Warm weather has arrived at last – at least, we hope so. We’ll be venturing outside more, and that means we may not have much time for exploring wine stores. So now’s the time to stock up for summer sipping.
More than ever, this time of year I’m looking for wines that impress with energy and finesse rather than power. We want to be cheered up rather than dazzled when we’re cooling off on the patio, welcoming guests for a cookout and de-stressing after a tough day at the office.
I sought advice from Vanessa Moore, co-owner of two Unwined stores in Alexandria, Va. “If you like to entertain or have an outdoor space that gets a lot of use this time of year, you should try to have a mixed case of white and rosé on hand with at least half refrigerated,” she advised. “Your budget will go further, and your guests will drink more than you think.”
Moore suggests unleashing your sense of adventure for summer. She recommends the Cocchi Americano, an Italian moscato d’Asti flavored with cinchona bark, citrus peel and spices. “A slice of grapefruit and a splash of soda makes it a refreshing cocktail,” she added.
I always enjoy finding an inexpensive house white, red and rosé for summer. A case of each will last at least a few weeks before I need to venture back to a store and find some new wines. The key is cheap, but high value.
One of my favorite whites for summer is the HB Picpoul de Pinet from southern France. This inexpensive white, about $10 a bottle but frequently on sale for even less, offers great fruit and refreshing acidity. It’s ideal for patio sipping or for pairing with salads or light seafood dishes. My only worry about this wine is that I may forget to put another bottle in the refrigerator when I open one.
Ten years ago, retailers couldn’t give rosés away. The popularity of pink wine today means prices have crept up, but the selection is so much more diverse. We can easily drink a rosé a day for several weeks without repeating a label.
Or, we can find a reliable one and stick with it. Chateau Montaud rosé in a three-liter box may be the best value in rosé this year, at $26 for the equivalent of four bottles. Keep a box in your refrigerator and you won’t go thirsty for a few weeks. Another inexpensive gem is Le Petit Balthazar, a rosé of cinsault from southern France, which is a delightful partner to garlicky or spicy foods.
For something more substantial to go with heavier dishes such as grilled salmon, I always look to a rosé made from pinot noir, such as a Sancerre from the Loire Valley in France or a nice U.S. rosé. The 2016 from Brooks in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is superb (if hard to find) with its precision balance and beguiling fruit flavors of strawberry and melon.
And of course, we aren’t drinking white or rosé exclusively in hot weather. We need some reds to match the burgers and steaks we’ll be pulling off the grill. I was enamored recently with Mega Petite, a red blend from Lodi based on petite sirah, with malbec and teroldego. Give this wine a slight chill and fire up the protein!
Finally, don’t forget bubbles. When a long commute ends a trying day at the office and you arrive home with a bead of sweat trickling down your back like a salty talisman of defeat, that’s time to declare victory with a bottle of cava. You can find a tasty version of this Spanish sparkling wine for about $10, but pay just a little more and you can be rewarded with a wine that at least carries a whiff of champagne. Biutiful Cava (about $14) offers complexity and flavor, thanks to its judicious component of chardonnay.
So to free up a weekend or two, stock up now on wines for warm weather. But don’t expect to stay out of wine stores for long. Once you run through your house wines, you’ll want to replenish your stash with new wines. And that’s half the fun.