral elderflower and citrus blossom melding with freshly baked brioche and hazelnut for a well-rounded wine perfect for roasted chicken or white fish with lemon butter sauce.

Just north of Madrid, the rocky, stone-filled soils of Rueda reflect the heat of the sunshine-filled days helping ripen Verdejo fruit while trapping cooling temperatures at night, locking in freshness. The arid region shines as the leading producer of the golden variety, producing racy, citrus-filled flavors. Beronia Verdejo ($12) reveals subtle herbal and floral notes of lime leaf, lemon balm, and soft herbs like tarragon and fennel, with fresh golden grapefruit, lemon zest, and pomelo. Easy drinking, aromatic, and lively, with a tart, lip-smacking hint of bitter melon.

From the southern Rhone region of Costières de Nîmes, Mas des Brassades blends Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault for a lively, balanced, and very dry Rosé wine for its Mas des Bressades Cuvée Tradition Rosé ($15). Brightvibrantively, with a gorgeous wild salmon color, the layered wine opens with juicy raspberry, blood orange, and ripe strawberry, which melds with lavender and lilac, wild woody herb, and crushed white pepper.

Vinas del Vero La Miranda de Secastilla Garnacha Blanca ($17) from Spain’s Somontano region within the northern part of Aragon is fresh, round, and fleshy. Crafted from ancient vines of Garnacha Blanca grown in the stony, arid soils of the region at elevations over 2000 feet above sea level, the wine melds ripe stone fruit flavors of golden peach, apricot, and golden citrus, with a bright pop of freshness and acidity thanks to the elevation, creating a completely harmonious palate. Consistently one of my favorite wine wines from the country.

#Cheers