Drink Up!
I don’t know about you, but these hot and humid days of August make me reach for cold and refreshing beverages to beat the heat. Cold wine is a surefire way to enjoy these remaining weeks of summer. Read on for some white, rosé, and chillable red wines to enjoy by the beach, the pool, or on your porch (maybe with a fan).
Crisp and refreshing white wines come to mind for many in the summer. Gratsi White, a French Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of Chardonnay, is an excellent option. And, it’s a boxed wine! I know, I know. This recommendation may surprise some of you, but I personally have enjoyed Gratsi wines for a few years now. A three-liter box of Gratsi is equivalent to four standard 750 ml bottles and is a convenient way to take wine on a boat, to the pool, or keep in your fridge for guests who come and go. The wine is made with zero added sugar and none of the 76 FDA-allowed additives that are found in some wines. It’s an excellent cold wine with a bright citrus acidity, balanced with a clean minerality on the finish. Plus, with no sugar added, this wine is only 93 calories per 5-ounce serving.
Another great summer white is the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier blend. Pine Ridge Vineyards were established in the Stags Leap region of Napa Valley in 1978. This blend started as the winemaker’s experiment to see if these two estate grapes would blend well together. Well, they sure did, and this became one of the vineyard’s most successful wines. The result is a dry, crisp, fresh wine with a touch of sweetness and notes of white peach, nectarine, kiwi, and lime zest with a wonderful minerality. This is a true crowd-pleaser.
Chenin Blanc wines are among my favorite white wines. They have more body than Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc but less than Chardonnay. The birthplace of this varietal is believed to be the Loire Valley of central France, in a subregion called Vouvray. My favorite example of this wine is the Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Cuvee Silex. This organic-certified wine features notes of apple, pear, quince and citrus fruit, with a flint-like minerality. Silex is the French word for flint.
Chenin Blanc is also widely grown in South Africa. The Painted Wolf Chenin Blanc or the Unorthodox Chenin Blanc from Swartland, South Africa are great summer whites. The flavors are very similar to a French version, but with a bit less minerality. If you haven’t tried Chenin Blanc, summer is perfect.
Sauvignon Blancs are a warm-weather favorite. California and New Zealand wines are very popular, but the French versions of these wines, particularly from Sancerre, have been red hot this year. Sancerre is a region of the eastern Loire Valley. In true old-world style, the wine is known by its regional identity, not the grape varietal. Sancerre Sauvignon Blancs are more elegant than many from other countries. The fruit flavors of green apple and citrus are more subtle, and the minerality is more intense. Two wonderful examples are the Henri Bourgeois Sancerre and the Lauverjat Perle Blanc Sancerre.
Two other French Sauvignon Blancs that are a bit less expensive are the Menetou Salon Sauvignon Blanc and the Roc de l’Abbaye Sauvignon Blanc. Both of these are still from the Loire Valley, but not from Sancerre. They have the same elegance as their Sancerre cousins, but with slightly less minerality.
Rosé wines are a very popular choice for summer, with many great options available. A few of my favorite picks include the Lionel Osmin La Vie En Rosé, an excellent and affordable wine that will not disappoint. This wine is made from 100% Negrette grapes indigenous to the Sud Ouest region of France. Also try the Aragosta Rosé from Sardinia, Italy for a light and delicious brut rosé made from Cannonau grapes. This grape was made famous in the Blue Zone studies, when it was identified as one of the factors in making citizens of Sardinia live long, healthy lives. Finally, I urge you to try the Gratsi Rosé boxed wine from Southern France. This wine is made from French Malbec, Gamay, and a touch of Merlot. As with the Gratsi White, this wine will change your view of boxed wines.
Who says you have to put away reds for the summer? Not me! Many red wines are delicious served chilled and definitely have a place at your summer get-togethers. A wonderful light-bodied and chillable red is Gamay. Though often forgotten here, Gamay is a summertime favorite in France. The wines made from this grape are elegant and slightly more fruit-forward than Pinot Noir, making them perfect for chilling. Thevenet & Fils Macon Pierreclos Gamay from Burgundy or the Chidaine Touraine Gamay from the Loire Valley are both great, and affordable, examples. The ideal serving temperature for Gamay is 55°F to 60°F, but in warmer weather, this varietal does well as cold as 50°F.
The two California reds I enjoy are Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, both of which can be served slightly chilled (60°F to 65°F), even as fuller-bodied reds. The OZV Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi is dry but fruit-forward, making it a crowd-pleaser for red lovers. Zinfandel has notes of raspberry, blackberry, and cinnamon with medium tannins. The Petite Sirah varietal has high tannins and notes of blueberry, plum, chocolate, and black tea. I love the J. Lohr Tower Road Petite Sirah; or the Old Soul Petite Sirah from Lodi is one of the easiest drinking dry red wines for summer.
Bairrada in central Portugal produces a grape named Baga that just may make the world’s best chillable red wine. Caves São João has been a major producer in this region for more than 100 years. Baga Nova is a minimal intervention, natural wine that is dry but bright, showcasing an intensely fresh and elegant profile. It offers notes of red fruits, strawberry, dried roses, and a hint of spices. It is ideally served at 50°F to 55°F and has only 11% alcohol, making it a perfect red to combat the summer heat.
As you prepare for these “Hot August Night[s],” (a small ode to the great Neil Diamond), I hope you try some of these cold wines to beat the heat. As always, contact me with any questions at dsetley@passionvines.com, or stop into the store. Until next time, happy wining!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
