What to drink for Summer?

Summer is here--for most of us but for we here in Maine this Memorial Day is rainy, dark, and 50 degrees. But we cling to what we know and that is a great Summer is coming even if short lived.So get out of your comfort zone this Summer and find the thrill of glorious well made wines that will not kill your retirement savings.

For those hot Summer days poolside, on the porch, or under the shade tree, throw some bottles of wines you've never tried. Forsake the kangaroo and footprint labels and look for inexpensive but well made wines you can chug if you wish. The most under rated varietal is Riesling! With various styles to choose from what you'll find in the grocery store is domestic gems mixed in with plenty of plonk.

What is plonk? Well, White Zinfandel for one. Sure its popular but it is crap. For the same price or literally a couple bucks more, you can actually grab wine that is well made, tastes like wine rather than what I call wine beverage.

Do NOT shy away from the myriad Rosés available today. They are not what they were 20 years ago which was basically white zinfandel...

A nice Muscadet will run you about $10 along with a host of others like Pinot Gris (pronounced Peeno Gree), Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, and one of my faves, Gewurztraminer, pronounced Ga-Vurtz-truh-meener.

As a rule of thumb Columbia Crest, St. Michelle, Sebastiani, Beaulieu, and Sean Minor just make solid value wines. There are many many more, but these stand out to me for over 30 years of reliable production.

So chill the whites in the fridge and NEVER EVER put ice in them. You are watering down everything that makes a decent wine decent. If you are going to do that, you might as well buy White Zinfandel and then throw yourself into the pool to wake out of your nightmare.

Comments

Emma Reichart Gewürztraminer 2020

*Label is for their Riesling not their Gewurztraminer Pale straw hue with loads of sweet aromas consisting of vanilla, citrus, tropical fruit with a lime splash. Palate--mouth watering acid, mouth filling tropical fruit, lime base, with sweet-tart freshness This $10 Gewürztraminer literally "Spicy Traminer" is one of my favorite German grapes and under appreciated much in the way German Riesling is. If you can get past the name, it's a lovely wine that pairs with Asian foods, spicy foods, or all by itself so raise a glass!

Sardon 2017 (Quinto Sardonia)

Vibrant plum purple hue with aromas of a spicy floral bouquet, sweet red hard cherry candies, sweet cream on the edges. Palate--Great first impression of joyful candied red fruit, and pink/orange colored circus peanut marshmallow(?) candy. This blend of primarily Tempranillo, with Malbec, Garnacha, and Cab Sauv. is a bit atypical for Tempranillo with delightful flavors of sweet cherry cream, a nice spicy beam of light red fruit and a finish of more candied flavors. Do NOT mistake my description with all the "sweet" adjectives as if this wine is actually sweet, it isn't. It is extremely fruity, lighter bodied, well made and really quite spectacular. It will do well with my grilled pork chops! At the $18 price point it is a real treat so raise a glass!

Barrel Heist Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Lighter hued cranberry color with aromas of sweet red berries and dried red fruit with a touch of spice. Palate--Fruit forward, easy to quaff with soft tannins, and a simple pleasant all around red. Just don't confuse this with a "real" cabernet Sauvignon. At $7 (Trader Joe's) let's get real... It's better than two buck chuck!

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