Cape Charles Sauvignon Blanc

After killing it with the AVERÆN project in Oregon, the Banshee gang is hard at work again in France. They’ve grabbed some vineyards in Gascony and we’re smart enough to snag some of their early efforts. There’s a lot of Sauvignon Blanc grown in these spots, but what these guys excel at are wines like this one: poised, more bright melon and citrus - just the way it should be.

Cassandre

Within Cabardès, a prime site in the ocean of vines that is Languedoc-Roussillon, the Ramés are growing many of the same grapes as their neighbors but using them to sometimes unusual ends. They call some of these wines “les Dissidents” which are “delicate blends concocted in jars of 150 or 500 litres, and in casks of 2,000 litres.” This one is 100% Vermentino (they call it Rolle there) and it has layers and layers.

C'est pas la Mer a Boire Picpoul

Here’s what you should know about Picpoul de Pinet: it’s never bad; and only sometimes good. So there’s a lot to be said for grapes that never suck. About the time I decided I was no longer going to think about the Picpoul grape, I tasted this Picpoul de Pinet and it was utterly delicious.

Chalk Hill Russian River Chardonnay

Chateau Grand Billard

If you ask any wine expert to name the value wines, they will likely reel off only a few dozen well-known names, and some of them count Grand Billard amongst them. It’s the basic Sauvignon Blanc blend, with mostly used barrels to keep the cost reasonable. This is from the critically raved about 2022 vintage so check out the wine to see what the fuss is all about.

Clos Delfines

Albarino is Spain's most successful white wine and Clos Delfines is a benchmark for the style: crisp, green apple, pear and peach skins.

Domaine Priou Sauvignon Blanc

Sure, most people think that France is neatly laid out, codified and completely explored but, outside of Burgundy and Bordeaux, there are still plenty of vineyards that deserve more attention. The Loire Valley demands that kind of recognition and, in the era of climate change, it is increasingly a source of delicious wines. Sauvignon Blanc used to be notable only from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. Equal measures of fruit and mineral.

Dosoris Lane Blanc

Sometimes you just have to embrace the mystery of wine; truth be told, we don’t know which grapes are in this wine. They wouldn’t tell us, but we didn’t care after we tasted it. Neither merely crisp or full and rich; the wine straddles a really nice place that is refreshing and patio-perfect, but that has some weight and character to handle rich fish or even grilled chicken.

Ercole Bianco

The Piedmont Guy, an importer, has one love – Piedmont. This obsession has allowed him to put together a rich group of great Piedmont producers but also to have access to dribs and drabs from those greats that he can craft into his own label – Ercole (Hercules to the rest of us). This Cortese based blend has 15% Chardonnay and 5% Sauvignon Blanc to add to the texture and aromatics and it comes in a liter bottle, so you can enjoy even more of it.

Giuliano Rosati Pinot Grigio

Dan Bada & Charlie Trivinia, whose mothers emigrated to the U.S. together from Le Marches, Italy, and lived in the same house for some time. The two were childhood friends and in adulthood they decided to launch a wine import business. They work with winemakers Giuseppe and Luigi Anselmi in the Veneto to create this wine from the Anselmi’s 600-acre estate near the sea.This is traditional Pinot Grigio: stainless steel, fresh and tangy.