10 white wines to extend Vancouver's summer sipping through August

Summer in Vancouver stretches longer when you have the right white wine on hand. Wine critic Anthony Gismondi has curated 10 picks—all available at government and select private liquor stores, all priced under $35—to carry your outdoor season through August.

The list leans toward single-varietal whites from around the world, a deliberate choice. Gismondi notes that the most interesting wines increasingly bypass conventional retail shelves, moving through winery-direct channels and allocation lists instead. The result: provincial buyers have little incentive to stock new producers or lesser-known wines. His advice holds: the more informed you are as a customer, the better you will be as a buyer.

Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino di Sardegna ($22) leads with a floral nose and quince, ripe stone fruit balanced by sweet tangerine—pair with squid, crab, clams, or mussels. Berton Vineyard Fiano from Australia ($22) offers pear, lemon zest, and fresh herbs with a light bitter almond note; crisp and clean, it's a modern take on Italian fiano. Garzón Albariño Reserva from Uruguay ($25) brings fragrant lime blossoms, gooseberry, and tangerine with bright Atlantic acidity—food-friendly and surprisingly excellent.

For something lighter, J. de Villebois Sauvignon Blanc from France ($27) delivers the texture of a Sancerre at a far better price. Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône Blanc ($20)—a blend of Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc and Roussanne—offers pears, citrus, and mineral notes at a bargain. Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet Les Pins De Camille ($22) captures what the French drink all summer: fresh, mineral, and awash in juicy citrus-flecked flavours of honey, ginger, and quince.

Protea Chenin Blanc 2019 from South Africa ($18.50) opens with a refreshing lemon-lime attack, peach, and fresh-cut herbs. Taylor Fladgate Fine White Port ($21) from Portugal's Douro Valley works as a summer classic: pour an ounce or three into a glass of ice, add tonic water and a slice of lemon. Villota Selvanevada Rioja Bianco from Spain ($35) takes you in a new direction—expect tropical fruit and a creamy, textured palate with notes of lemon, lime, and hazelnut. Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc 2025 from New Zealand ($20) delivers its pale straw-green hue with pungent passionfruit, gooseberry, nettle, and citrus—summer in a glass.

Gismondi also published a similar list last week of local B.C. summer-style whites. All you need now is a chair, an umbrella, and a bucket of ice.