8 Wines for Late Summer Sipping

Esprit Gassier, AOP Côtes de Provence
Provence, France

In honor of the Paris Olympics, raise a glass of this gold-medal rosé, made with a blend of grenache, syrah, rolle, and cinsault. Provence in general produces the Team USA of rosés, and this bottle evokes the spirit of a Mediterranean holiday: aromatic, fresh, and ripe, with just a hint of salt at the end.

Pair it with:  A casual selection of hors d’oeuvres like a pile of grissini and bits of crumbly manchego

Lagar de Pintos Albariño
Rías Baixas, Spain

Just like adding a squeeze of lemon to a dish will brighten the other flavors, this softly structured albariño punches up the high notes of whatever you’re eating—plus, there’s a good backbone of citrus and slate that balances out as you get further into the glass.

Pair it with: A pile of backyard smoked chicken 

Craggy Range Single Vineyard Chardonnay

Hawks Bay, New Zealand

Made with 100-percent chardonnay hailing from the Kidnappers Vineyard, this luscious wine is all fruit with very little oak. There’s a zippy bit of acid to balance out the round smoothness of each sip.

Pair it with: The wine’s hint of nuttiness will pair well with this cashew-crusted halibut

2020 Yacoubian-Hobbs White

Vayots Dzor, Armenia

You likely haven’t tried grapes like voskehat and khatuni (I hadn’t) but these rare, indigenous Armenian varieties wines show off what is considered the 6,000-year-old birthplace of wine. US winemaker Paul Hobbs partnered with a local family to bring this blend stateside and it’s worth seeking out—you’ll get a little bit of apricot, balanced minerality, and something like a wisp of limoncello with each taste. 

Pair it with: An earthy, meaty, and slightly spicy dish, like this pork loin with sorghum chipotle glaze

Ceretto Blangé
Alba, Italy 

Arneis! This is one of those lovely grapes that you don’t see much, but should. And this bottle will make you fall in love. Rich and complex, it’s like sniffing inside a cheese cave but each sip reveals vanilla, almond, and all the heady notes of a nice scotch. It likes delicate flavors and a cold, cold fridge, which maintains its crunchy freshness.

Pair it with: Somehow pho feels just right for this Italian sipper, especially when it’s swimming in a delicate mushroom broth

Nortico Alvarinho
Monção and Melgaço, Portugal 

You can taste the salt air and ocean breezes on this wine, thanks to the vineyard locations, which sit just south of the Galicia region of Spain on Portugal’s northern coast. There’s straw and slate and a floral undertone here, along with the faintest touch of effervescence—all of which make this an easy, weeknight sipper.

Pair it with: The saline flavors will complement these smoked Castelvetrano olives

Jules Taylor OTQ Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

Short for “on the quiet,” this New Zealand winery’s OTQ wines are each crafted from single-vineyard selections. The sauvignon blanc is a gem, especially when it’s sat out for a minute to release the chill. There are traditional grassy New Zealand sauvignon notes, but then this wine goes deeper with smoky jasmine and woodsy pine. If you’re more of a California sauv drinker, this might change your mind about those coming from New Zealand.

Pair it with: A fruit-filled arugula salad or a lemony pasta loaded with leafy greens

Il Fauno by Tenuta Di Arceno

Tuscany, Italy

If you’re going to make the early-season switch to red, look out for this dual-minded Bordeaux-style blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot made in Tuscany. In the glass, you’ll get a little bit of misty rose mixed with cedar, marinated cherries, and deep jammy notes. Pull this out for your next late-summer grilling session.

Pair it with: Your next steak night, featuring a grilled dry aged porterhouse