Hot take: Just because a wine is white doesn’t make it a “summer sipper.” And just because a wine is red doesn’t mean it isn’t one. We of course receive wines for all seasons every day of the year here at Drinkhacker HQ, and twice a year we count down our favorites, each with a seasonal bent. For summer 2025 we have a lot of big winners that you should check out. Here’s our top 10!

Want to buy them? Remember: Check Total Wine and Wine.com for the best deals on all of these picks! You can also search multiple stores at wine-searcher to find the best prices on all these products and more.

1. 2022 Odette Reserve Chardonnay Napa Valley

Even the Anything But Chardonnay crowd won’t be able to resist the charms of Odette’s impressive Reserve Chardonnay, a wine that starts off with oak on its mind and then segues quickly into a mélange of fruit – lemon and apples – and then a smear of buttery cinnamon toast. Crisp pear notes give the finish an almost ethereal quality, particularly as it warms a touch. Outstanding stuff. $88

2. 2020 Livio Felluga Illivio Friuli Colli Orientali DOC

An unusual blend of pinot bianco, chardonnay, and picolit, aged in oak, this wine takes you on a journey, starting with a nutty creaminess and working its way toward a sharper, more acid-forward quality. Here you’ll find a vinegar-drizzled melon and a pinch of anise, then eventually more exotic notes of tamarind and fresh flowers. Quite the journey and extremely worthwhile. $45

3. 2020 Otronia Chardonnay “III & VI” Patagonia

An unusual chardonnay from Argentina, showcasing the grape’s more acidic qualities in the best possible way. Notes of lemon and orange peel, later grapefruit and coconut, offer a bold fruitiness that eventually finds it way into tropical territory, showing off a lively pineapple quality. Unusual and outstanding. $80

4. 2019 Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere Pessac-Leognan Blanc

This white Bordeaux blends 76% sauvignon blanc and 24% semillon to create a remarkably gentle and fragrant wine that showcases pastoral notes of wet grass, green mango, and lemon, with a more vibrant fruitiness kicking in on the finish. Peaches and florals pair nicely with lime and green apple notes that conclude the experience on what is one of the most elegant white wines we’ve tasted this year. $95

5. 2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Dach Anderson Valley

I absolutely love drinking pinot in the summer, and this bottling from perennial Drinkhacker favorite Merry Edwards is the quintessential example of what a summer pinot should be. Floral and cherry-laced, the jasmine-scented wine features notes of vanilla and mint, and later milk chocolate, but never falls into austerity or balsamic funk. Instead, it’s light on its feet, filled with fruit, and ready for just about anything. $75

6. 2023 Crossbarn Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Perhaps the most straightforward wine on this list (but easily the least expensive), the Paul Hobbs-owned Crossbarn brand is reliable for its ability to offer high quality at reasonable prices. This Sonoma Coast-grown expression of chardonnay leans into the classic flavors of California, plump and pumping out lively notes of lemon, coconut, apples, and vanilla – all while keeping any sense of over-oakiness at bay. Versatile and refreshing no matter how you utilize it. $35 [BUY IT NOW FROM WINE.COM]

7. 2021 Trapiche Chardonnay Finca Las Piedras

Chardonnay from a single estate in Argentina’s Uco Valley, with a year of barrel time on it. There’s a classic barrel-driven core here, plump with notes of vanilla and almond nougat, but there’s enough acidity to keep the wine from devolving into an oak-fest. Citrus and mineral notes form a body that features Meyer lemon, lime leaf, and a smattering of herbs. Argentine chardonnay is not widely known for its aging potential, but there’s a strong argument for it here. $50 [BUY IT NOW FROM WINE.COM]

8. 2017 Oremus Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos

Bit of a cheat on this one, as this masterful dessert wine was part of an amazing tasting I experienced with Vega Sicilia, best known for its Spanish reds. That said, I expect you’ll be eating plenty of dessert during 2025’s summer doldrums, and this is one of the best pairings I’ve had alongside sweet stuff in recent memory. Classic honey, lemon, and gentle florals abound. $84 (500ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM WINE.COM]

9. 2021 Booker Wines Perl Paso Robles

Syrah in the summer? Trust me on this one: The fruit (aided by 10% grenache, with a good portion of aging done in new French oak) absolutely dominates this wine, which is loaded to the gills with inky dark notes of cherries and currants, plus dark chocolate and vanilla. Ample acidity prevents the wine from being overly weighty, however, with plenty of summer-friendly vibrancy to keep the wine working at your family BBQ. One of my favorite syrahs in a long while. $75

10. 2020 Terrazas de los Andes Los Cerezos Malbec

Rob will quit if we don’t throw in one big red on our list, no matter how hot it gets outside. And after all, what are you going to pair with that barbecued steak on a hot July evening, pinot grigio? Get outta town. This luxe offering comes from high-altitude grapes, offering a more refined spin on malbec, with cherry and stewed plums tempered by a lovely vanilla latte character. Get one for now, one for the holidays. $100

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