The shift from winter-hearty Cabernets and Bordeaux blends presents an opportunity to sip on lighter white or red wines during the summertime months. With al fresco dining and barbeque season in mind, here’s a roundup of recommended wines to stock up on for this summer.

#1 - 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Moraga Bel Air Vineyards, California

A wine grown from grapes in Bel Air, Los Angeles? Unless you peeked at the price per bottle, who would guess this Moraga Sauvignon Blanc would be exceptional, and it is most definitely a special white sip to enjoy this summer. If you like smooth, easy, delicious white wines, this Moraga Bel Air is for you. It isn’t highly acidic and is more like a Sancerre. A large appreciation for the quality of these grapes goes to the high elevation of the Santa Monica Mountains with its steep and rocky vineyard landscape and ocean breezes.

Interesting to note is the property’s history as it relates to Hollywood. Morago was originally the home of Victor Fleming, director of Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. In 1959, Aerospace Engineer Tom V. Jones purchased the property and later planted the vines in homage to Jean Louis Vignes, who began making wine in the 1830s in downtown Los Angeles, decades before Napa began planting vines. If this wasn’t interesting enough, Moraga was purchased by Rupert Murdoch in 2013, prompted by an ad in the Wall Street Journal. Winemaker for Moraga, Paul Warson, joined the team in May of 2021 to continue the tradition of growing and crafting outstanding wines from one of the most unique vineyards in the country. $92/bottle

#2 - 2015 Tenuta Perano ‘Rialzi’ Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Italy

When it’s too hot to cook, takeout meaty Italian dishes consumed on an outdoor bistro table pair best with a bottle of Frescobaldi DOC Chianti Classico from the Tenua Perano region. The Rialzi vineyard deserves huge congratulations for producing an exquisite expression of Tuscan Sangiovese grapes. This ruby/garnet wine offers complexity at its best from start to finish. Outstanding and intense flavors of deep cheery, black currant, and a finish of tobacco and coffee beans follow aromas of cherry and black pepper. Truly, this wine is a wonderful selection any time of the year. It’s no surprise James Suckling rated this wine with 95 points. $60/bottle

#3 - 2020 Riesling, les Natures, Jean-Baptiste ADAM, Alsace, France

Skip the lemonade and pour a glass from this slender signature Riesling d'Alsace bottle filled with a lemony, organic Riesling. Pair it with summer dishes of lobster, scallops, white fish, and as an aperitif with crackers and goat cheese. $25/bottle

#4 - 2022 Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, California

The essence of summer sips may be found in a chilled bottle of Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc. This bottle is a quintessential expression of a St. Helena varietal that produces a grassy, citrusy sip. $23/bottle

#5 - 2021 Early Mountain Foothills Red Blend, Virginia

Summer’s burst of berries are bottled from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Petit Manseng, and Cabernet Franc. This screwcap Bordeaux-ish Early Mountain Red Blend feels velvety smooth on the palate, thanks in large part to the Merlot, and complex in fruit and baking spice characteristics, thanks to the grape medley that went into this medium-bodied BBQ-ready wine. $28/bottle

#6 - 2019 Dutcher Crossing Chardonnay, Stuhlmuller Vineyard, Alexander Valley, California

Sonoma County, California produces wonderful Chardonnay, but it would seem Stuhlmuller Vineyard takes excellence up a notch. Order your favorite fried chicken plate to-go, head to the park and drop the picnic blanket under the shade of a nearby tree, and then open a bottle of this golden beauty. Aromas of Golden Delicious apples and a touch of toffee mingle with lemon and honeysuckle flowers, leading to a textured palate reminiscent of apple pie drizzled in butterscotch with a dash of lemon zest and a finish of toasted marshmallow. This wine surely speaks to summer. $42/bottle

#7 - 2022 Ehlers Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Saint Helena, Napa Valley, California

If you like vibrant acidity in your Sauvignon Blanc, this pale-yellow Ehlers Estate beauty with a bouquet of summer wildflowers and lime zest is the bottle you’ll want to stock in your wine refrigerator. This summer white is intense with a palate of lemon tart and a slight hint of vanilla. Interesting to note is the aging process involved fermentation and aging in a concrete egg, with a bit of French oak puncheon and stainless steel tank aging. $38/bottle

#8 – 2018 Nipozzano Vecchie Viti Chianti Rufina Riserva, Italy

Say the word Sangiovese and images of fresh-plucked figs wrapped in prosciutto and fresh out of the brick oven pizza come to mind. This bottle of Chianti Rufina Riserva opens to a bouquet of violets and is a stylish blend of Sangiovese and complementary black grapes that add raspberry and spices to the black cherry signature style typical of this Tuscan grape. Try this wine with a plate of short ribs at your next barbeque. $21/bottle

#9 – 2021 Pinot Noir, Ordinary Fellow, Colorado

Bells and whistles come with a bottle of this Colorado wine. It’s all in the interactive label for those who wish to break the seal and turn the label to various artwork. Yes, this wine is made with grapes grown in SouthWest Colorado and a bit of a blend with Washington state grapes. It is lighter in color than what is typical of a Pinot Noir, and it’s easy to sip on hot summer days. Chill before serving.

BONUS – 2021 Riesling, Ordinary Fellow, Colorado

This is no ordinary Riesling, but a clean, crisp, easy sipping white wine that is as close to flavored water as a wine can get – a perfect summer sip! $32/bottle

#10 - 2021 Kentia Albariño, Spain

In the Rías Baixas, the small, sweet berries grown in granite-based soils leads to an aromatic, unctuous white wine with good acidity. This Kentia Albariño is considered a vegan wine and is recommended to drink now. The screwcap makes it easy to open and its balance makes it easy to sip. It does have a bit of a zippy effervescence, and it’s worth noting that James Suckling rated this wine with 90 points. $12/bottle

Charlene Peters is a wine writer and author of “Travel Makes Me Hungry.”