Every year around this time, I embark upon my ritual wine cellar spring cleaning.  It gives me an opportunity to review the inventory, pair down the winter weather wines that “need” to be consumed or are past due and free up some slots for the incoming summer wines.  Every so often, I discover a long ago hidden gem in the back of the cellar that got by me.  More often than not, it’s a single wine that I picked up on a spur of the moment, stored away and forgot about.  I actually discovered a few of these last week and will be finishing them off over the next month (or feeding my sink in the worst cases).

With the weather having turned exceptionally mild recently, my mind is already turning to thoughts of summer cuisine and wine.  My choice for summer dinners usually is pretty causal, revolving around barbecues, salads and seafood.  In the wine department, I tend toward refreshing and crisp white wines.  Summer in the desert southwest is an ideal time to both reacquaint with traditional whites as well as “make new friends.”  As the temperature approaches the century mark, I find myself eager for a refreshing and less alcoholic crisp white.  That being the case, I thought that I would share with you the list of potential whites that will stock our cellar this summer and their popularity ranking in our cellar, one being the most popular and five being the least.

Over the last several years, I have fallen in love with the steely dry, fruity and minerally Australian Rieslings from the Clare Valley.  They usually sport a refreshing array of tangerine, apple and orange scents along some floral notes.  These wines, when chilled, are a perfect match with a salad or light seafood dish.  They get a number one ranking in my cellar.