Summer Wine Ideas

Find some time this summer to drink a new wine!

Why? Because life is sometimes hot, boring and needs a boost of newness...just like the dog days of summer.

Here's some ideas of what I mean (five wines - listed A to Z):

Albarino: Native white grape of Spain. Grown mostly in Galicia and particularly good in the "D.O." of Rias Baixas. These grapes are greatly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. As a white wine, Albarino is very aromatic, with nice stone fruit flavors and nuances of minerals. Many experts believe there is a genetic relationship between Albarino and Riesling, but unlike most Rieslings, Albarino finishes dry and is an excellent match with Seafood.

Beaujolais: Native to this sub region of Burgundy, France, the Gamay grape of Beaujolais can be an excellent summer sipper, particularly in the "cru" regions such as Brouilly, Chenas, Morgon, and Moulin a Vent. Lighter in body than a Pinot Noir from Burgundy and elsewhere, Beaujolais wines (not "Villages" or "Noveau") from the smaller communes have elegance and fruit flavors of light black cherry and plum.

Rosé Wines: Dozens of juicy rosé wines can be found at wine shops and restaurants this summer. Just because the wine is pink doesn't mean it's sweet or like "white zinfandel." Rosés tend to be best if they are true pressings (not blended red and white wine) where the skins come into contact with the wine during vinification for a period of time (15-30 hours) and pick up the delicate color and flavors from the skins. Higher quality rosé wines are made from red wine grapes such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and others.

Sangiovese: The predominate grape in Tuscany and most recognizable from the wines of Chianti where bright red fruit flavors such as raspberry and strawberry come forward. Many domestic Sangiovese wines are being produced today, some of the best from the coastal regions of California from Napa all the way down to Paso Robles. One of the best I have ever tasted is from Caprone Winery.

Vermentino: An Italian grape variety grown mostly in southern Italy with some of the best coming from the island of Sardinia. Vermentino grapes are delicate and many times pressed at night during harvest to retain both a freshness of flavor and to preserve the light straw yellow color. Like the fare in Sardinia, this wine is a great match with seafood, particularly shellfish.

Don't be afraid to seek these wines out...if your wine shop doesn't have them, ask them to order some for you. Most distributors will ship several bottles of a new varietal or style of wine to a shop for special order customers.