18 Crisp White Wines We'd Buy by the Case

The warmer the weather gets, the more I want white wine. Crisp, bright, mineraly, cold-as-can-be white wine. Probably with an ice cube or two! Hopefully in the sun. And my coworkers feel the same way. This week, I asked them for their best white wine picks and let’s just say, they had a lot of thoughts.

You may think that being food editors makes us wine experts, too. (Or maybe you don’t and we’re just full of ourselves). But I promise you that we’re all still drinking our way from France to Germany to New Zealand, trying to learn the difference between acids vs. tannins, French vs. California chardonnay, and how to pick up on white pepper and tropical fruit notes. We ask ourselves questions like is dry riesling always sweet? What’s so special about Napa Valley and the Loire Valley, anyway? Once we tackle pinot gris and dry riesling, we’ll tackle red wines, too. And that’s a whole other ballgame.

So for now, here are our favorite white wines for summer (and beyond!), according to the Food52 team. Cheers.

1. Note di Bianco 2019 From Alessandro Viola

“Can we get a little weird with it?! If so, this one is my summer fave! It's light and floral, a bit crispy, and perfect for summer salads and lobster rolls.” —Shannon Muldoon, director of client services

2. Pecorino Colline Pescaresi 2018 From Azienda Agricola Cirelli

“This one right here is the perfect picnic or beach wine.” —Shannon Muldoon

3. Sauvignon Blanc From Benjamin Bridge

“The sauvignon blanc from Benjamin Bridge, produced in Nova Scotia, will always be a favorite of mine! It's incredibly bright with stand-out notes of citrus, mint, and apple that tastes unlike white wine I'd had anywhere else because of Nova Scotia's unique soil. My favorite wedding gift was a half case to bring back to NYC!” —Kaleigh Embree, customer care specialist

4. Bourgogne Blanc Les Setilles 2018 From Olivier Leflaive

“This white wine with steamed lobster—or any (shell)fish for that matter—tastes like summer. I enjoyed this pairing sitting at my favorite restaurant bar with my husband at the beach last summer. I liked the wine so much, I tracked down a liquor store that carries it, and now keep it in my fridge as a staple. —Sarah Yaffa, data analyst

5. Salmo Salar Dry Riesling From Selbach

“I have been obsessed with this Selbach dry riesling. It's great with fish and plays very nicely with anything soy sauce-y, because dry riesling balances saltiness. Plus, this guy is under $20, making it a great weeknight choice.” —Casey Simring, Buyer

6. Apremont Cuvée Gastronomie From Jean Perrier

“I'll drink almost anything, but my husband Tom is a big white wine fan (although ABC—anything but chardonnay) and he really likes this Savoie. He said this was the first bottle given to him by one of his closest friends, who's now a sommelier and said this wine was made for him. It made him explore more white wines beyond his usual sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio go-tos ever since!” —Alex Egan, senior SEO strategist

7. The Snitch Chardonnay 2017 From The Prisoner Wine Company

“Also, my mom who only drinks chardonnay recommends The Snitch. She says for people who love buttery California chardonnays, it's affordable for how good it is.” —Alex Egan

8. Getariako-Txakolina 2018 From Antxiola

“This white has been a favorite of mine! Super nice citrus notes and slightly effervescent. I love it with an easy weeknight salmon with herby greens.” —Kayla Roolaart, assistant buyer

9. Sancerre Blanc 2018 From Domaine de la Villaudiere

“One of my favorites is a sancerre and I like this one from Domaine de la Villaudiere a lot. This is something that I will have really chilled on hot days that I don't feel like cooking, and I will pair it with something like a cold chicken salad or a charcuterie plate.” —Angela Bartolotta, drop ship supply chain manager

10. Homok 2019 From Alexander Koppitsch

“I've been loving this Austrian white blend. It tastes like summer, is light, and a little cloudy. The producer, Koppitsch, also has a rosé I’ve been buying a lot, too” —Emily Kochman, community experience manager

(Assistant Buyer Kayla Roolaart piped in that she, too, is a fan of wines produced by Koppitsch.)

11. Honeymoon 2018 From Martha Stoumen

“Martha Stoumen, a Sonoma-based natural winemaker, turns out bright and flavorful bottles from Northern California wine grapes. The 2018 Honeymoon is made from chardonnay and colombard, and tastes like honeycomb. Thanks to some botrytis—noble rot!—in the latter grape (a ‘once in a decade condition,’ per Stoumen), there’s some gentle sweetness that fades over the course of each sip, balanced by a nice level of acidity.” —Ella Quittner, contributor and columnist

12. Mäyr Grüner Veltliner From Franz Arndorfer

This wine comes in a one-liter bottle, which makes it extra perfect for socially distant get-togethers with friends. (Or, you know, just for keeping in the fridge for a long work week.) The winery, Franz Arndorfer, is known in Austria for its organic farming program. This one highly acidic and crisp, with a vegetal, sorta-spicy mineralness.

13. Grüner Veltliner 2018 From Shepherdess Cellars

My sweet friend gifted me a bottle of this months ago and I still think about it. She described it as “like Thanksgiving in a bottle,” which is as much about its herbal, sage-esque flavors as it is about all the cozy-good vibes.

14. Vino Verde From Casal Garcia

I couldn’t begin to count all the times my family has saddled up at Seabra’s bar in Newark and ordered an ungodly amount of buttery, garlicky clams, plus an equally questionable amount of Casal Garcia—very light, very crisp—to go with.

15. Sauvignon Blanc From The Supernatural

Made with organically grown grapes, this wine comes from the less-is-more school of thought. That natural fermentation adds a can’t-put-your-finger-on-it funk. Plus, it’s citrusy and mineraly—two of my favorite things in a glass.

16. Donkey and Goat "Gadabout" White Blend

“I’m generally terrible at wine but I love everything Donkey & Goat does. Their "gadabout" white blend is one of my favorites. It's got some good heft to it and is great to drink solo or with food.”—Brinda Ayer, Director of Content

17. Louis Jadot Macon Villages Chardonnay

"I thought I hated all chardonnay, until I learned there’s an entire category of unoaked chardonnay, meaning none of the buttery, heavy oakiness but plenty of full-bodied flavor. I almost can’t believe this one is a chardonnay...and I also can’t believe it’s only $14.”—Kelly Vaughan, Staff Writer

18. Niepoort Nat Cool

“This is my favorite white wine! It's a little "funky" but mostly very crisp and fresh. I think it's very perfect wine to have with salty snacks, but I'll still drink it with dinner.”—Rebecca Firsker, Assigning Editor

Furikake Chex Mix

This Chex mix was dreamed up by Hana Asbrink with parties in mind, but don’t let that stop you from making a scaled-down batch for yourself. It’s crispy, crunchy, and loaded with umami thanks to furikake, a briny Japanese seasoning typically including nori, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and sugar.

Five Spice Oven Roasted Nuts

Think of these as homemade bar nuts, seasoned with a combination of sugar, five-spice powder, chile powder, and sea salt. They’re perfect for popping in your mouth alongside something light and crisp, like pinot blanc.

Blistered Shishito Peppers

Why are crispy, salted shishito peppers the best happy hour snack during summer? We could come up with a hundred reasons, but for the sake of time, just trust us. Sauté them until they’re blistered and then in between bites, sip on a chenin blanc, an acidic French white wine with notes of green apples and a hint of spice.

"Italian Countryside" Cheese Plate from Marissa Mullen

If you’re drinking white wine—say a sauvignon blanc from South Africa or a rich white Burgundy—you’re pretty much obligated to consume it while snacking on an epic meat and cheese platter. And if you’re digging into a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano and a few slices of prosciutto, then it’s expected that you’ll enjoy a glass of a light-bodied white wine, say something with notes of green apple and lemon-lime.

Ricotta Crostini with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

“This simple bite can be enhanced by rubbing the crostini lightly with a clove of raw garlic before adding ricotta, or skipping the garlic clove and drizzling some honey as garnish instead,” according to our editorial team.

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What's your favorite white wine varietal? Let us know in the comments below!