THE relative cool of last week has come to an abrupt stifling and sticky halt. The heat and humidity of the Shanghai summer are upon us and save for a tropical jaunt or excursion to cooler climates there's precious little we can do about it; except perhaps for a cool and crisp glass of wine. Nothing more deliciously mitigates the heat of summer than the appropriate wine.

The ideal traits we look for in a summer wine are good acidity, freshness and a lively character. Of course, the wines we enjoy should be served chilled as summer room temperatures in Shanghai are disastrous for all wines including reds. Here are a trio of wine styles that will help you comfortably survive the scorching summer days of 2012 in style and good taste.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Prior to 1974 when vines were first planted in Marlborough; there were just sheep and various vegetable and fruit farming. Located in the north of South Island in New Zealand, the Sauvignon Blanc wines of Marlborough are a truly remarkable story.

In the nearly seven-thousand-year history of wine, I know of no other instance where a style of wine from a specific region has come from nowhere to world class in less than four decades. Yet this is exactly what has happened with the beautiful and exciting Sauvignon Blanc white wines from Marlborough. Surrounded by rough and beautiful hills and mountains, this cool climate region is ideal for making lively and intense wines that possess a truly distinctive character.

In their short history Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines have become some of the finest of their kind competing with the historic Sauvignon Blanc wines of the Loire Valley in central France and the Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends of Bordeaux. Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs are perfect for summer because they offer an exuberant freshness that's unique.

The aromas and flavors of the wine typically include tropical fruit, gooseberry, lime, passion fruit and fresh grass that literally jump out of the glass and explode in the mouth. The pungency of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines make them suitable companions to a wide variety of summer foods including Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes with spice.

There are numerous fine Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines available in Shanghai with some of my personal favorites made by Villa Maria, Kim Crawford, Highfield, Giesen and Tiki. The pure and unpretentious joy these wines provide make them my number one wine pick for the Shanghai summer of 2012.

Spanish Albarino

Another white wine that is sure to deliciously beat the heat of summer is Albarino. This wonderfully fragrant white wine from the Gaelic wine region of Rias Baixas in the northwest of Spain is an ideal summer quencher. Albarino is a white wine grape that is believed to be genetically related to Riesling.

The aroma and flavor profile is somewhat closer to Sauvignon Blanc with an animated nose and bracing freshness. The lively acidity in Albarino white wines makes them a perfect wine to combat the heat whether you enjoy them as an aperitif or with the lighter dishes of summer.

One of my favorite Albarino wines is the Martin Codex Albarino. This is a consistently good wine with all the fresh attributes we crave for in good Albarino. Three additional Albarinos that make deliciously cooling summer companions are made by the producers Lagar de Fornelos, Adegas d'Altmira and Pazo de Barrantes.

When enjoying the aforementioned Albarino wines remember that they are quite delicate and susceptible to oxidation so you should only buy recent vintages. I advise purchasing wines no older than three years as older Albarino wines often lack vibrancy and can taste flat. However, when young these vivacious wines are an ideal summer drink. While white wines like Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs and Spanish Albarinos are an easy and natural fit for summer drinking, how can red wine lovers endure the summer heat?

Young Burgundy Pinots

There are no finer wines in the world than Grand and Premier Cru Cote de Nuits red wines. But these age-worthy giants are arguably best suited for winter drinking and cold weather fare. In the summertime their lesser siblings, the young Pinot Noir wines of less renowned terrior, often make more sense. Specifically, I'm referring to AOC or Villages level Burgundy reds that are delightfully light and refreshing. They are also eminently more affordable than premier and grand cru level wines.

The basic Burgundy red wine is often called Bourgogne AOC or Bourgogne Pinot Noir AOC. They tend to be the lightest and most affordable of red Burgundies. A step up in classification is a Villages level red Burgundy. These wines are also 100 percent Pinot Noir but come from a specific area in Burgundy that's named after the village where they originate.

Though slightly more concentrated and complex than Bourgogne AOC reds, these reds are still relatively light and fresh. Many of the qualities we enjoy in a good summer white wine are also found in these young Burgundy red wines, specifically a light body, lively and fresh fruit and good acidity. Because these lighter reds do not feature excessive concentration or heavy tannins, they will complement rather than overpower the more delicate dishes of summer.

The most important factor in choosing a young Burgundy Pinot Noir is picking the right producer. Among the best are Domaine de Montille, Domaine Rougeot, Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin. A selection of excellent young reds from these top producers is readily available in Shanghai.

As I alluded to earlier in this column, one point of overriding importance when enjoying these light red wine wines is to serve them nicely chilled. Young red Burgundy wines that are served at too high a temperature will lack vibrancy and taste overly acidic with unpleasantly heightened sensations of alcohol.

The ideal serving temperature for young Burgundy reds is about 14-15 degrees Celsius. If you are enjoying the wines outside you may want to serve them even more chilled as the temperature of the wine increases more rapidly in the heat and sun.