| |
Wine Expert
Michael De Loach
Wines for Summer:
The REAL Guide
Now that the hot weather is fully and obviously upon us, it is time to contemplate the wine with which we will while away the idle hours of the afternoon and the long, deliciously warm post-sunset play period. One cannot indulge in beer alone, although one can certainly give it a shot (and my shot would be Tequila, silver, chilled, no wheels).
I have no doubt that you’ve read a word or two on this subject. You’ve probably noticed as I have that the articles seem to fall neatly into two categories: 1) You Must Drink Rosé, or, 2) You Can’t Drink The Same Old Cheap White Wines. Really, there’s nothing terribly wrong with either school of thought, except that A) Rosé wines are generally much too dry for most palates during lively summer gatherings, and go better with food, and B) The esoteric white wines typically recommended, although brilliantly suggested, incredibly tasty, cleverly made, and spectacularly interesting, tend to be impossible to find and ridiculously expensive.
Also, these are not so much schools of thought as they are predictable and boring knee-jerk reactions to the question “what kind of wine should I drink in the summer?” Instead, I offer a fresh approach with a short primer on how to drink wine in warmer months. Here we go.
Consider the Activity
Look, drinking wine in the summer isn’t a one-time, one-dimensional event. You sipping occasions will be as varied as the highlights of summer itself. After all, isn’t that sort of the whole point of the season? So think broadly. What you’re after is an arc of options designed to follow the activities in which you are participating.
Let’s say you’re boating. First of all, you’re not the captain, and you don’t plan to take the wheel. Let’s pretend it’s a pleasure craft and there are eight aboard. The last thing you want is lots of extra weight, garbage and needless corks to remove. You’re best off bringing some type of new-fangled packaging, like a bag-in-box. There are many high-end ones sold today, like
Black Box from Napa—around $20 for the equivalent of four bottles. Or look for a tetra-pak similar to what milk comes in, or PET like what Coke comes in. You’ll find nice ones are available from many vendors including French Rabbit and Yellow Jersey , usually about $10 / 750ml.
These packages take up less space in the cooler or small craft refrigerator, and all you need to bring besides is some clear plastic reusable wine globlets (Crate & Barrel, Target, or Pottery Barn, about $2 each). In terms of the wine flavors, stick with the whites generally—although a nice light Gamay or Pinot Noir (reds, both) can be lovely when slightly chilled.
The last thing you’re bringing to the boat is a fine Riesling Kabinett.
Although, if you were going to a tailgate party before your local Dave Matthews concert, a nice Riesling Kabinett from Schmitt-Sohne (comes with a handy screw cap, about $10) is a perfect choice. It’s a not-quite-sweet, perfectly balanced summer quaffer that goes well with anything barbequed (especially herbed chicken, light sausages and grilled veggies). When you’ve got some recycling bins about, the extra glass is no big deal to deal with.
Also in this category, Alsatian Gewurztraminers (and other Alsatian white wines) are a fine idea as well. Look for Zind-Humbrecht “Zind,” about $20, Dopff and Irion “Crustaces,” about $12, and Hugel & Fils “Gentil,” about $12.
|
