Great Spanish White Wines

When it comes to Spanish wine, it’s easy to reach for the popular red varieties—i.e., Tempranillo and Garnacha. But there are plenty of crisp, clean white wines to choose from. Here are four good bets as the summer months start to wane.

La Val Albariño
Hailing from the mountainous Condado do Tea part of the Rías Baixas region in Northwestern Spain, Bodega La Val’s Albariño boasts an underlying salinity braced with a bright bitter grapefruit zing and the occasional lavender and honeysuckle flavors. The unaged wine has a healthy level of acidity, making it great for a traditional pairing with seafood or foods that might seem outside the box like Indian or Thai. $19, binnys.com.

Pinol Ludovicus Garnacha Blanca 
Did you know Garnacha wines aren’t always red? The limestone-rich region of Terra Alta, located just South of Barcelona, is home to a large percentage of Garnacha Blancas like this bottling from the Pinol Ludovicus winery. Expect big chalky minerality on the front end and fruity bursts of tart pear, green apple and sweet vanilla throughout. $12, thewineclub.com.

Verdejo Melior
Fans of clean Sauvignon Blancs should try this fruity 100% Verdejo from Matarromera Rueda. It’s balanced and medium-bodied with pear, pineapple and fennel flavors and a slight salty edge and bright acidity. $14, getwineonline.com.

Inmácula 
Unlike many of the other wines listed here, this blend of Viura and other “experimental varieties” from Navarra’s Tandem winery is aged in French oak before hitting the bottle. The battle between basil, stone, strawberry and green peppercorn rages with each sip, yielding a complex, floral and full-bodied wine that lingers. $14, 67wine.com.