Even die-hard red-wine drinkers get antsy for a bit of the white
stuff once summer temps hit the soaring mark. Here's the latest in
white wine, plus the openers to get you inside. - Jenna Schnuer
To help you pop your cork over white wines that'll send you
swooning - without putting your credit card over the edge - several
wine experts explain how to enjoy the latest trends for less than
$20 a bottle.
The Chameleon
More and more sommeliers are getting in on the Chenin Blanc action,
says
Brian Duncan, owner and wine director of
Chicago's Bin 36
restaurants, adding that it "adjusts to whatever the dish is." One
to try: 2004 Vouvray, Demi-sec, Yves Breussin ($14). It's "loaded
with rich pockets full of floral- and honey-scented citrus,
apricot, and golden-ripe apples."
Less Wood, More Grape
"Wood is like makeup," says
Joshua Wesson, cofounder and executive
wine director of NYC-based Best Cellars. "When you apply it too
heavily, you notice the makeup and not the person." One of Wesson's
favorite whites is the unoaked 2005 Babich Chardonnay ($12) from
New Zealand. Another oak-free and on the rise grape is Pinot Gris,
says Eddie Newell, main wine buyer for the Wine Club in Santa Ana,
California. A food-friendly wine, it "complements instead of
overpowering." One to try: 2004 San Simeon Pinot Gris ($12).
A Bit of This, a Bit of That
Blends are getting more popular every day, says Duncan. "They're
versatile with food. Whatever the dish's strongest notes are, the
grape with the greatest affinity gets pulled up." One to try: 2005
Jezebel Blanc ($18). The "incredibly juicy" wine made Duncan's
"head spin off" when he tasted it.
Boxed In
Box wines aren't bottom of the barrel anymore - even top vineyards
are stocking store shelves with them. One box holds about four
bottles' worth, and the wine will stay good for four to six weeks.
Boxes are also easier to take to the beach. One to try: Dtour
Mâcon-Villages 2004 (which, actually, comes in a tube), $37 (which
works out to $9.25 a bottle).
On the Rise
Torrontes, a Spanish grape now grown in
Argentina, was "basically
put on the planet to make all seafood taste even better," says
Wesson. One to try: 2005 Crisol Torrontes ($9). "It's like biting
into a Granny Smith apple," he raves.
Uncorking the Truth
There's no need to struggle. We found four stylish openers that
will help you get to the good stuff with ease.
If you've got the space and aren't one for the modern look, the
old-world appeal of the
Estate Combo Wine Opener with
Stand - and the very-easy-to-use lever action - is hard to
beat. (Stand not shown.) $95.
www.josephgrace.net
Learn the how-to of using a waiter's corkscrew - and you'll never
use anything else again. They're just so, well, cool.
Oxo
Steel's Waiter's Corkscrew has grippy-soft comfort and
looks perfectly swank in a stylish bachelor pad. $12.
www.oxo.com
Give
Screwpull's Trilogy Table Corkscrew a few
turns, and, like magic, the cork slowly climbs up and out of the
bottle - requiring no upper-arm strength from you. The look? Chic
elegance inspired by a spaceship. $25.
www.screwpull.com
Metrokane's Rabbit Lever Vacuum Pump has been
around for a while, but it's never looked this good. The new
special-edition VIP set in polished chrome and black leather is,
quite simply, sexy. And freakishly easy to use. $125.
www.metrokane.com