THE WINE GUY May 2010
Summer Wines
You are sitting outside on a deck enjoying an Outer Banks summer breeze and you want a refreshing glass of wine. Remember back when you were little and how good a glass of lemonade tasted during a hot summer day? The primary reason was because of its refreshing acidity.
It is fairly easy to answer the question, ”What wines are best in summer? “ It is a wine you find refreshing and drinking it is an enjoyment to be shared.
Almost all articles that have tried to answer this question have listed a number of wines that would be perfect for a summer day or evening on the deck by name and varietal. However, not all the wines would be available and you might pass by a perfect wine varietal looking for a recommended wine. It would be better if I listed a few things you should look for in a wine without directing a search for a certain producer’s wine. We will concentrate on Varietals.
Just like lemonade is refreshing, acidity is the most important component for a refreshing summer wine. If a wine doesn’t have sufficient acidity it tastes flat, flabby and dull- like a coke left out in the sun. If it has too much acidity it tastes tart and sour- like drinking unsweetened lemon juice or vinegar. You can tell a lot about acidity when you know the climate of the growing area. Grapes grown in cooler climates generally have higher acidity than those grown in warmer climates.
Ask your wine purveyor or wine shop friends. A few local wine shops sponsor tastings that provide an opportunity to taste a number of wines. Or visit a restaurant that offers wine tasting flights and discover wines you like. We have wine tasting in the day and offer wine dinners nightly.
If you want sweetness and blandness with no complexity continue to drink adult kool-aid, white Zinfandel. You are not alone, it is one of the most popular wines, however, you should use kids Kool-Aid it is cheaper and doesn’t quench a thirst because of its high sugar content. Don’t confuse the wonderful rose wines from Provence, an incredible Rose, with White Zinfandel. French Rose – Tavel is the best known and is produced in the Rhone region mostly from Grenache. It is a real wine.
Medium to High Acidity is generally found in Chenin Blanc, French Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or Fume Blanc wines (same varietal just a different name and the varietal that makes the wonderful Loire Valley Wine- Sancerre) are high in acidity and very refreshing. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines are distinctive and have hints of grapefruit. Gruner-Veltliner a crisp wine from Austria has grapefruit flavors and hint of pepper
Low acid wines such as Pinot Grigio ,Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer although light in body are not as refreshing.
A Short shopping list:
Pinot Blanc
It was once believed that Pinot Blanc was related to Chardonnay. It is now known that Pinot Blanc is part of the Pinot Family. However there is still some confusion concerning Pinot Blanc. Much of the “Pinot Blanc” of Australia is in reality Chardonnay and according to research at University of California at Davis some of the Pinot Blanc vines in California are really Melon de Bourgogne. This variety is widely planted in the Loire Valley of France and identified as Muscadet. With the exception of a few areas in the Loire and Alsace this variety is not very noteworthy. However, when careful selection is made these high acidity and low sugar level wines can be crisp, dry and medium-bodied with character.
Sauvignon Blanc or Fume Blanc
Sauvignon blanc produces crisp wines that should be drunk young. Sauvignon Blanc wines produced in France, like Sancere and Pouilly-Fume, will usually show a flinty characteristic. Those produced in Australia, New Zealand, Italy and South America will show acidity and a grassy, herbaceous aroma and flavor. Those produced in California are beginning to show less grassy characteristics.
. The best of the French wines made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc grapes are produced in the Loire Valley as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. They are crisp and tart – usually with a flinty character.
The Dry White Wines of Bordeaux are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that has been aged in oak barrels.
Robert Mondavi gave this varietal a new name when he released an oak aged Sauvignon Blanc as Fumé Blanc. The California Sauvignon Blancs are often blended with some Semillon in an effort to reduce the traditional grassy tinge to the wine.
Sémillon
A white wine grape that is planted throughout the world. By itself, Sémillon generally produces wines that are not well rounded. However, when combined with Sauvignon Blanc, the resulting wines can be extraordinary. Sauvignon Blanc adds the missing acidity and aroma while Semillon lessens the grassiness of Sauvignon Blanc.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc generally produces a high acid wine with complex flavors. It is the grape making the wonderful Loire Valley Vouvary. The wine can be expensive. A great example of a US Chenin Blanc is made by Dry Creek a Sonoma winery and vineyard. “The winery has made a specialty of this variety for years, always taking care to keep prices low, and consumers are the beneficiaries. … bright and zesty, with intense flavors of fresh-picked green apples and white pepper. Nice as an aperitif, or an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.” — S.H. THE WINE ENTHUSIAST
Gruner Veltner
Gruner Veltner is a white grape producing a light to medium bodied, pale, crisp slightly spicy wine grown In Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Slovenia. This wine is beginning to generate favorable press and is still reasonably priced.
My Favorite Summer wine drink
My favorite summertime wine drinks are a wine or Champagne spritzer . The wine spritzer is made by adding wine to ice and soda water. I like to use a good Chardonnay which provides body and flavor. A Champagne spritzer (Perrier Jouet Champagne over ice- no soda water added) is my own concoction, It is very refreshing, easy to drink and reduces the alcohol you consume.
Lastly drink a full glass of ice water for every glass of wine you consume. You will thank me for that tip the morning after.
Enjoy your summer.
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Leonard Logan's passion for wine, love of good food, and knack for entertaining has garnered him a reputation on both a local and national level. As the owner of a restaurant that has won countless awards-from "The Best Fine Dining Wine Restaurant in the United States" (Santé Magazine, 2003) to "The Award of Ultimate Distinction" (The Wine Enthusiast, 2004 and 2005) - Logan has been honing his craft since his college days at Duke University as an amateur caterer for football games and college parties. |
Tags: acidity, Chenin Blanc, French Chablis, Gruner-Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Sancerre
About the author
Leonard Logan's passion for wine, love of good food, and knack for entertaining has garnered him a reputation on both a local and national level. As the owner of a restaurant that has won countless awards-from "The Best Fine Dining Wine Restaurant in the United States" (Santé Magazine, 2003) to "The Award of Ultimate Distinction" (The Wine Enthusiast, 2004 and 2005) - Logan has been honing his craft since his college days at Duke University as an amateur caterer for football games and college parties.