New Whites for a New Week
What kicks off a week better than a Monday girls’ night? Maybe a Monday girls night with two new wines sipped outside on a summer evening.
On a particularly steamy July night, Kate, Kathy, Pam, and Carolyn headed out to Inka’s, a new Peruvian Restaurant downtown. Our server Pablo took excellent care of us and, as luck would have it, Monday is wine night at Inka’s with 15% off every bottle. This thrifty deal gave us license to try two new varieties of wine: Alberiño and Sancerre, the second of which tends to be higher priced than your average white. Not to throw in a spoiler but Kate, who can be a tough critic, shared, “I have new favorite white wines!”
Alberiño (”alba-reen-yo”) is a Spanish wine which is rapidly growing in popularity. Carolyn’s savvy and stylish friend Beatriz suggested an Alberiño earlier this summer and now we are seeing and enjoying it in many spaces – it seems Alberiño is having a moment.
One wine expert explains, “native to the Iberian Peninsula and commonly grown across coastal and northwest Spain and northwestern Portugal, Alberiño yields wines that are crisp, high acid and just a bit oceanic.” Chadner Navarro, “In the Age of the Crisp White Wine, Alberiño is the Star,” Wine Enthusiast, March 26, 2025. It’s a bit difficult to compare Alberiño to any other white wine. Navarro opines “No matter what you drink or what you are eating, great Alberiño works. They are relatable, less intense than Sauvignon Blanc and more exciting than Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.” Id.
When it comes to food pairings, Alberiño is versatile, complimenting a wide variety of foods. One resource recommends that you “pair a bottle of Alberiño with light to middle intensity foods such as seafood, fish, chicken, and soft cheese while, due to its lightness Alberiño is not ideal for heavy dishes such a beef, pork, lamb, or anything with a rich sauce.” Unattributed, “Types of Wine and Grapes: Alberiño,” Wine Insiders, Summer 2025.
Our second wine choice was Sancerre. Produced in the middle of France, in the Loire Valley, Sancerre is a Sauvignon Blanc based white wine known for its rich texture and flavors of tree fruit, flinty-smoke, and citrus. According to one food and wine critic, “the classic white Sancerre is loaded with bright acidity and crisp minerality with the hallmark flavors of gooseberry, lemon, and flint.” Madeline Puckett, “Sancerre: The Ultimate French Sauvignon Blanc?” Wine Folly, Spring, 2025.
Sancerre is also known for being a bit pricey due to the fact that, like Champagne, Sancerre is highly regulated and can only be produced in a very specific small region of Sancerre.
While all Sancerre white wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, they have a distinct and complex flavor. When it comes to food choice, “Sancerre’s zesty profile and intriguing complexity make it a great wine to pair with food. Goat cheese is a classic pairing since the cheese’s texture and tangy flavor profile complements the wine’s herbal, citrusy profile. The intensity of Sancerre also makes it a great match for shellfish dishes and tricky to pair vegetables like fennel and asparagus.” Id.
Let’s turn to our attention to our testing of two white varieties: Alberiño and Sancerre. To recap our novice approach to tasting: none of us is a wine expert but we know what we like and are happy to share our unbiased opinion with you. To keep things consistent, we developed our own unique rating system: pass, glass, bottle, case; you can interpret it as 1, 2, 3, and 4 stars.
Martin
Codax Alberiño 2023 (Riax Baixas, Spain)
W
e all enjoyed this bottle. Saying she absolutely loved the bottle, Kate found it crisp, clean and very refreshing on a hot night. Similarly, Kathy pointed out the clean taste, and enjoyed the smooth beginning and crisp, balanced finish. Both Pam and Carolyn appreciated the balanced taste, describing the wine as light and fruity but not too sweet.
Winemaker: Opens with notes of apple, grapefruit, and apricot aromas framed by bright floral aromatics. This classically styled Alberiño shines with a crisp minerality and bright acidity that carries through to a long refreshing finish.
Retail Cost: $19 per bottle
Rating: Buy a CASE
Jacques Dummont Sancerre 2023 (Loire Valley, France)
All four tasters raved about this bottle, making it one of our absolute favorites. Carolyn described the flavor as complex but balanced with a bit of acidity. Kathy also described the Sancerre as balanced and particularly enjoyed the floral finish. Pam and Kate loved the Sancerre as well; both mentioned that this white wine was easy to drink. Pam pointed out the delicious, rich, and dry taste and Kate appreciated the zesty citrus flavors including lemon, lime and a hint of green apple.
Winemaker: Crisp and refreshing white wine from the Loire Valley offering flavors of citrus, green apple, and a hint of minerality with bright acidity and a clean finish.
Retail Cost: $34 per bottle
Rating: Buy a CASE
Cheers to all from Kathy, Kate, Pam, and Carolyn.
Music & Events Calendar
