Roc des Moulins White Bordeaux 2008

i have been on a bit of a white wine roll lately. this white bordeaux is right in line with all the other very nice warm weather patio pounders i have tried recently. you should definitely look for some of these if you enjoy a refreshing white wine on a warm day. the white bordeaux's are excellent and usually you can find a good variety at friendly prices. this one sells for about $10 and has a nose of melon, citrus and some earth. the palate has some nice tropical fruit, melon, and the old world nice earthiness that is so appealing to me. great all by itself or with some nice hard cheeses or a seafood salad. cheers!

Henry Brochard Sauvignon Blanc 2010

warmer weather is upon us in the northeast, and that means patio pounders! i lean on the white wines more in the warmer months for their refreshing capabilities. this one from france is good for that reason and priced right at about $15. the nose is citrus, apple, mineral, and a little more citrus. the palate has lots of tropical fruit flavors (guava, grapefruit peel, lemon), some nice mineral notes, and a little gooseberry. snappy and tart on the tongue with a crisp finish, this one is great by itself, but also works with any lighter summer foods.

Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio 2008

the wife and i dined at an italian restaurant recently and shared this bottle with our meal. we both ordered chicken dishes and the wine was perfect with both. selling for about $15, this italian white has a nose of mangos, some slight citrus, and nice mineral aromas. the palate was full of tropical fruit and had some very nice, crisp minerality. very nice acidity and decent finish. this is a definite food wine and will be one to visit if you like a good patio pounder for the upcoming warmer weather.

Gamble Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2009

i have written about gamble before. their paramount red blend was an exceptional wine. this sauv blanc is far different from many i have tried. and that is a good thing. selling for about $13, this is a white that has a nose of pineapple, peach, tropical fruit, and some floral notes. the palate is a beautiful mix of tropical fruit. i picked up some guava, pineapple, and a little bit of coconut in the finish. there are also some nice apple and mineral flavors. the wine has a beautiful creamy mouth feel and crisp finish. we enjoyed this with some breaded chicken, roasted red potatoes, and sauteed vegetables.

Domaine du Chateau d'Eau Sauvignon Blanc 2007

i tried this nice suavignon blanc from france recently. when compared to some of the grapefruit heavy new zealand styles, this one is very nice. it sells for about $12 and has a nose of cirtus and tropical fruit, with some slightly grassy notes and a little floral aroma. the palate was somewhat grassy, with tropical fruit undertones. nice mineral notes and a crisp, elegant finish. this is a great wine for sushi and other seafood or fish dishes.

Castillo de Molina Chardonnay 2009

chilean wines are on the rise and this chardonnay, although it is not on the same level as those from california, is worth a try. especially at the price of under $10 a bottle. nothing over the top about this one. nice nose of tropical fruit, some green apple, a little vanilla and some oak. the palate has lots of nice topical fruit notes, with more of the vanilla and apple from the nose, and a little mineral bite. there was a little oak on the palate, and it had a full, slightly creamy mouth feel. perfect for scallops, other seafood, or with a veggie pizza.

Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2008

always a fan of kendall-jackson wines, i picked this one up at a recent wine shopping trip. i have had the vintner's, but never had the grand reserve. this one sources grapes from both monterey and santa barbera and sells for about $15. the nose had some nice tropical fruit aromas as well as some nice floral and spice notes. the palate had plenty of nice pineapple, tropical fruit and spice notes, along with honeysuckle, butterscotch and a little lemon zest. nice, long, creamy finish. try this one with some chicken or salmon.

Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2009

i am returning to south africa for this enticing chenin blanc from winemaker bruwer raats. this wine sees no oak, thus the 'original' title. the nose is grassy, with lemon peel and melon notes. the palate is somewhat like a sauv blanc, with some tropical fruit notes (minus the new zealand grapefruit flavor), some nice peach, mineral notes, and honeysuckle, all in a really nice crisp finish. sells for about $13-14 and if you like sushi, this wine is perfect for that. this could easily replace some of the slightly more expensive sauv blanc patio pounders that i like so much.

Maryhill Sauvignon Blanc 2008

summer white wines always include sauvignon blancs and this one from washington is very nice. selling for about $12 this one has aromas of pear, pineapple tropical fruit and honey. The palate has subtle grapefruit, granny smith apple and some tropical fruit flavors. nice mineral notes and good clean finish. easy drinking white that i enjoyed with pulled pork barbecue and potato salad. try it with salads or seafood too.

Urban Uco Torrontes 2009

i tried this summer time white at a tasting at my local wine shop. the nose is fragrant with nice white peach and honey aromas. nice tropical aromas as well. the palate had tropical fruit, lemon, white peaches and a little honeydew melon. very pretty white wine. nice, crisp finish. excellent patio wine on those warm summer days or as a nice compliment to summer dishes. sells for $10.

Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne 2009

another white wine worthy of your attention, this time from the state of ohio. the red wine loving world is going to think i have abandoned them. but fear not, red wines will return to the blog page soon. this white blend from ohio river valley producer kinkead ridge is 79% viognier and 21% roussanne. kinkead ridge produces some excellent wines in both red and white varietals. this one sells for about $15 and can be difficult to find as this was a poor year for the ohio wineries due to heavy rains during the october harvest. the nose is loaded with orange blossom notes, along with nice tropical fruit aromas too. the palate is more of the orange blossom, along with guava and i got a little honeysuckle in the finish as the wine opened up. nice finish that was crisp and acidic. fish, chicken or shellfish are great pairings with this wine.

Loredona Monterey Riesling 2008

we recently had a dinner of italian casserole with cole slaw and it was an outdoor affair. ordinarily i would go for a red but being outside in warm weather i decided to pick up some white wines. this riesling was one of the choices. the nose was white peaches, pears, some orange blossom and honey. the palate was limes and tropical fruit notes, along with a little apricot and some mineral in the finish. a little sweet for my taste but it seemed to work well with the spicy food. this is not the drier riesling i prefer from northern areas of oregon and washington, and i would probably drink this as a compliment to dessert rather than with the meal. sells for about $10.

Stoutridge Hudson Heritage White 2007

one more from new york winery stoutridge on the shawangunk wine trail. selling for $16, this is a blend of 70% seyval blanc, 10% cayuga white, 10% pinot gris, 5% chardonnay, and 5% riesling. this is completely different from the previous white i wrote about. much drier and more mineral in flavor, this blend has a nose of citrus and tropical fruit with some cheese and sweaty notes as well. i also got a little orange blossom note in this as it opened up. the palate was filled with lemon and guava fruit. it almost had an effervescence to it. nice mineral and grassy notes as well. perfect wine for seafood dishes. grilled shrimp time is here and this would be a good choice.

Tall Horse Sauvignon Blanc 2007

we are getting into that warm weather white wine season and i saw this new offering on my local grocery chain shelf for the really nice price of $8. tall horse is from south africa and i don't remember having a south african sauvignon blanc before. time to try one. the nose was minerals and a little herbs and grass. interesting yellow color on this one by the way. the palate was light and crisp, with nice mineral and light tropical fruit notes. nothing like the grapefruity new zealand sauv blancs. i really liked this one a lot. great patio pounder for this summer. serve it with grilled shrimp or just salads and lighter cheese. well worth a try.

McManis Chardonnay 2006

i have been on the reds quite a bit lately so i better throw a white wine in that i had recently. this chardonnay from california is in the lower price range that i like, selling for about $9-10. i have tried two other wines from mcmanis and was quite pleased with their value and flavor. how does there chardonnay stack up? the nose had tropical fruit notes and hints of vanilla. nothing too complex. on the palate, pears, maybe a little pineapple. sweeter than most chards, possibly from the fermentation in stainless steel. so this is not your oaky, buttery chard from california. more fruit forward. it spends a little time in french oak, which gives it the creamy mouth feel and a little zing in the finish. not bad for the price.

Lonen 2008 Chardonnay

here is another possible white for thanksgiving. not a big, oaky, buttery chard that can overpower the food, but a nice fruity crisp chard that will work well with your meal. the nose is full of tropical fruit notes, with some floral, honeysuckle, and white peach as well. the palate has more tropical fruit, with lemon and pineapple flavors leading the way. i also got some nice floral and spice flavors and a nice full mouth feel. this wine has some viognier added to the mix, giving it the floral notes. sells for about $12.

Fat Bastard Chardonnay 2007

i was in massachusetts recently and had some excellent clam chowder and scallops and enjoyed this white wine with the meal. the nose was full of apples, toast and vanilla. nice full palate with flavors of ripe tropical fruit and buttered popcorn. i also got some floral notes as well. the finish was not very long but very clean. retails for about $9 and is a nice go to white. it worked very nicely with the rich flavors of the chowder and scallops.

Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc 2007

time for another nice patio pounder that refreshes the palate in the warm weather. this sauv blanc from new zealand has a nose of white peaches, some grapefruit and pineapple and a touch of melon. the palate is nicely balanced with some crisp acidity and flavors of tropical fruit, like pineapple and grapefruit, with touches of herbal notes and a nice long finish. perfect for sipping after a long day at the office while sitting on the deck. sells for about $17.

Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2007

interesting sauvignon blanc from new zealand. melons, grass, and lime on the nose. the palate was in many ways very typical of new zealand with lots of tropical fruit flavors, especially grapefruit and pineapple, but the interesting part was the spice note. usually you get the tart, citrus finish. this one had a white pepper note that was a different and enjoyable change. gave the wine a really nice zingy finish. good summer deck wine that will go with most summer fare. sells for about $15.

Nobilo 2008 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

i tried another excellent sauvignon blanc that compares very favorably with the baldwinegeek house favorite whitehaven. this is also from new zealand and the nose of cirtus and tropical fruit jumps out of the glass. aromas of grapefruit, mango and pineapple with hints of lemon zest as well. the taste is crisp and acidic with flavors of passion fruit, melon and a little grapefruit that all linger on the palate for a medium finish. there are also some nice peach and mineral notes in the flavor as well. this is an above average sauv blanc that sells for about $10 and is well worth the price. this will be a repeat performer as a deck wine this summer.