Wines You Should Be Drinking Right Now — Resist The Aligoté Hate and Embrace an Underrated Grape

Aligoté can divide. There are those who disdain it openly, proud, it appears, to proclaim loudly to anyone who will listen that it is not worth the effort it takes to make, that the best aligoté is inferior to the worst chardonnay. On the other side of the line are the sane, knowing individuals, the ones who appreciate aligoté and share their enthusiasm for it with their friends and acquaintances. If you encounter a character who belongs to the first group, nod in agreement and walk calmly away.

Aligoté is a proud grape. Burgundian winemakers love it (check out Les Aligoteurs), and yes, you’ll traditionally find it in your Kir cocktail. Fascinating history and story behind that apéritif. It was originally known as a Blanc-cassis, but now honors Félix Kir (1876 to 1968), a former mayor of Dijon who served the drink to delegations visiting his city. What was once often made with crème de cassis and red wine had to be made with white wine after the Nazis had their way with Burgundy’s red wine stocks, and the tradition lives on.

Interested in making your own Kir cocktail? Put one part crème de cassis in a wine stem and follow with nine parts white wine. Here’s a recipe from the International Bartenders Association.

No Inferior Grape

Aligoté is in no way an inferior grape, contrary to what the misguided proclaim. It is a cross between gouais blanc and pinot noir, it is, after chardonnay, the second most-planted variety in Burgundy, and it represents great value.

One aligoté that I enjoyed recently is Abbey Road Farm‘s 2023 vintage, available for $35 directly from the producer. I opened the sample bottle and thought, “I must pair this with briny, small oysters,” which is what I did. Royal Miyagi, with lemon and mignonette sauce. Poached shrimp would also be excellent. The wine carries a note of salinity, which I loved, along with a touch of apricot and Granny Smith apple.

Delicate floral aromatics add to the pleasure. Whole cluster pressing was used, and this estate Aligoté was aged sur lie for eight months in neutral French oak (70 percent) and in one new Austrian oak puncheon. Drink it now.

As for what else you should consider putting on your wine radar?

2022 Markham Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley, California

I have my mind on a Napa merlot that also represents great value for the price, and I’d recommend finding it soon, because it’s sold out on at the producer’s website. (The 2023 vintage will follow.) I have found it at retailers in the $25 to $30 range — and it’s worth every dollar. I paired the 2022 Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot with a rack of lamb, and the duo was the centerpiece of a fine meal.

This wine, from an all-female winemaking team, is dark red in the glass and offers aromas of black stone fruit, sensuous and warm. You get the typical cherry and plum flavors on the palate, and freshness and vibrancy that spark conversation. The 2022 Merlot spent 18 months in oak barrels — 30 percent new — and was fermented in stainless steel. It is 95 percent merlot, 3 percent cabernet sauvignon and 2 percent malbec.

Markham’s estate vineyards — Yountville Ranch, Little Cannon, and Rockerbox — provide about a third of the fruit here, and head winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls and her team have produced a food-friendly wine that I’d love to gift to all of my cooking friends.

2024 Turnbull “Josephine” Sauvignon Blanc, Oakville AVA, California

Rounding out this edition of Tasting Notes is a sauvignon blanc from the Oakville AVA that I particularly like. It’s available for $50 from the producer, Turnbull Wine Cellars, and it holds a place on my list of top 10 sauvignon blancs drunk in the past year.

Peter Heitz is the winemaker at Turnbull, and he’s said of this sauvignon blanc: “This wine gives me goosebumps — in the best way.” I did not get goosebumps when I tasted this wine, but I am in no position to quibble with Heitz, nor doubt his reaction, because I did love this bottle. I paired it with a pork loin (garlic, fennel and parsley).

Fermentation and élevage are carried out in terracotta amphorae, concrete tank and French oak, and the result is an exhilarating journey of citrus joined with grace, complexity and a texture that pairs well with foods. I couldn’t ask for more from a sauvignon blanc.

Fruit in this wine is primarily estate, from Turnbull’s Home Ranch and Fortuna vineyards, complemented by a North Coast site that sits at 1,600 feet above sea level. If you have friends who think sauvignon blanc is not worthy of pairing with serious food, who consider it a “pool sipper,” share some of this wine with them during a meal of pork loin and watch their reactions.

James Brock is a writer, journalist and cook. More of his work can be found at Mise en Place.