As you turn up the flames this Yom Yerushalayim, Memorial Day or even Shavuot, turn up the acid with a good French Chablis or Sancerre. Such a move will surely increase the pleasure of any salty brine, which will in turn make every sip even more satisfying, as you will likewise perceive less acid in the wine and more balance. As long as the food’s not too spicy—and thus most likely to call for less alcohol and less tannins—you will, in turn, notice how well the wine holds up to the food’s bold, fire-held flavors.

Likewise, as you head outdoors for summertime meals, you can take with you wines that are a product of Israel’s unique terroir. Working with a rare blend of black, red and white soils—basalt, terra rosa and clay respectively—producers at Lueria are uniquely suited to proving our claim, as they are able to grow a variety of hearty grapes that make a heartier still showing of white wines.

With a low and slow fermentation style, Lueria’s whites match, as well as any red, foods in possession of the one thing better than umami: more umami … well, a more complex version of itself, at least. The simple compound of umami is heightened in its “synergized” version found in foods fermented, smoked or otherwise given to low and slow treatment. If you go that route with, say, smoking, and then you pair that with a tropical fruity, minerally, mid-bodied Roussanne or a heavily aromatic, but genteelly semi-sweet Gewürztraminer, like those of Lueria’s wines, then, I imagine, you will have much doubt about the perpetual myth of light with like. You’ll quite possibly have more reason to show off your whites with red meats, green veggies, and all the coloring of outdoor celebration. Until that time, however, why not try the below wines as prescribed, and see what you think?

Gendraud-Patrice

Chablis

A golden-green unapologetic Chablis. If you expect your chardonnays unoaked, true and unabashedly revealing … and with just that particular minerality known only to Burgundy, then place your trussed-up chickens and other sundry savories in the hands of Gendraud-Patrice, their charming Chablis. Their wine reflects as much: balanced, round, and exactly what you anticipate a sagely white to be.

Pop its cap, and out will pour the gunflint of this brass-bottom Chablis. It’s like lime custard without the cream, liquid steel without metallic, and limeade without all that cloying sweetness. And what goes best with such a combo? From blackened bass to grown-up Gorgonzola grilled cheese, it goes with food that’s bold and briny.

Guillerault Fargette

Sancerre

A grand, yet sober Sancerre. This well-bred Loire Valley white comes groomed and readied by the skillful and sustainably minded duo, Gilles Guillerault and Sébastien Fargette.

From the white earth comes the white bowtie of an evening’s meal. While soulful and stylish with its tangy, wild-child undertones, Sancerre nevertheless adds the haute couture to every cuisine, any time, really. Tie this citrusy, minerally sauvignon blanc to any style of dish—modish or mundane—and savor the upgrade.

Lueria

Like all Lueria wines, the next two wines get their unique personalities, in part, by growing up on the winery’s rare mix of soil: black basalt, red rosa, and white chalk. They maintain the qualities you expect, nevertheless, by having been reared by some of the most regarded names in Israeli viticulture: Yosef and Gidi Sayada.

Gewürztraminer

A fruity, citrusy semi-sweet Gewürztraminer. This gentle giant has so much on offer, yet demands so little. Like a tonic born of Safta’s garden and generosity, Lueria’s free-run Gewürztraminer holds a promise of bounty and good will and delivers it gracefully, just as you need it. Give your guests the gift of restoration: Combine the taste of tropics and a rocky mountain pass with any deeply marinated or grilled dish, and you too might know the joys of mensch-hood.

Roussanne

A combination of mineral and tropics marks this Roussanne. From slate smooth to citrus and back again, this flirty Roussanne is captivating. One sip and you know exactly what you need next: another savor … along with some serious salt and fat and more potato wedges, if you please.

Here’s to long weekends, large bonfires, much simcha, and a long, healthy shidduch with all wines, in all their complexity. L’Chaim!

By E.Y. De Souza/Red Garden