It's finally summertime at our house; the kids are out of school and we are filling the backyard pool even though the official start of summer isn't until June 21st. So although the weather this weekend has been mild, next weekend is supposed to be a scorcher. My plans for surviving the extreme heat include necessary dips in the pool and having plenty of chilled beverages to sip on. While for some people that chilled beverage is a beer or hard seltzer, I still prefer to have wine. After having recently given a series of wine lectures concerning this very topic and despite my best efforts, I have found that some people will only drink red wine and others only white. While it may be easier to find white wines that are satisfying on a hot day, there are several reds that also fit the bill.
Tips for finding the right wines when the temps approach triple digits
As stated above, red wines can be as refreshing as whites, rosés and sparkling wines. On the flipside not all white wines are created equal in this department, so what makes one wine a more suitable summer quaff than another? Well think about some common summer beverages: lemonade, iced tea, beer, wine spritzers etc. They are all light, served cold and many of the best have a little citrus mixed in.
Lets tackle the service temperature of wine first. Whites, rosés and sparkling wines should all be pretty cold when being served, but not freezing otherwise many of the flavors and aromas will be muted, but light reds (will get to that in a bit) should be lightly chilled. Say what? I know what you are thinking, but ice cubes in wine are still taboo (gasp- they dilute the wine when they melt)! Nonetheless, these lighter reds do remarkably well with a chill. Give it a try, you'll thank me later. Some of my fave poolside wine accessories are these wine glasses that can be frozen, reusable ice cubes (which don't melt) and I cannot live without my wine chiller.
Light reds are those that are not necessarily light in color, although many are, but are light in the mouth and often lower in alcohol (11-13% vs 15%+). There is plenty of fruit, typically red fruits such as cherry, strawberry, cranberry etc. with medium or less tannin. Tannins are found in the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes and are what makes your mouth feel dry like the inside of your lips and cheeks are sticking to your gums. They are drying, not exactly what I want on a hot summer day when I'm looking to satisfy my thirst. Tannins are typically not present in white wines because the juice is not usually kept in contact with the skins during the winemaking process. One time where there can be some astringency or perceived tannin in white wines is when they are aged in oak barrels like many of the Chardonnays from Burgundy and Napa. Although this may be a style that is appealing these wines also often undergo a process of softening the acids. This process, called malolactic fermentation, changes the acid profile from citrus to a butter like character which I find less thirst quenching than those that have not been treated in such a manner.
Lastly, concerning zippy refreshing wines, there should also be a good amount of acid in the wine; think lemonade or putting lemon in water or tea. That little zing is so uplifting and appealing. Wines that are high in acid often hail from high altitude or cool growing areas as the acidity in the grape can drop off as it ripens (think eating the small underripe grape vs a fully ripe sweet one). Some of my favorite zesty wines that meet the above profile are:
White wines:
Sauvignon Blanc
Albariño (aka Alvharino from Portugal)
Chenin Blanc
Riesling - dry, not sweet
Chablis (yes, it's Chardonnay but not the oaky buttery kind which is more suited to the fall IMO).
Assyrtiko from Santorini
Timorasso from Italy
Red wines:
Pinot Noir
Gamay
Cabernet Franc
Barbera from Italy
Sangiovese (think Chianti Classico)
Bardolino or Valpolicella
Nebbiolo (Langhe or Alto Piemonte)*
Most often, these are the base wines from a winery and not the Superiore/ Reserve level wines and I would recommend drinking these wines young and chilled to the appropriate level.
Cheers!
*Seriously, I could go on and on about high acid reds from Italy as that is my passion and I will need to do a dedicated post so that I can include all of my faves from north to south. There will be a Summer Reds 2 lecture and possibly a 3rd.
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