Out's Guide to Lesser-Known White Wines

La Rioja

Something is afoot in La Rioja, the Spanish winemaking region acclaimed for its aged red wines: Producers are converting more of their vineyards to growing the white viura grape. It's a welcome shift. We're all familiar with the well-priced reds, but the white Riojas deserve to be better known. Soon, it seems, they will be. Even Bodegas Baigorri, whose name derives from a Basque word meaning something like "just red," is selling a lovely white wine (confusingly, Baigorri Blanco--or "just red white"), aged in French oak barrels, with a lovely golden color and supple notes of honeydew and guava. If there's a better way to while away a summer's afternoon, we don't know it.

For the Beach Party
Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva
This vibrant spakler, from one of La Rioja's most famous winemakers, comes with an elegance on the tongue. It's nicely rounded, with a clean aftertaste. For $13 a bottle, it's also a value.

For the Barbecue
Muriel Blanco
From the family-owned Muriel winery in the medieval Basque village of Elciego comes the lovely, zesty Muriel Blanco, a steal at $12.

For Dinner
Tierra Rioja Alavesa Blanco
With its delicate honey color and a nose of ripe stone fruit, this is a wonderful dinner wine that would pair perfectly with roast chicken or salmon.


Sicily

Tuscany hosts an abundance of rich, beautiful red wines, but if you're looking for formidable Italian whites, tip your glass to this still fairly untapped island. Because of its sunny climate, Sicily's past harvests yielded wines high in alcohol and big in structure. But now producers like Lucio Matricardi, the winemaker behind Stemmari wines, have been trying to protect grapes with leafy canopies and new farming techniques. This, Matricardi says, preserves their acidity while extending their aromatic profiles. Here, three of the island's best white wines.

For the Beach Party
SurSur Grillo
Grillo was once famous for its role in making the island's fortified Marsala wines, which have fallen out of fashion. But when properly vinified, the grape transforms into a smooth, fragrant, fruity white. Try it on its own or with seafood appetizers.

For the Barbecue
Stemmari Dalila
This unique blend--80% grillo and 20% viognier--is complex on the nose and has a long, viscous body and structure. A touch of oak and a slightly acidic finish make it the perfect companion to lean red meat as well as grilled fish and vegetables.

For Dinner
Settesoli Mandrarossa Pinot Grigio
Ramona Singer's old standby has actually become the face of modern Sicilian whites. Rich and complex with a fruity aroma, this bottle pairs well with fish steaks or poultry (and, perhaps, a good catfight).


Greece

Greek wines have had a bad reputation for years, but shun them and you're missing out on some of the most intriguing, bracing varieties out there--especially the country's whites. In many cases, their complexity and crispness come from the unusual environments in which they're cultivated. Santorini's Assyrtiko grape clusters, for example, are grown on a basket very low to the ground near the island's volcanic soil. Kamal Kouiri, the wine director at the New York City restaurant Molyvos, home to the most extensive selection of Greek wines in the U.S., picks his three favorite whites, one for every summer occasion.

For the Beach Party
Alpha Estate Malagousia
In the early '80s, Malagousia was thought to be extinct. It's since been rediscovered, and is now considered a world-class grape, yielding fresh, medium-bodied dry whites that pair well with greens, feta and watermelon salad, and fresh mizithra (a sheep and cow's milk whey cheese from Greece).

For the Barbecue
Gaia Thalassitis Assyrtiko
The bone-dry Assyrtiko grape from Santorini is a nice complement to roasted lamb, a charcoal-grilled pork chop, and an array of seafood dishes: grilled sea bass, marinated octopus, crispy Aegean-style calamari. According to Kouiri, it's one of the finest whites in Greece.

For Dinner
Lyrarakis Vidiano
Vidiano, from Crete, is rare (it was all but extinct 15 years ago), so it's a treat. Unusual and complex, it offers a bouquet of honey and almonds; on the palate, you'll get a nice balance of fresh acidity and flavors like lime, quince, peach, and tropical fruit. Try a bottle with smoked feta, grilled sardines, and stuffed calamari with a tangy tomato sauce.


Dalmatia

Winemaking on the sun-kissed slopes of the Adriatic coast and Dalmatian islands goes all the way back to the Greeks, and most islanders, particularly on Hvar and Brac, near Split, still make their own wines. Although the indigenous grape varieties of Croatia may not yet be familiar to the mainstream wine consumer, industry professionals are taking note. The premier grape variety, plavac mali ("little blue") is a relative of zinfandel, while regional varieties such as Bogdanusa ("given by God" and only produced on Hvar) are achieving acclaim for their crisp, rustic freshness.

For the Beach Party
Saints Hills Nevina
A fresh and elegant blend of chardonnay and malvasia grapes, with aromas of apple and pear, and a clean, bright finish.

For the Barbecue
Bibich Riserva R5
One of the first Croatian wineries to gain inroads in the U.S., Bibich has long championed native varietals like babic, plavina, and marastina. This blend of five grapes is floral and spicy, with a hint of dried fruit on the tongue. If you're lucky to find it (only 300 cases are produced a year), try it with grilled lobster or lamb.

For Dinner
Zlatan Hvar
Selected from grapes growing on the steep, south-facing vineyards of the island of Hvar, this big-flavored white compares well to a chardonnay.