Wines for a Hot Summer day

There's one thing for sure about the weather between now and Labor Day: It's going to be hot! So on a hot summer evening, look for a chilled white wine.
For me, that means crisp white wine varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Riesling and Vinho Verde and certain white blends.

Pinot Gris (pee-no gree) styles ranges from crisp, light and dry-such as those produced in Italy (where it’s called Pinot Grigio), to the rich, full bodied, honeyed styles from France and Oregon. They are always on the dry side and delicately fragrant with mild floral with lemon-citrus flavors.

Riesling has a bit of sweetness; it tends to offsets the heat a bit. Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food. They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad, fish or fruit. One of the best features these wines have is their low alcohol level, usually less than 10%. If you are looking for a dry Riesling, look for the word “Trocken” on German wine labels. Riesling’s have varying levels of sweetness so also look for the word Kabinett on the label, which is the least sweet. Typically there is enough residual sugar to balance out the acid to make them dry with a clean finish.

Albariño, Spain’s signature white wine, is named for a grape grown in Galicia. Albariño will pair best with a plate of seafood, shellfish, (think oysters), or, more specifically, paiella.

Vinho Verde is a Portuguese white wine, fruity and floral with natural acidity .It typically ranges from 9 to 11% alcohol. “Verde”, meaning “green” refers to the hints of lime color. The wine is deliciously refreshing, light, bright, tart and easy to drink. Try pairing it with a Caesar salad. It’s also great with fish, shellfish or, chicken, or as an aperitif

On the sweeter and sparkling side try Moscato d’Asti or Brachetto d’Aqui, sparkling dessert wines from Piedmont (white and red respectively). Great for sipping in the hot tub. Again they are relatively low in alcohol (around 6%) with effervescence.

So wines that are best during the summer are low alcohol, high acid white wines. Alcohol is dehydrating, so wines with high alcohol are going to make you thirstier. On the other hand, wines with high acid will make you salivate more, which to some extent, will help quench your thirst.

And we can’t forget about the many great Rose’s on the market. Look for ones from the Tavel region of France.

Until next time, Ciao!