What grows together goes together, as they say.
Wines are a good example. The robust malbecs of Argentina are an amazing pairing with that nation’s world-renowned beef. And the herbal, mineral-driven sauvignon blancs of the Loire Valley are a perfect match for the goat cheeses produced in the same region of France.
The importance of terroir — the factors such as soil, climate and sunlight that give grapes their distinctive character — is a perpetual discussion in the world of wine. But we believe there’s no debate; you can experience a sense of place in the smells and flavors of wine.
With Memorial Day in our rearview mirror and the onset of hotter weather, summer unofficially is here. Coastal vacations are on our minds and white wine is what we’re craving.
Much like how you can smell the salt and sea grasses in the air at the beach, we like wines that are evocative of the coastal locales from which they hail — salty, crisp and effortless to drink.
Here is a lineup of four wines to pair with the summer beach days ahead (or when you are just daydreaming of them in your backyard). A bonus for casual summer drinking: They all are priced under $24 on the retail shelves of well-stocked bottle shops.
Moulin de Gassac picpoul de Pinet 2024. Native to the Languedoc region of Southern France, picpoul is a white grape best described as uncomplicated yet profoundly refreshing. This is one of the best versions of the wine we can recall having. The vineyard site is near the village of Pinet, just a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea. The soil is gravelly, and the higher elevation and proximity to the cool sea breezes make for a wine with excellent freshness, approximating flavors of salted ripe melon and green pear. Grab a beach read and pair it with a cold glass of this wine.
Domaine de la Fessardière muscadet sèvre et maine 2024. Another French white to pair with coastal times is muscadet, from the Loire Valley, not far from the Atlantic coast. Thanks to the ancient seabeds from which the soil came, these wines are brimming with flavors of the ocean — it’s impossible not to enjoy this wine with oysters.
Mallea grenache blanc. Not unlike sauvignon blanc or chardonnay, grenache blanc is grown in a lot of wine regions but truly thrives in a small handful of areas such as Southern California. The talented folks at Mallea are doing a banner job of producing this vibrant version. While the wine technically is not coastal — it’s produced a little over 30 miles from the Pacific — cool maritime winds flow through the valley without being blocked by a north-south mountain range.
Bidaia txakolina 2024. This easygoing white wine from the Cantabrian coast of Spain’s Basque region tastes like when you’re emerging from the sea. Txakolina is notable for a lightly spritzy quality — more like energy on the palate than bubbles. This selection is a must to pair with briny mussels, whether from a tin or steamed with garlic and white wine.
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