On a warm, sunny day, nothing beats sipping on a refreshing glass of dry white wine to quench your thirst and unwind after an intensive day at work. What makes a wine dry isn't rocket science: no residual sugar remains after fermentation has taken place.

Sicily may be best-known for its full-bodied red wines, but this sun-kissed Mediterranean island also boasts many crisp and citrusy dry white wines like Catarratto, Grillo, Insolia or Cortese that boast crisp citrusy notes.

Pinot Grigio

Pinot grigio is America's second-most-popular white wine and, though it may not be everyone's top pick, this versatile wine has plenty to offer. Light and crisp dry white wines such as Pinot grigio feature zippy acidity that pairs beautifully with citrusy flavors like fresh pears and citrus fruit, as well as light seafood dishes like sole in beurre blanc sauce, grilled halibut or broiled oysters.

Pinot Grigio wines vary slightly in style depending on their region of production. Italian pinot grigio wines tend to feature leaner body styles while those labeled pinot gris can often come from France (particularly Alsace) and have richer textures. Pinot Grigio may also be made into off-dry or sweet white wines by allowing grapes to undergo noble rot, producing lower acid and sweeter white wines.

Verdicchio

Verdicchio (vair-DIK-ee-oh) is both the name of both its grape variety and appellation in central Italy along the Adriatic coast and bordering Emilia, Umbria and Tuscany. As one of Marche's signature wines that once became oversaturated and tasted cheap, its popularity declined until quality rebounded once more.

Marche's idyllic countryside is where some of the finest Verdicchio wines are produced. These wines are crisp, dry and complex with fresh nutty flavors - depending on their region and style they may display delicate fruit aromas, floral fragrances or more Riesling-like characteristics such as flint and sponge toffee with ageing - usually aged on lees to add texture; Verdicchio Classico variants like this example from La Staffa can even be quite sophisticated and sophisticated!

Pinot Bianco

Pinot Bianco may not receive as much recognition as its cousin Pinot Grigio, yet this white varietal remains an icon of Franciacorta. Grown throughout Italy's northeastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Alto Adige regions, it produces some of the most eye-catching single varietal and blended wines - often pairing nicely with Chardonnay to produce sparkling cuvees.

Pinot Bianco wines feature delicious pear, peach, raw almond and lemon zest flavors that pair perfectly with the granite-like minerality found in alpine terroirs. Furthermore, because this style doesn't undergo oak aging like other whites do, toasty notes and buttery aromas which usually accompany overripe fruit don't appear either.

The best Pinot Biancos hail from high elevations between 1,300 to 2,100 feet, where grapes can express themselves with refreshing purity. Search out producers like Colterenzio, Alois Lageder, J. Hofstatter, Nals Margreid, and Cantina Terlano to experience these wines first-hand.

Grillo

Grillo grapes are best known as an essential component of Sicily's fortified wine Marsala, but they also make excellent dry white wines when vinified without fortification. Grillo is particularly prevalent in western Sicily where it can produce fragrant wines that exhibit notes of melons, pear, tea weeds and nettle leaves.

Grillo variety thrived in Sicily's hot, dry climate and was adept at producing sugar and oxidizing, but Catarratto yields were higher and so overtook Grillo as the prime variety for producing Marsala.

Grillo white wine pairs well with lean meats like chicken or turkey cooked with Mediterranean herbs, as well as seafood prepared on the barbecue, light to medium cheeses like feta or fresh goat cheese, or light desserts such as chocolate cake.

Arneis

Rnes (literally "little rascal" in Piemontese) is an adaptable grape variety which nearly went extinct during the 1970s, earning itself the name "Barolo Bianco." Wine produced from this variety often boasts aromas reminiscent of white flowers, chamomile tea, ripe white pear, citrus fruits with an almond finish rounded off perfectly by its signature dry tannins.

Vietti and Bruno Giacosa continue to produce premium examples of this rare variety in Roero.

Young Arneis wine is refreshing, light, and quaffable - perfect for every piemontese bar, cafe and restaurant in town! Perfect with seafood dishes such as crab cakes or soft cheeses; or herb-rich frittata or pesto dishes - young Arneis also makes an ideal aperitivo or summer sipper on the porch!