It’s easy to forget sometimes, but not every wine we drink needs to be esoteric or complicated. Wine needn’t always be something you spend time dissecting or pondering. Some might argue that wine is never that.

At the end of the day, wine need only be delicious and satisfying.

Lieb Cellars 2014 Bridge Lane Chardonnay ($16) is both of those things.

Made entirely in stainless steel, it’s not complex or layered, but it offers bright, fresh lemon-lime fruitiness, juicy acidity and a subtle saline edge on the finish. This is the kind of wine that you want to have around as the weather warms and you need a bottle to gulp at a picnic, at the beach or poolside.

And, because it’s sold in standard 750ml bottles (closed with a screw cap), in 3L boxes (the equivalent of four bottles) as well as single-use, recyclable plastic kegs (the same amount of wine as 26 bottles) it’s a good-to-great value depending on what you buy.

At $40, the boxes – and you’ll often find one in my fridge in the summer — net out to $10 per bottle. You won’t find a better local white wine for the money. Except maybe the Bridge Lane White Blend, which is available for the same price.

This wine is available for $16 per bottle, $40 per box and $240 per keg.

Producer: Lieb Cellars
AVA: 
North for of Long Island
ABV: 12.9%
Blend:
100% chardonnay
Price: $16 (sample)
Rating: 86