Summer Sippin' - Wines for Warm Weather
Put away the blockbuster cabs and the monster chards. It’s summer, time for easy sippin’.
The appreciation of complex wines is inversely proportional to the heat index, so think refreshing instead of reflecting. That means simpler wines, beer and cocktails too.
As a general rule, you’ll want to concentrate on wines with lower alcohol, good acidity and lots of fruitiness. Less alcohol means the body doesn’t dehydrate and overheat as quickly. Good acidity gives a refreshing feeling, something we all want in summer. And while fruitiness is desirable all the time, it just seems to be more so in summer.
All these qualities make German Rieslings a good choice since they’re tops in each department. German wines are generally about eight to 11 percent in alcohol compared to the 13 or 14 percent of many California chardonnays. German wines are also very food friendly, especially with the lighter fare we enjoy in summer. In addition to Germany, look for Rieslings from France, California, New York and Washington.
J. Lohr Estates out of San Jose, CA (my old stomping grounds) makes a delicious Monterey Johannisberg Riesling with a walnuty aroma and lots of peachy fruit. It’s perfect with a cold chicken salad (especially if it has walnuts in it.) The 1998 vintage is just out and sells for only about $7.50.
Rose wines are also a good choice for summer. I’d stay away from any that are on the sweet side, however, unless you don’t mind dropping a few ice cubes in the glass. Again, good fruit and reasonably high acidity are in order.
Red wines aren’t out of the question, of course, but fresh, lively fruit should be emphasized. Lightly chilled Beaujolais wines or their Gamay American counterparts with their strawberry and raspberry flavors are great for picnics and meals with light meats. (J. Lohr Estates also makes a fine Gamay at about $7.50.) For grilled sausages and hamburgers, medium-bodied, good-value zinfandels like those from Seghesio, Fetzer and Ravenswood (Vintners Blend) are naturals.
While they’re not often considered summer wines - unless someone’s getting married - sparkling wines can be very refreshing, especially with salty and spicy foods. The Spanish cavas are particularly good values.
Wine drinks such as spritzers - wine with equal amounts of sparkling water - are a good way to stay cool in summer. One of my favorite summer wine drinks is sangria. If you’ve only had that godawful stuff in bottles, homemade sangria will be a revelation. It’s also a good way to get rid of leftover or jug wine. Put a fifth of red wine - any will do, but the fruitier the better - into a large pitcher. Drop in one lemon and one orange, each cut into thin slices. Add a jigger or two of orange liqueur and, if you like, an equal amount of brandy. Refrigerate several hours and serve over ice with splash or more of club soda, though I prefer it straight.
You can also make sangria with a dry, fruity white wine like a chenin blanc. And you can add a few flourishes of your own. For example, I’ll often throw in some sliced seasonal fruit like peaches or plums, and a little sugar if the fruit isn’t sweet.
Nothing beats a frosty beer after mowing the lawn or playing a game of softball. While normal beer isn’t very high in alcohol, there are a number of good non-alcoholic beers on the market. As with regular beers, the imports tend to have more character than mass-produced American beers. I particularly like Clausthaler and Kaliber.
Though some are made year round, wheat beers were traditionally designed for summer because they are light and refreshing with tart, fruity flavors. They are often served with a slice of lemon (which you can use with regular beers as well). More and more American microbrews are brewing wheat beers such as Pete’s Brewing Company which makes Pete’s Wicked Summer Brew, a clean, crisp and mildly fruity pale ale.
While the percentage of alcohol in spirits is high, the amount the amount that goes into a summer drink is much smaller than the volume of a normal glass of wine. That’s because spirits get stretched out with lots of fruit juices and sodas. I’ve become very fond of summer drinks made with flavored vodkas like lemon-flavored Absolut Citron and orange-flavored Stolichnaya Ohranj.
Try this summer soother called the Orange Breeze: Combine 2 parts orange-flavored
vodka with 4 parts each of orange juice and cranberry juice and 1 part Cointreau.
Put in a large goblet filled with ice.
Now go out and mow that lawn -- and don’t forget the edging.