One way to enjoy a nice summer evening is over a glass of wine. During the summer months the temperature can get hot, humid, or even dry. With that type of weather a glass of chilled white wine, rosé, or dessert wine is absolutely delicious. Listed below are different wines that can be enjoyed along with refreshing summer meals.
Sancerre
Sancerre is wine that is produced specifically from the Sancerre region of France. Buying a wine bottle with Sancerre on the label guarantees quality and consistency, regardless of the wine producer. As such you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a great bottle of Sancerre. In the United States it’s possible to find Sancerre’s at local supermarkets. Look for Sancerre by Chateau de Thauvenay and by Laurent Reverdy, distributed in the U.S. by Latitude Wines, Inc.
Pine Ridge Vineyards – Chenin Blanc + Viognier
Pine Ridge Vineyards’ Chenin Blanc + Viognier is a light and crisp white wine. It’s not super sweet but rather refreshing. The qualities of the wine helps to calm your taste buds from any spicy food you may be eating. This wine goes well with seafood and vegetables, especially if both were grilled on the BBQ. Viognier wines in general tend to be easy to drink, without leaving an unsavory aftertaste in your mouth. When in doubt, any wine made with Viognier will most likely be a good buy.
Rosé
Once believed to be inferior to a glass of white or red wine, in recent years there has been a resurgence of rosé wines. Stroll by cafes in the south of France and most tables will have a bottle of chilled rosé. Any rosé from the Provence area of France will be a great drinkable wine. Whispering Angel, by Caves D’Esclans, is a Provence rosé that can be bought in the United States. In California, Tolosa Winery offers an affordable Rosé of Grenache.
St. Supéry – Moscato
A dessert wine is a great drink to have after a satisfying dinner. Typically fruity, it’s as if you are drinking your dessert but don’t be afraid to have dessert at the same time. Pick up a bottle of St. Supéry’s Moscato and drink it along with fresh fruit or chocolate. If you enjoy St. Supéry’s Moscato you can sign up for their Moscato only wine club, where bottles of Moscato will automatically be shipped to your house.
Although no red wines were listed above, don’t be afraid to drink red wine chilled. The old convention is that one never chills red wines, but during the summer months even in France restaurants will chill red wine. You’ll want to use red wines that lean towards being of a more fruity quality. Just as with white wine, be sure not to over chill the red wine. Only keep the bottle of wine in the fridge for up to two hours before serving.
