You might be familiar with white wine varietals like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio, but have you discovered the world of Chablis, Chenin Blanc, Sancerre or Vinho Verde? 

If you like unoaked Chardonnay, you might want to give Chablis a try. Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape which is grown in the Burgundy region of France. Only wines coming out of this region can be called Chablis, in other words a winery in California can't label a wine Chablis. One major highlight to point out regarding Chablis, is that it rarely uses oak for aging its wine, so it's a great alternative to anyone looking for a unoaked Chardonnay. Being that it doesn't see oak, you won't get a buttery flavor profile, instead more flavors of citrus, pear, minerality and salinity. It's light bodied, has high acidity and flint like minerality. La Perliere Chablis is a pefect introdutory bottle to try. 

Chenin Blanc is grown majority in South Africa (roughly 50% of the vineyards worldwide), United States, France and Argentina. What makes Chenin Blanc cool is that it has a wide range of flavors, and all these flavors come from how the wine is made. Due to the many wine making methods it can be dry, off dry, sweet or sparkling. A dry Chenin Blanc with have notes of pear, quince, ginger and chamomile. An off dry Chenin Blanc has notes of jasmine, passion fruit and honey comb while a sweet Chenin Blanc has mango, ginger and mandarin orange characteristics. Lastly a sparkling Chenin Blanc has flavors of yellow apple, plum, ginger as well as floral notes. With all these expressions of Chenin Blanc it's great for any white varietal wine drinker, especially in the summer time! 90+ Cellars Chenin Blanc is a prime example of how this varietal can wow you.  

Sancerre is similar to Chablis being that it is a region in France. The characteristics of a Sancerre is a high quality alternative to a Sauvignon Blanc being that the grapes are Sauvignon Blanc, just grown in this particular region. Common tasting notes from a bottle of Sancerre can be melon, oak, citrus and even floral. 90+ Cellars also makes a fantastic Sancerre! 

Lastly we have Vinho Verde. It's a Portugal white coming from a small region in Northern Portugal. Vinho Verde's are a top pick for summer being that they have high acidity, low carbonation as well as a lower alcohol content. Vinho Verde isn't a grape itself but a blend of six different grapes that are Alvarinho, Arinto, Azal, Avesso, Loureiro and Trajadura. What's different about the style of Vinho Verde compared to most whites is the "fizz" it has. That fizz is artificially carbonated. The classic notes in Vinho Verde include white melon, gooseberry, grapefruit and lime blossom. Terras De Felgueiras is an excellent example of what this varoetal offers for taste and value!