Glassware drips with condensation. Ice cubes shift and clink softly. Screw caps and cans crack and hiss gently. Summer is perfect for white wine.
Depending on where you live, summer ranges from clear and sunny to oppressively humid. In the Pacific Northwest we’re spoiled by gorgeous summer weather, but endure a few weeks of high temperatures — for these parts — and mugginess. Personally I don’t ever need an excuse to drink white wine, but this time of year the chilled bottles become a staple at the dinner table. There are countless white wines from Oregon and Washington to enjoy all summer. Below you’ll find five you can’t miss.
What are your top Pacific Northwest white wines picks for summer?
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2012 Chehalem Vineyard 3 Vineyard Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley AVA, OR ($19)
Clear, medium intensity, bright gold color. Clean nose with medium aromas of green apple, fresh Anjou pears, lime zest, citrus, and peach pit. Dry on the palate with medium body and medium-high acidity. Medium-full flavors of dry grass, white mushrooms, pears, fresh apple, and citrus. Highly recommended. 93 points.
2011 Troon Vineyard Chardonnay
Applegate Valley AVA, OR ($24)
Clear, medium intensity bright straw color. Clean nose with medium aromas of yellow apple, cooked pears, wax, dried hay and oak. Dry on the palate with medium body and medium-low acidity. Medium flavors of cooked apple, pear, melon, orange zest, vanilla, sweet wood and toasted almond. Recommended. 91 points.
2012 Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvée A Müller-Thurgau
Yamhill-Carlton AVA, OR ($15)
Clear, medium-pale intensity, bright gold color. Clean nose with medium aromas of honeysuckle, pear, apricot, peach, ripe tropical fruits and spice. Medium-dry on the palate with medium body and acidity. Medium flavors of pineapple, mandarin orange, honey, yellow apples, and Bing cherry. Recommended. 90 points.
2012 Poet’s Leap Riesling
Columbia Valley AVA, WA ($20)
Clear, medium intensity, bright straw gold. Clean nose with medium aromas of yellow apple, candied lemon, honeysuckle and white flowers, tropical fruit, and yellow plums. Dry on the palate with medium body and acidity. Medium intensity flavors of apple, unripe pear, pineapple, sour Japanese plums, minerals, fresh nectarine and lemon. Recommended. 90 points.
2011 Buty Winery Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle (60%, 19%, 21%)
Columbia Valley AVA, WA ($25)
Clear, medium intensity, bright gold color. Clean nose with light aromas of lemon, stone, white peach, green pears and apple. Medium-dry on the palate with medium body and acidity. Medium flavors of yellow apple, pear, citrus, hay/straw, lemon, and a waxy texture. Recommended. 90 points.
Editor’s note: All wines provided as media samples.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://palatepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ryan-reichert.png[/author_image] [author_info]Having grown up in the midwest, Ryan Reichert followed his passion for wine to the Willamette Valley region of Oregon. He holds the Advanced Certificate with Distinction from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. Ryan is the creator and author for Northwest Whites, a site dedicated entirely to the white wines of the Pacific Northwest. You can also learn more about Ryan on his personal website. Ryan lives in Portland, OR.[/author_info] [/author]