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IMBIBER: Whites for summer

Dan Dunn

6:00 PM EDT, May 13, 2008

White wine for summer

To research this summer white wine roundup your Imbiber journeyed to Northern California and sampled upwards of 24 different wines using six types of glasses over a 72 hour period which, for the mathematically challenged out there, equals one happy reporter. The brands mentioned hereafter are all widely available at wine shops throughout Manhattan.

Redwood Creek 2006 California Chardonnay ($8) -- Big flavor at a small price; a bold, fruit-forward wine that tastes like a sour apple lollipop lightly sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon; a few bottles of this will go a long way at a casual outdoor gathering. Speaking of which

Barefoot Bubbly ($11) -- The Imbiber enjoys expensive sparkling wine as much as the next guy, but most of my drinking buddies are underemployed and think Dom Perignon was a character on "The Sopranos." So, whenever those mooks drop by and want to act fancy I give 'em Barefoot Bubbly. And they like it. A lot. So do I. Comes in three varietals -- Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and White Zinfandel.

St. Francis 2006 Chardonnay ($17) -- This Sonoma County wine is made from 100 percent whole-cluster pressed fruit; it spent six months in oak barrels, which provided a toasty component and lush mouth-feel. The folks at St. Francis have somehow wrung tropical fruit flavor out of chardonnay grapes, and it's like a liquid luau for the palate.

J 2007 Pinot Gris ($20) --George Bursick is one of the Russian River Valley's legendary winemakers, and this just-released vintage is sure to enhance his already considerable reputation. There are numerous layers of flavor to this fantastic, 100-percent Pinot Gris. White peaches support spices that are topped off with Asian pears. A steal at $20 a bottle!

Round Pond Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($26) -- The '07 growing season in Napa was marked by a long, cool summer with a heat spike in August. That dramatic temperature variation yielded white wine that is high in acidity with intense flavor. Grapefruit and melon notes mingle with apricot in what I'd say is a near perfectly balanced wine.

Dan Dunn is the author of the book "Nobody Likes a Quitter (and other reasons to avoid rehab)."