Sauvignon blancs lovely for summer

June is here, and we should be thinking about wines appropriate for warm weather. This means wines light in weight, lower in alcohol and oak levels, and possessing fresh, crisp, refreshing profiles.

For most people, this means sauvignon blanc-based white wines, so that is where we will start:

>> 2015 Mohua Sauvignon Blanc (about $18 a bottle): While New Zealand renditions like this one are quite the rage across the country — to the point of being one of the top wine imports to the U.S. — I recommend being very selective. The Mohua has rounder edges than most, yet this does not compromise vitality, freshness or the ability to quench the thirst. Plus, at this price, it really does deliver quality for the dollar.

>> 2015 Selene Sauvignon Blanc “Hyde Vineyard” (about $27): This is a perennial favorite of mine. It comes from Mia Klein, a truly iconic Napa Valley winemaker. Her wines display class, elegance, refinement and balance, wine after wine, year after year. In addition, her sauvignon blanc is wonderfully exotic, with an alluring perfume that adds dimension to summertime enjoyment. For this bottling, Klein uses the sauvignon musque vine selection, which is grown in the revered Hyde vineyard located in the cool Carneros region of California. This kind of aromatic white heightens and uplifts foods the same way fresh herbs do.

>> 2015 Domaine du Salvard Sauvignon Blanc “Unique” (about $17): When poured in a glass, this wine is barely distinguishable from water, with just the lightest of hues. But on first whiff, you’ll enjoy a mesmerizing and delicately exotic perfume. The aromas carry through on the palate too, with intriguing minerality and a sublime character. The wine’s origins are in France’s Loire Valley, an area that has been producing remarkably unique, quality-driven and surprisingly underpriced white wines for centuries.

For those interested in exploring wine, here’s a fun exercise: Taste the three wines side-by-side with a group of friends. This will help develop an ability to discern different wines and make selections for different occasions.

I find the Mohua to be more fruit driven (thanks to nuances from the grape), the Selene to be more sophisticated and exotic (due to a specific vine selection), and the Salvard to be much more minerally (attributable to the sandy soil the vines grow in).

Just for fun, here’s another recommendation to add to a tasting of the three selections:

>> 2015 Champalou Vouvray (about $21): While this white wine also hails from France’s Loire Valley, it is produced from the chenin blanc grape variety, which offers a distinct experience. The offering is riveting and effortlessly light, and its off-dry to dry quality and incredible food friendliness make it a fascinating comparison for tasters looking to broaden their horizons.

Incidentally, the Loire Valley is a small wine-growing niche located in the general area where Joan of Arc crusaded, so it has been around for quite some time.

Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.