In the world of National [Fill-in-the-Blank] Days, White Wine Day is aptly placed on August 4th, reminding us to drink deeply from the waning days of summer, wear our pastel outfits a few more times, and revel in the humid air beading on the curve of a chilled glass.
I have spent much of my career in the restaurant industry helping people find a wine to suit their tastes. Recommending white wine can feel like a layup, but let’s not forget that a white wine can still be a slam dunk.
American wine drinkers have increasingly learned to shop by “varietal,” looking for wines made primarily from a particular grape variety. White wines are produced around the world from grapes whose best-known expressions originated largely in Europe – especially France, where Chardonnay, the world’s most widely recognized white wine grape, is the basis of white Burgundy.
My first assignment for White Wine Day, for anyone hoping to better understand the complexity and range of white wine, is to taste a California Chardonnay from Sonoma County side by side with a nice Chablis. This is a wonderful way to discover that the grape variety alone does not tell you everything about a wine.
The aging process—oak or stainless steel?—along with the climate, soil, and other conditions often grouped under the term “terroir,” can make a Chardonnay light, crisp, and citrusy or full-bodied, toasty, and spicy.
A restaurant or wine bar is the perfect place for a “Chardonnay Challenge,” and the exercise provides an excellent excuse to bring a friend out for the evening. My go-to has to be Shay’s Pub & Wine Bar, where a patio seat delivers maximum summer atmosphere.
Your next assignment is to broaden your horizons by discovering a new wine region or grape variety. In much of the winemaking world, the wine of choice is simply the wine made nearby. I love choosing a place I would like to visit, picking up a bottle and a few snacks from that region, and staging a little back-porch vacation.
Visit Formaggio Kitchen on Huron Avenue, where the knowledgeable staff can act as your epicurean travel agents. I might choose a bottle of Basque Txakolina, along with a jar of Guindilla peppers, Manzanilla olives, and Cantabrian anchovies.
Momma’s Grocery in North Cambridge is a tiny but exceptionally well-curated gourmet shop, where you can walk in from Mass. Ave. and walk out onto Milan’s Via Fiori Chiari. Nearby Pemberton Market offers the CRU wine club for as little as $50 per month to keep the party going year round.
However you choose to celebrate, White Wine Day is an invitation to try something unfamiliar, visit a local business, and raise a cold glass to the last glorious stretch of summer.
Kari Kuelzer is the Board Chair of Cambridge Local First and owns Grendel’s Den and The Sea Hag Restaurant and Bar in Harvard Square
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