At Summer's End, 25 White Wines To Sip

Good wines really know no season — there are plenty of nice summertime reds and enjoyable winter whites, depending on the food and the occasion.

That said, summer is the time when chilled white wines really blossom. So before we leave summer behind, here are 25 white wines with which to celebrate the ending of the season. And there is a special treat for sauvignon blanc fans. There is a wide selection from the two classic sauvignon blanc regions of the Loire Valley — Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Smell and taste the grassiness of summer.

Wines for review were provided by their producers or importers at no cost to the writer.

Ressò Catalunya Garnacha Blanca 2017 ($8). Limpid with muddled tastes, it's sort of starter wine — not much to turn you on or turn you off.

Inama Soave Classico 2017 ($15). Soft on the palate with mellow apple flavors, but good bitters around the edges.

Maryhill Columbia Valley Viognier 2016 ($16). Tight and not too generous, almost as if viognier's floweriness is being scaled back — or was it the vintage?

Pascal Jolivet "Attitude" Val de Loire IGP Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($17). The least "green" tasting of the Jolivet sauvignon blancs that follow below, but with light tannins and a bit of an edge.

Golan Heights "Yarden" Galilee Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($19). Classic grapefruit and gooseberry with a crisp finish.

Flora Springs Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($20). A laid-back sauvignon — mellow with easy green flavors.

Maryhill "Otis Vineyard" Columbia Valley Albariño 2017 ($20). Very lively and nicely done, with spicy fruitiness.

Flora Springs Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017 ($22). Rich and — yes — floral, with hints of cloves and spicy oak.

William Fevre "Champs Royaux" Chablis 2017 ($23). Very crisp stone fruit flavor, lean and mineral-y.

Inama "Vigneti di Foscarino" Soave Classico 2016 ($24). Juicy with a nice, tangy, lightly gamey finish.

Gamble "Gamble Vineyard" Yountville Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($25). An enjoyable sauvgnon blanc, with a Napa Valley body but with New Zealand-style green fruit.

Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2017 ($25). Well-balanced, green creamy fruit, with a very nice mouthfeel.

Trefethen Oak Knoll Dry Riesling 2016 ($26). There was a time when hot Napa Valley made a lot of riesling, and this one revives that memory — quite nice, quite vibrant, mildly fruity, and with a crisp, mineral-y finish.

Smith-Madrone Napa Valley Riesling 2015 ($29). A touch of herbal oiliness, tart and mineral-y — another good "valley" riesling.

Gehricke Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016 ($32). A creamy chardonnay, but one with welcoming bitter edges and green notes.

Pascal Jolivet "Clos du Roy" Sancerre 2017 ($33). Lovely green tartness, mainly lime and crisp apple, that is well-balanced and very refreshing.

Pascal Jolivet "Les Terres Blanches" Pouilly-Fumé 2017 ($33). Green apples with crisp tannins and a hint of creme fraiche on the finish.

Smith-Madrone Napa Valley Chardonnay 2015 ($33). Equal parts apple fruitiness and stolid oak, yet not a creamy/toasty chardonnay.

De Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé 2015 ($36). Lovely, rich and almost granular, with mature flavors of apple and lime, minerality, and a tangy sour cream finish.

Elena Walch "Kastelaz" Alto Adige Gewurztraminer 2017 ($37). From one of the best producers in the region, this one has a lovely gamey nose, yet has strong, almost cologne-like flavor.

Youngberg Hill "Aspen" Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2016 ($41). On the tart side and a tad gamey, with good green apple flavor.

Pascal Jolivet "Le Chêne Marchand" Sancerre 2017 ($44). Mature flavors with a tight structure — lime and gooseberry, with a touch of savory and pleasant light tannins.

Pascal Jolivet "Sauvage" Sancerre 2016 ($58). As the name implies, it's very gamey, très biologique, and very bold (but very light) on the finish.

Pascal Jolivet "Indigène" Pouilly-Fumé 2016 ($60). A complex sauvignon blanc with light creaminess and old-wood flavors, to go with mellow green fruits.

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne NV ($61). Green fruits such as tart apples, good minerality, and lightly tangy, with good intensity. Many states have growing winemaking industries that aren't often talked about, including Texas and Arizona. Here are a few more of the states that we bet you didn't know made wine.