Here are more summer sipping wines, whites today. Recent reds get a look and taste next week.

Cristalino Jaume Serra Reserva Brut Nature n/v ($11.95, speculative)
New bubble from Spain to start you celebrating; hope this doesn’t stay speculative for long, so we can all enjoy it. (“Spec” wines can be hard to find because they aren’t carried in any government grog stores but rather only specialty wine shops.) Despite its slightly harsh nose, it quickly develops into a refreshing, dry, and crisp bubble in the neutral Spanish style. Made from all those grapes they only know in Spain—Paralleda, Macabeo, Xarel-lo. Excellent value for 12 bucks.

Terra Australis Chardonnay Semillon 2012 ($9.95, speculative)
A new label from southeast Australia, from a new agency called Northam Beverages. There are also two reds, which we’ll discuss next week. One of the reds is specialty-listed in the B.C. LDB; the other two, including this white, are speculative. This could really turn out to be this year’s Yellow Tail, because of the fabulous price. Fresh and cheap is the order of the day for this summertime gulper. Worth any effort to find out which stores stock it—ask around. This is the white summer sipper extraordinaire.

Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio 2012 ($15.99)
Hurray! This one from one of Italy’s oldest producers, is more readily found and it’s crisp, quite rich, floral and a little lemony, and absolutely delicious. No oak, all fruit, perfect with fish dishes and roast chicken salad with Roquefort dressing. It rewards hearty summer meals, including pasta and margherita pizza.

Fairhills Socially-Conscious Viognier 2011 ($12.99, specialty)
They say this originates from “one of the world’s largest Fair Trade wine projects” (in South Africa). Lush and lovely, redolent of major pear juice and some mango, with a soft, silky finish, and is that just a hint of oak in there? A unique taste that makes it a versatile food companion to the likes of samosas, oysters, fish and chips, some light and creamy cheeses. A pleasant taste surprise and a bargain, to boot.

St. Hubertus Oak Bay Schoenburger 2012 ($24)
One of St. Hubertus’s costliest wines. (There’s not much of it around!) The Gebert brothers describe it as “intense, hot Okanagan summer in a bottle…lush fruit [of] pear, pineapple, mandarin, with a long, soft finish”. It is intensely fruity, a most versatile summer-food wine, with rich, mouth-filling flavours, just the thing for smoked salmon and apple salad. You probably won’t find it in many stores beyond the winery shop, outside Kelowna, past Summerhill.

Summerhill alive organic white 2012 ($19.95)
And speaking of that Pyramid winery, they’re going round again with its Alive organic wines. I like the low alcohol best of all (10.4 percent), and the charming label art, and the hint of rhubarb in the flavour mix. I think it should cost a couple of bucks less, though. The blend is Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, and Muscat. The label says, ecumenically, “pair with life,” so we did.

El Petit Bonhomme Blanco 2012 ($14.99, specialty)
A Spanish treat, companion to a red blend that’s been in our market for a couple of years already, with a fanciful cartooned label, front and back, announcing a delicious and delightful grape mix that loves to accompany food, or not—it’s great all on its own, watching a sunset from the deck with good friends. Fresh and full, with a hint of flower and a whistle-clean finish.

Tommasi Viticoltori Le Rosse Pinot Grigio 2012 ($19.99)
Widely distributed, and we’re glad of that. Elegant and super clean, with just a hint of something tropical in the finish. Rich and ripe, for summer soups—gazpacho or cold cherry soup—and hearty luncheon fare, like a well-built Cobb salad.

Hillside Reserve Pinot Gris 2010 ($21.99 at the winery)
A rich, golden colour promises deep flavours, and this doesn’t disappoint in the delivery. The South Okanagan fruit has been fermented both ways—in stainless steel and Hungarian oak; the hue comes from its having lain sur lie (on the yeast) for five months, with battonage (stirring) every fortnight. Very rich and fragrant and full; a gorgeous wine that wants slow sipping all on its own.

St. Hubertus Chasselas 2012 ($19.50 at the winery)
One of the few all-Chasselas-grape wines being made in B.C., and if you haven’t yet discovered it you’re in for a treat. Full and refreshing; I don’t think there’s a better sushi wine out there. Or try it with a creamy Brie, baked with dried cranberries in buttery puff pastry.

Therapy Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2012 ($19.99 at the winery and some indie stores)
A little grassiness is here, but not so overt as that found in most New Zealand Sauvignons. The winemaker finds “passion-fruit, boxwood and herbs”. I’ll grant the passion fruit and the fragrant herbs, but I’ve no idea what boxwood is, let alone what it tastes like, so I’ll take his word for it. Hearty and very refreshing, with food or without.

Forbidden Fruit Pearsuasion Dry Pear Table Wine 2012 ($18.95 at the winery and adventuresome private stores about town)
This full, fragrant fruit wine is very dry and rich and full. Made from Sinsieki and Kosui Asian pears, it gets a little oak in the production process, which gives the flavour an intriguing edge. All organic fruit, of course. The producers like to pair it with cream-sauced pasta and some cheese—you’ll be experimenting. I like it with poached chicken or my friend Paula’s eintopf pasta with lots of fresh basil, tomato, and vegetable broth.