Summer is the time for garden parties, picnics and beach days. Warm temperatures and sipping on a chilled glass of wine go hand in hand whether it’s a crisp white wine for a lunch al fresco, a light-bodied mellow red for evening barbecues or a refreshing bright rosé for starlit dinner. While a good bottle of wine is a perfect idea all year-round, there is something undeniably exquisite about chilled wine under the sun.
In the summer heat, there's an urge for something cooling and refreshing, but before you bring out the chiller from the attic and get your supply of ice, it is important to know which types of wine pair well with a bright summer picnic. There are three key elements to a good summer wine. High in acidity, low in tannins and high in minerals. Any wine with high alcohol or high level of tannins will leave you feeling heavy and groggy. Meanwhile, a simple light bodied wine with a lot of thirst-quenching acidity perfectly balances the heat of the summer.
“Wine is drinkable sunlight. It is the most glorious summer day imaginable, captured in a bottle.” - Walter Moers
The Royal Trinity
The best way to kick off a beautiful summer night is a fun glass of something bubbly with an acidic zing. Sparkling wines work tremendously well to quench the summer thirst and add an additional jazz element to the parties. While you can never go wrong with a simple yet elegant sparkling Riesling, the Royal Trinity of sparkling wines wins by a mile.
From a luxurious flute of French Champagne or a zesty and mouthwatering Spanish Cava to the gentle sweetness of a post-meal Italian Prosecco, the epitomes of wine of the three Mediterranean countries are a perfect match for a summer picnic lunch or al fresco night. One can never go wrong with a sweet and refreshing Prosecco, especially from Maresina, La Marca or the Montinore Vivace. The prime summer Cava is the Amorany Reserve Brut from Lidl while the main spotlight goes to the timeless classic Champagne with the choicest selections for summer go to Hiedsieck’s Les Pionniers 2013 Vintage having aromatic essences from zesty citrus and crisp sweet apples and Adrien Dhondt’s Les Terres Fines Extra Brut with intense flavours of citrus, nuts and flint. You can also go the extra mile into the lap of luxury with a Moet & Chandon 2013 Grand Vintage Extra Brut Rose Champagne.
A Light Red Wine
A light-bodied balanced red wine that can be ideally served slightly chilled is a perfect match for summertime drinking. Wines made from the Gamay or Frappato grape or a single vineyard Pinot Noir inspire an urge for a sip in the summer.
The Gamay grape serves a highly fruity and acidic draught with the light-bodied French Beaujolais being the prime choice for a summer red. The sensational choice of Beaujolais from Clos de la Roilette Fleurie is bursting with deep flavours from strawberries, cherries, cranberries and a touch of smoke. Dominique Piron’s Chiroubles Beaujolais is another remarkable choice with fresh red berry flavours and floral notes.
A bottle of Santa Tresa Rina Russa Organic Frappato 2022 from Vittoria in Sicily is at its prime for drinking this summer. A pure Italian Frappato grape wine, it is delicate, bright and fresh in flavour. This bright cherry red wine is affectionately called a wild summer berry pudding in a glass with mouthwatering notes of wild strawberries, raspberries and pomegranates.
A Crisp White Wine
You can never go wrong with a chilled bottle of a crisp white wine especially one from the mountainside vineyards with soils and springs rich in minerals. From the Northern Italian Alps and the vicinity of Etna in Sicily as well as the Alpine vineyards of France and Austria, the whites are made for the summer.
The volcanic soil of Mount Etna in Sicily provides a well-textured grape that is filled with minerals and acidity. The Aiello Graci estate makes a sensational Organic Etna Bianco from Carricante and Catarratto grapes that are built with flavours of lemon juice, green apple skin, honey, and smoke.
White Burgundy is an undeniable choice all year round, but it has a special mark on the summer. The classic French Chardonnay grown in the enriched soil of the Burgundy region is rich in minerals and low on tannins and most remarkably, it is very budget-friendly. While you cannot go wrong with a choice of Bourgogne Blanc, the Bachelet-Monnot’s Bourgogne Blanc is a delight with punchy flavours of green apple and citrus, flinty minerality, and a touch of oak to lead to a lasting, mouth-coating finish.
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