I’m looking for a good source (or several) to order white wines. It seems as if my favorite producers/wineries that I buy wine from are red wine focused. Some offer a Chardonnay, Sav Blanc, or Riesling, but they rarely offer more than those. We like to pair wine with food, and a white is the best choice. Or, sometimes we’re just not in the mood for a red.
I’m looking for bottles that can be drank any day. With food or on their own. Price point is under $50 per bottle. I live in Alaska, so shipping costs play into the total bottle cost. Ideally, the winery would offer numerous varietals, and I could just buy a mixed case, have it shipped and give them a whirl. I’m not sure when travel to any of the wine regions in Cali or Wash we typically visit will be an option (due to Covid).
I get Chardonnay from Peter Michael and love them, but they are way too expensive for us to drink every day, week, or even monthly…
I was buying Chardonnay from McPhail, generally enjoy them, but they are closing their doors. Price point was more affordable too.
I love Merry Edwards Sav Blanc, but shipping costs are too high, so I just grab a few bottles whenever I’m in the area (wine trip every couple years or so).
I get wines from Long Shadows in Washington. Chard/Sav Blanc/Reislings. We enjoy them.
Whenever I’m in Napa, I swing by Cliff Lede and grab a case of their Sav Blanc. Great value.
We get Dunham whites through a friend who buys a lot of their Pinots, and doesn’t like white wines. Whenever she places an order she reaches out and we add We find them all enjoyable.
Any other wineries I should try, based on the above? I know my question is kinda vague. I’m having a brain fart and unable to find a better choice of words to phase this inquiry.
Are you looking to just purchase directly from producers or are you looking simply for producers to be on the lookout for? Seems like you can also find a West Coast retailer that ships to Alaska like K&L with a large catalog of wines to pick from.
Do check out Dirty & Rowdy. They make some pretty awesome whites (and reds)
Second the Massican reference…we really enjoy crisp, clean, non-oaked wines with prominent acidity. So…try any of the varietal whites from Tablas Creek, Arbe Garbe Malvasia,
Newfound Semillon, Sandlands Chenin Blanc, Kelley Fox Pinot Blanc, Dirty and Rowdy Chenin Blanc, Ryme Vermentino or Fiano, Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla, Falanghina, or Heinstein White Blend, or Beau-Rivage Chenin Blanc. Still collect, covet, and swoon over Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs…but high acid unoaked whites are relatively cheap…and so food friendly.
Tablas Creek has some really interesting whites at reasonable prices. Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Petit Manseng, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Vermentino, Viognier and several white Rhone blends.
Idlewild is really good and a great qpr. Focus is on grapes from the Piemonte region, both single variety and masterful blends. I see one on K&L for $20, so that’s a no brainer to try if you follow the good advice ordering from there. Btw, their reds are lighter in body, wonderfully expressive and ready to drink on release. So, the type of red you’re more likely to like, rather than the “typical” heavy thud you might expect from CA.
Keep an eye out for whites from Ribeira Sacra, Sicily, Piemonte, Campania.
Agree with Tablas Creek - I see 2 at K&L.
For Chard, I agree with Goodfellow and Walter Scott. K&L has a $40 Walter Scott you could try. In that vein (disclaimer: friend who I do work for) K&L has a Sandar & Hem from the Santa Cruz Mountains for $40.
Ian Brand has some really nice whites under his labels I. Brand, La Marea and Le P’tit Paysan.
There are thousands of good white wines for under $50.
But FWIW the thing that jumped to mind when I read your post was Kutch chardonnay. $39, world class, real intensity of flavors in a high acid old world style.
Thanks to everyone for the great tips and advice. I will be researching each recommendation.
I have bought wine from K&L before. Both wine and wine glasses…
I usually do not look for European wine, because I just don’t know what to look for, especially white wines. Spain and Italy both give me a headache when trying to learn their wine regions. I’m OK with France, but again - not sure what to buy other than the big names.
I have tasted wine at Tablas Creek before. We hit Adelaida the same day. I do not recall the particulars, but I ended up with a lot of wine from Adelaida and none from Tablas Creek. I’ll have to ask one of the friends I was travelling with that trip. He is a prolific note taker. I dropped Adelaida, mostly because I detest wine clubs.