Le Clos Chateau Isenbourg, 2008 Riesling, Alsace, France

Riesling really doesn't get the play it should. First of all, most people (myself included) pronounce the word incorrectly. Reese-ling. There's no 'z' in that word. Ask Jancis Robinson. She'll set you straight. Slap you around a little. Second, people assume that riesling is sweet. No. I'm sorry, but no. Not all riesling is sweet. Alsace riesling is, in fact, bone dry. Steely. Minerals. Petroleum. Notes of glacial waters. I blame this misconception on Black Tower. That crap my dad bought at Christmas to fulfill the wine quota, which would inevitably loom at the back of the fridge like a blunt hammer until some summer party, when an uncle would get hammered enough to finish it and then begin pooning with a sprinkler. Growing up in the suburbs was an education.

La Puerta, Torrontes, 2010, La Rioja, Argentina

I'm in the rank armpit of a Canadian heat wave. People here are simply not accustomed to dealing with intense heat. They get quite unhinged. I choose to look on the bright side of things - white wine tastes amazing when you are glazed with varnish of sweat. And the wine drinking makes the state of being unhinged a lot more entertaining. Finally, hot weather also trims your criteria for white wine down to a very manageable list: it must be ice cold, clean, acidic, and possess delicately refreshing fruit. So long live the heatwave. I'm a big fan of Argentinian Torrontes. It pulls through on all of these key indicators and is especially forgiving with respect to price. This is one of my everyday wines. La Puerta is no glory-boat. It's salt of the earth. Sub-$10. Your nonno would approve. I'm matching it with some mussels with double smoked bacon, blue cheese and more Torrontes.

Leira Albariño, 2009, Rias Baixas

Albariño is Spain's greatest white wine. Rias Baixas is the DO. Galicia in the Northwest of Spain is the region. Very unique wine. Medium to full bodied. Some of them are almost creamy in texture, with intense aromas of citrus, stone fruit, flowers and mouth-watering acidity that brings to mind wet Atlantic coastal rocks. These wines are both delicious and singular, mainly because Albariños manage to bring together many of the best things of various white-wine styles. It's one of those wines I can see Chardonnay drinkers enjoying as easily as Aromatic lovers. The result? Explosion in the culinary world. The question is how a rainy, green corner of Spain manages to produce a varietal able to harness all of these sensations in a single glass. The nose, so reminiscent of Viognier and Alsace riesling, has led more than a few to wonder if the grape was brought to Galicia from France.

Man Vintners, Chenin Blanc, 2010, Costal Region, South Africa

Chenin Blanc isn't a hugely popular grape with Canadian wine drinkers. Niche interest. Sommeliers like it, but they like every region, as long as it poses interesting questions and provides something distinct. Chenin Blanc is grown in quantity only in the Loire Valley and South Africa. The key to identifying Loire Chenin Blanc is its high acidity along with some honey and traces of summer flowers. Anjou, Saumur and Vouvray are parts of the Loire synonymous with Chenin Blanc - these would have been better places for me to start. I do not have a Loire wine in the substandard linen closet that serves as my cellar. What I do have in there is from South Africa. It's called 'Steen' on the Cape. Man Vintners is firmly on the value end of things. Grapes are sourced from 'bush-vine' or untrellised vineyards in the Agter-Paarl Region. This bush-origin is an important quality distinction for South African Chenin Blanc. Tropical fruit, crisp citrus and sharp acidity are said to be the defining tast-profile features. To be honest, this is my first Chenin Blanc. I'm matching it with snapper.

Wunsch et Mann, Gewurztraminer, 2008, Alsace, France

The Super Bowl is history. Much like my ability to digest pulled pork. I need something light, aromatic, and exotic. Something that I might seamlessly intertwine with the characteristics of the fragrant Alsace Gewurztraminer I picked up last July after a few too many Lychee Martinis by the poolside. Nostalgia is a dangerous lady. Yes, I am old enough to recall the golden summers of lychee martinis.

Crios, Torrontes, 2009, Argentina

I've been accused of holding a pretty open grudge against the white wines of the world. Okay, considering that the first four wines featured in this blog have been red, I'll concede the point. Or at least I'll concede the basis for some basic confusion. I'd argue that the one-sided selection process has more to do with the weather in Canada during the months of December through March. A harsh meteorological reality. One that lends itself to braised shanks, oven-roasted birds, fall-off the bone stews consisting of noble hoofed beasts. And meat goes with red wine. Or does it? Jancis Robinson says, "it is body that matters more than colour." I'm interested.