Wine of the Week

1996 Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre, Loire Valley

(About $15)

In this kind of weather, look to Sauvignon Blanc for cool, soothing wines. Vincent Delaporte’s 1996 Sancerre is a graceful version, suggesting grass and flowers rather than gunflint and minerals. You can chill it all you want; it will go down easily yet still exhibit layers of flavor. Serve it as aperitif to accompany a chalky che^vre, with a summer vegetable tart or with shellfish. At $15, it’s a knockout, proving once again that nobody can beat the French in quality in that price range.