If you were stuck on a desert island and had to choose between red or white wine for the rest of your days, which would you pick? I’d probably go with red, but it would be a really tough decision. There’s something about a chilled glass of white wine, especially on a hot summer night – let alone a sweltering desert island – that is so inviting.

Here are five of Italy’s finest white wines that will help make your summer a very cool one.

Vietti Roero Arneis 2020 ($24). Arneis is an indigenous grape variety from Piedmont in the northwest of Italy. The wine is made from grapes grown in several appellations, with the most notable Arneis coming from Roero. Back in the 1970s, the variety was on the verge of extinction until Alfredo Currado of the famous Vietti winery brought it back and established it as a quality white wine.

Vietti Roero Arneis is indeed delicious—it’s all about the fruit, from its mouthwatering lemony citrus notes to more tropical and stone fruit flavors like melon, peach and apricot.

Enjoy this medium to full-bodied stunner with risotto with mushrooms and hazelnuts or chicken cutlets with tomatoes and basil.

Enrico Serafino Grifo del Quartaro Gavi 2020 ($18). Gavi di Gavi is another famous white of Piedmont; both the wine, made from the Cortese grape, and the town are named Gavi.

This Enrico Serafino is a fine example of Gavi, with fragrant scents of lime zest, apple, peach, white flowers and almonds. The crisp palate is medium-bodied yet richly textured with a zingy acidity and a flintiness that reflects the mineral-rich soils the grapes are grown in. True to form, the wine finishes with an enticing nuttiness that Gavi wines are known for.

A superb wine for seafood, try it with Cod with Clams and Butter Beans, Sweet and Spicy Salmon or Tuna Crudo.

**The rich texture of La Valentina’s Pecorino was perfect with** **spiced Mexican style chicken**.

La Valentina Pecorino Colline Pescaresi 2019 ($20). This winery is located in Abruzzo, a region famous for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine. But the region also produces a small amount of delicious white wine, most notably from the Pecorino grape.

La Valentina’s organically certified vineyards are situated in the hills of Pescara, not far from the Adriatic sea, and their rendition of Pecorino is terrific—full-bodied yet crisp, with floral and mineral notes. There’s also a distinct and inviting herbal quality, reminiscent of rosemary and mint as well as cedar.

Although the wine has the same name as the famous cheese, the two are not related—aside from their Italian roots. The wine does, in fact, go well with Pecorino cheese. Try it with Risotto alla Milanese, and for fun, substitute Pecorino for the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Or experiment with non-Italian dishes, as I did. The wine’s rich body and freshness was particularly suited to a spice-infused Mexican Style Chicken.

Read about Tenuta Tascante Etna Rosso here

Tenuta Tascante Buonora Etna Bianco 2020 ($22). I’ve written about this winery’s fantastic Etna Rosso (red) wine, and now, after tasting their Etna Bianco, I can say that the whites from this winery are produced with the same amount of care and attention.

Made from 100% Carricante grapes grown in volcanic soils on the eastern slope of Mount Etna, this wine has a great balance of crispness with a touch of roundness. Most striking are the lemony citrus and green apple notes, as well as its underlying mineral quality, especially the salinity.

At first I tried the wine with a couple of full-flavored cheeses, but it wasn’t quite right; the fatty cheeses overwhelmed the wine. But with seafood, this wine sings! Try it with my lemony shrimp dish and you won’t be disappointed!

**The zingy acidity of Tenuta Tascante’s Etna Bianco was a winning combination with** **Lemony Shrimp**

Alois Lageder Lowengang Chardonnay 2018 ($60). This winery, founded in 1823, produces lively, full-flavored Demeter-certified biodynamic wines from the Alto Adige region of northeastern Italy. Their Löwengang Chardonnay comes from old vines grown in sandy, gravelly soil with a high content of limestone, and it’s absolutely delicious, with pronounced apple, lemon, peach and vanilla notes. Similar to a fine white Burgundy, it is fresh and mineral-driven with medium-plus weight and generous texture. And it goes great with everything from seafood to cured meats, rich cheeses, and lighter meats like chicken and pork.

Note: All wines were provided as samples. Opinions expressed are my own.