Sum... Sum... Summertime!
BBQ and beer. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and a beer. Even blue crabs, white corn and beer. The flavors of summer are often accompanied by beer. I like beer, but in case you haven't noticed, this blog is all about wine.
Picnic wine is a term I have been known to use to define some light simple wines. This class can be perfect in the summer, not only outdoors during the day, but with the lighter foods that warm weather often brings. Rieslings often fall into this category, but as I have been harping enough about Rieslings of late, I shall refrain.
Moscato d'Asti is another favorite I have written about more than thrice. This lightly sweet, lightly sparkling, low alcohol charmer from Italy is a great one to know. Several domestic versions are also excellent.
Muscat is also sometimes used in a blend to add sweetness and perfume and add complexity. Caymus' Conundrum is a prime example. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat with a splash of Semillon and Viognier. Others make similar blends that rival Conundrum.
Sauvignon Blanc by itself is often a good choice, not only with summer dishes, but all year long when looking for a "universal" white to go with most foods. The Pouilly Fume and Sancerre regions of France make some of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc, but domestic versions tend to be less costly.
Viognier is a fabulous grape. The wines it makes at their best are floral and subtle, with a perfect crisp acidity. At their worst they are thin and boring, and usually expensive. Find one you like (Santa Barbara region has some nice Viognier fruit) and you will remember it.
Viognier is popping up in an increasing number of blends. Not only in the somewhat pricey Conundrum, but in a well priced Chenin Blanc blend you should know about. At almost half the price of Caymus' offering, although admittedly not as complex, the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc - Viognier is worth checking out.
Chenin Blanc is too often overlooked (although again it seems to be a common subject in my writings). Tart, like a green apple, Chenin is great with the myriad tastes that a BBQ or a Picnic can dish out (pun intended).
The Loire region of France has some nice examples of Chenin Blanc, and by far and away one of the best is another of those secret wines I talk so much about, Coteaux du Layon.
This sweet wine from the Anjou is hard to find, but worth the search, and the money. For a great wine, the cost is not too bad. A 1964, one of the great vintages, and just drinking now (honest, these wines are very long lived) will run you well under $200. Ok, not cheap, but for a 40 year old wine, that is less than average.
Back to picnic wines, as defined not only by style, but price as well. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are two clean crisp wines that are worth looking for. I am not a fan of the Italian Pinot Grigio, but Pinot Gris from Alsace or even the Pacific Northwest can be well priced and certainly appropriate for summer activities.
When it comes to light red wines the choices are limited. Pinot Noir is always good with food, but a well priced, light Pinot is harder to find than it used to be. Beaujolais and Cotes du Rhone are the lightest of red wines, and can even be enjoyed slightly chilled.
So when you want to take a break from beer, or you are just a committed wine drinker, it is good to know that you have plenty of options.
Picnic wine is a term I have been known to use to define some light simple wines. This class can be perfect in the summer, not only outdoors during the day, but with the lighter foods that warm weather often brings. Rieslings often fall into this category, but as I have been harping enough about Rieslings of late, I shall refrain.
Moscato d'Asti is another favorite I have written about more than thrice. This lightly sweet, lightly sparkling, low alcohol charmer from Italy is a great one to know. Several domestic versions are also excellent.
Muscat is also sometimes used in a blend to add sweetness and perfume and add complexity. Caymus' Conundrum is a prime example. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat with a splash of Semillon and Viognier. Others make similar blends that rival Conundrum.
Sauvignon Blanc by itself is often a good choice, not only with summer dishes, but all year long when looking for a "universal" white to go with most foods. The Pouilly Fume and Sancerre regions of France make some of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc, but domestic versions tend to be less costly.
Viognier is a fabulous grape. The wines it makes at their best are floral and subtle, with a perfect crisp acidity. At their worst they are thin and boring, and usually expensive. Find one you like (Santa Barbara region has some nice Viognier fruit) and you will remember it.
Viognier is popping up in an increasing number of blends. Not only in the somewhat pricey Conundrum, but in a well priced Chenin Blanc blend you should know about. At almost half the price of Caymus' offering, although admittedly not as complex, the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc - Viognier is worth checking out.
Chenin Blanc is too often overlooked (although again it seems to be a common subject in my writings). Tart, like a green apple, Chenin is great with the myriad tastes that a BBQ or a Picnic can dish out (pun intended).
The Loire region of France has some nice examples of Chenin Blanc, and by far and away one of the best is another of those secret wines I talk so much about, Coteaux du Layon.
This sweet wine from the Anjou is hard to find, but worth the search, and the money. For a great wine, the cost is not too bad. A 1964, one of the great vintages, and just drinking now (honest, these wines are very long lived) will run you well under $200. Ok, not cheap, but for a 40 year old wine, that is less than average.
Back to picnic wines, as defined not only by style, but price as well. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are two clean crisp wines that are worth looking for. I am not a fan of the Italian Pinot Grigio, but Pinot Gris from Alsace or even the Pacific Northwest can be well priced and certainly appropriate for summer activities.
When it comes to light red wines the choices are limited. Pinot Noir is always good with food, but a well priced, light Pinot is harder to find than it used to be. Beaujolais and Cotes du Rhone are the lightest of red wines, and can even be enjoyed slightly chilled.
So when you want to take a break from beer, or you are just a committed wine drinker, it is good to know that you have plenty of options.
posted by Wineguy at 11:21 AM
2 Comments:
I love all of the "wines for summer" articles and blogs that run this time of year! I used to be strictly a red wine girl, so anytime someone can introduce me to a new white varietal to try I'm a happy camper.
Also, thanks for suggesting Moscato to everyone. It's one of my new favorites. A friend recently introduced me to a great Moscato produced by Paolo Saracco--it's great! Light, fruity, frizzy, super low in alcohol, and really affordable.
Speaking of which, I found out some really interesting information from that wine that I'm going to share...I checked out the importer on the label (Dalla Terra) for more information and turns out all the labels imported by Dalla Terra are supposed to be really low in price. They only import Italian wines, but they skip the middle man in the international import system, making for a lower priced wine. Sounds good to me!
Anyway, on that note, do you have any other white Italian varietal suggestions for me? I'm feeling adventurous this weekend...
Ah, now my bias is about to show. I am not a huge fan of Italian wines. There are plenty of exceptions, but as a class the Italian wines rarely wow me.
Pinot Grigio is a good example. Simple, even insipid, this is the same grape as the crisp clean Pinot Gris of Alsace and the Pacific Northwest. The Italian version is not the same at all.
Instead how about we pop over to Spain? White Rioja has really taken a turn towards the lighter fruitier style in the last decade or so. Even Torres, arguably the Gallo of Spain, is making a few light wines that are worth checking out.
So if you are looking for something new, pop over to the Spanish aisle and see what they have to offer!
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