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Summer is here and that means you are asking yourself "What wine should I drink and how". It is a no brainer to say crisp white wines and roses, but what you might not realize is that the bold whites and even red wines have their place in the summer heat!
OK let's get the obvious out of the way... Vivac makes amazing rose wines. We have 2 currently, the Rose of Sangiovese and the Rose of Cabernet, and we plan to add to that list as we expand our vineyard varietals. These wines have won awards all over the world including a Double Gold at THE Rose Wine Competition. We also have the Estate 1725 Riesling and Estate 1725 Gruner Veltliner that have been winning awards and have their own cult following coming from our vineyards at 6,000 feet. All of these are AMAZING choices for your summer fun. Clearly you should buy these in bulk.
Now, moving on...
Chardonnay, ahhh yes, the white wine with a sorted past. Once demonized for its overly buttery oaky personality, it has had a makeover, or maybe it is better to say it has been "Marie Kondoed" and striped down to only the most important elements. These mineral driven, unoaked, Chardonnays are beautiful and an easy addition to your quick grab selections (we've got a Gold Medal version for you to try), but it is the now rare oaked Chard that I want to highlight!
Buttery, oaked Chardonnay is domineering, yes, but it also morphs when paired with the right dish or atmosphere. Yep, you can pair wine with the atmosphere. From romantic picnics to campfire hangouts, or swanky restaurants to the sofa in your living-room, there is an atmosphere that causes YOU to react differently to the wine. We will skip over glassware for now, but that also plays a huge role. Oaked Chard is a wonderful choice for summer nights with its bigger body style and it pairs amazingly well with buttered popcorn! It can handle bolder foods so it is also great with anything off the BBQ that will carry some of that smoke mirroring the oak in the wine. Staying in? Lower the lights, snuggle into your favorite chair and watch a romantic comedy classic like "When Harry Met Sally", it is my go to oaky Chard favorite.
Reds are also fun to play with, here is the trick with these, put them in the fridge! WHAT?!? How dare I say such a thing! Yes, it is frowned upon to make red wine cold, but it is also true that the correct serving temperature for a red is based on that of a cold cellar in Europe, so lets keep our pants on when talking rules. I also venture to say, if you are having FUN and enjoying the wine in your glass, I don't care if you have fruit, soda and a straw with it, you rock on with your bad self.
How do you pick a proper red to chill? Some wines lend themselves to this, my personal fave is a Beaujolais Nouveau (have you been watching our social media? We are having a label contest to grace the bottle of our very first Beaujolais Nouveau style wine in honor of our 20 yr anniversary!!!). The bold fruit and deep tannins subdue when chilled and the combination is really delightful on a hot summer day. Other wines that do this well are Pinot Noirs, Italian reds like Sangiovese and Refosco, and Syrahs. Play with it, find your own favorite!
Chilled reds are also great for a multitude of summer foods including pie which I also recommend cold. Sure hot dogs and hamburgers are obvious choices, but if you are like my family and enjoy cold ribs and picnic salads, a chilled red can handle the intensity of these foods and not be too over powering that you can't taste the deviled egg grandma put in the potato salad. Call me a weirdo, but there is nothing quite as divine as a chilled Merlot with cold blueberry pie or a chilled Syrah with a cold cherry pie when its hot out.
Final bizarre advice for summer wine indulgence, club soda. A splash of cold club soda in a fruity white, rose or red immediately changes the dynamic giving it lift and tames the intense flavors of bolder wines, which is what we are looking for when we pick out summer wines. Plus, lets face it, bubbles make everyone happy. Welcome to the world of Wine Spritzers.
Wine Sprizters have been around for ages. They have also been looked down on for ages, but they do have their place! If you are spending hours out in the heat or drinking all day, you need to watch your alcohol intake. These homemade spritzers are perfect for the pool or lake, outdoor parties or brunch with friends. The sparkling water does change the pairings slightly so you will want to move up the scale. Foods that had been too delicate for a specific wine can usually handle it well when transformed into a spritzer. Sweet wines are an excellent choice for spritzers and a delightful treat when added to ice in the blender for a wine slushy.
Is your mind blown? Are you eyeing your library of wine books wondering if they will be disgraced if they see you drinking wine like this? Let them! Let all the wine snobs in the world be horrified, you will be too busy enjoying yourself to care.
Written by Michele Padberg, co-owner of Vivac Winery. If you enjoy this blog, check out her personal blog Wine First Adventures www.WineFirst.net
