Summer arrived in New York this week with a series of fine, clear, warm days and one stinker of a humid one to remind us of the pleasures the weather gods 
are lining up for us.
This all puts me in mind of recommending some summer wines to sip during those sticky days and nights to come. Then, too, Memorial Day is fast approaching so it’s not too soon to start laying in some light, fresh summer sippers for the beach house or the holiday barbecue.
A great place to start would be this delightful NavaReal Verdejo-Viura, Rueda 2008 ($12). Rueda, north-west of Madrid, not far from the Portuguese border, is rapidly emerging as Spain’s finest region for white wine. This is in large part thanks to a superb local grape, the verdejo (here blended with viura, the white grape of Rioja) which, in the hands of a good winemaker, can result in wines of great charm and seductive drinkability.
NavaReal has a bright straw color, is fresh, clean and dry but at the same time offers a generous palate thanks to the luscious, ripe fruit flavors – think grapefruit and apricots. But above all it is crisp and light, making it the ideal summer party wine.
Hey, Nick: We were recently introduced to a marvelous Spanish varietal – if we have our facts straight – called Godello. At the moment we’re drinking a very delicious Louro do Bolo 2007, which says Valdeorras as the “denominacion de origen.” We paid about $15 at retail and it’s very drinkable. Do you know it? And are you planning more on the somewhat overlooked Spanish whites, such as this good column? Duncan & Susan
[...] couple of weeks ago this column featured NavaReal, a charming and inexpensive white from Spain. This was the first in an occasional series light [...]