Scaia Garganega/Chardonnay, 2022

Are you looking for a go-to, affordable, universally pleasing (at least in the focus group of our family) white wine to have on hand this summer? Then look no further than the Scaia Garganega/Chardonnay blend from Italy (as odd as that word is, Garganega is the name of an Italian white grape).

This is such an interesting wine. Lift the glass to your nose, and you smell grapefruit and Meyer lemon and lime, and even a little grass like a summer prairie. Smelling it blind, we might be tricked into thinking this is a Sauvignon Blanc. But there’s also a background of creaminess almost like yogurt (plain yogurt, not vanilla or fruit yogurt) on the nose, and then it tastes a little creamier than a Sauvignon Blanc would. That’s the Chardonnay for you. It’s bright and tart and really enjoyable. We could drink this UP sitting out on the porch on a warm day.

In a nutshell:

The wine: For the price, A-

The price: $14 at Jacob Liquor

Would we buy it again? 100% yes