The Sommelier’s Summer Cheat Sheet 🍷☀️

I love a good summer white. Whether it’s day drinking on a patio, sipping something cold after a brutal ninety-degree afternoon, or just needing a little something to take the edge off these hot nights we’ve been having, a great white wine is basically a summer essential. And honestly, no one’s judging you if you’re pouring a glass at two in the afternoon; that’s just called being a functional adult in L.A. summer.

The Whites 🥂

1. Giesen Zero Sauvignon Blanc — Around $15. A non-alcoholic pick from New Zealand, crisp and citrusy enough that you’d genuinely forget it’s alcohol free.

2. Round Pond Sauvignon Blanc — Around $25. From Rutherford, Napa Valley, a 93-point rating, bright and vibrant, basically what a summer afternoon should taste like.

3. Isabelle Garrault “Les Grands Monts” Sancerre — Around $33. Real Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc from fifty-year-old vines, herbs, citrus blossom, and lime zest up front, with a fresh palate of pear and nectarine underneath. For when you want to feel a little fancy without spending a fortune, great with anything off the grill.

4. Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay — Around $18. Delivers that Burgundian elegance and style without the Burgundian price tag; honestly, the best kind of wine flex.

5. Picpoul — Usually under $20. An under-the-radar white most people haven’t heard of, crisp, a little briny, dangerously easy to drink.

The Reds and Rosés 🍇

6. Kudos Willamette Valley Pinot Noir — Around $13, 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and tagged a Best Buy. Raspberry and herbs on the nose, blackberry, cinnamon, and black tea on the palate. Willamette Valley has earned a reputation as Oregon’s answer to Burgundy, thanks to a similar cool climate that produces Pinot with real elegance instead of just brute fruit. This one holds up nicely at room temperature or just barely cool, but here’s the fun part: give it fifteen to twenty minutes in the fridge, and it transforms into the ultimate summer red, brighter, livelier, and dangerously easy to keep pouring.

7. Château Miraval Rosé — Around $20-25. Yes, the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie one. This one’s personal; it was always on the pool menus back when I was a food and beverage director, and it’s genuinely good, not just famous.

8. Rosé Piscine — Around $14. This one’s a real bottle, made in Fronton in Southwest France from the indigenous Négrette grape, and literally built to be served over ice, French for “swimming pool.” Skip chilling it in the fridge entirely and just pour it straight over ice instead.ver ice, so lean into it.

The Pool Party Bottles 🏊

9. Sofia Blanc de Blancs — About $20 for a four-pack of mini pink cans from Francis Ford Coppola. This one’s a personal favorite of mine to bring to pool parties, easy and fun, and it comes with its own straw. Fun fact: the straw idea actually came from Francis noticing his daughter Sofia’s fellow models drinking through straws while she was modeling for Marc Jacobs, all to avoid smudging their lipstick.

10. Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial — Around $70-75. The striking white champagne bottle made specifically to drink over ice. Another pool bottle service favorite of mine, and a genuinely elegant thing to bring to any pool party; sometimes it even comes as a gift set with the Moët branded plastic glasses. A trick from my hotel days: smack a sprig of mint between your palms before dropping it in the glass; it releases the oils and takes this from great to absolutely glorious.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, summer in L.A. is about slowing down, staying cool, and enjoying good company, and a great bottle in hand never hurts. Whatever you’re pouring off this list, I hope it helps take the edge off the heat and makes for a few more memorable nights. Wishing you all a fun, relaxing, and safe summer ahead. And if you’ve got a favorite white of your own, or any questions about any of these, I’m always here for you.

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Here for you, always! Your Real Estate JED.i 🥷