Summer, a time associated with laid-back relaxation, dining and of course enjoying wine. However, choosing the right wine to savor during the summer is not an easy feat. While sampling wines is still a matter of personal preference, it wouldn’t hurt to know what would be the most enjoyable flavor to relish this season.
An article by Jack Beringer talks about suggestions of the wines that are best to have this time of the year.
“Vines and Wines: What Makes a Good Summer Wine?”
“Still in a quandary about what makes a good summer wine?
The answer, said Craig Kennedy, can be as complex as a good Bordeaux blend.
“I would differentiate some based on whether the purpose is to sip/drink or to serve as an accompaniment to food,” said Kennedy, president of the Richmond Wine Society and a noted collector of wine. “I think of the following traits for summer sipping: refreshing, fruit-driven, fresh, interesting but uncomplicated, light or medium bodied, unoaked or lightly oaked.”
He’s talking about whites such as pinot grigios, sauvignon blancs, sparkling wines, even unoaked chardonnays. Also, light reds such as those from Beaujolais, and rosés.
But throw in something to eat, and the dynamics change.
“Food changes the mix and becomes an equal, or even dominant, factor,” Kennedy said. “For example, at the light end we have sparkling wines with many light hors d’oeuvres. In the middle, we have many whites and reds such as pinot noir. At the heavier end, we have spicy, fuller-bodied wines like shiraz or zinfandel, e.g., with barbecued meats, or cabernet with steak.”
Need some ideas about which wines can quench your summer thirst? Here are some suggestions:
Domaine Labbé Vin de Savoie ‘Abymes’ 2011 ($12.99): A refreshing and aromatic white produced from the Jacquère grape in France’s Savoie region in the foothills of the Alps. Floral on the nose and crisp and fresh tasting in the mouth, with slatey minerality, bright acidity and citrus and green apple fruit notes. A hot-weather destroyer that’s wonderful with light fare. — Ian Krkland, The Caboose (Ashland)
2010 Dopff & Irion Crustacés ($13.99): White blend (pinot gris and sylvaner ) from Alsace, France. Aromas of orange blossoms and citrus. The flavor is bright and acidic, very refreshing. Lemon zest, apricot, green apple and lots of minerality. It has a very long finish and a bit of spice. It is delicious with seafood and wonderful for sipping on its own. — Emily Marshall Jones, Strawberry Street Vineyard
Keswick Vineyards Monticello Verdejo 2011 ($21.95): In the nose, grassy with notes of grapefruit and gooseberry. On the palate, bone dry with underlying minerality. This wine has a pungent grassy acidity with green apple and herbaceous flavors, a blend of 84 percent verdejo and 16 percent viognier. Very similar to cold-climate sauvignon blanc. — Janet Bishop, president of Women for WineSense, Richmond Chapter
Coteaux du Languedoc Hugues de Beauvignac Picpoul de Pinet ($8.99): A lovely wine I’ve recently discovered, this French white is crisp with some pear on the nose and a little mineral on the palette. It works well with seafood (crab dip, smoked salmon), and I also have been enjoying it with Big Daddy’s Smoked Chicken Salad and Olive Oil/Black Pepper Triscuits. — Barb Dodd, consumer.”
This article came from Timesdispatch.com.
This video from You & Me This morning talks about additional wine suggestions for the summer
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