Warmer weather demands light, thirst-quenching wines

I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say this summer is sizzling! There have been a couple of days when the heat, humidity and lack of tradewinds have been almost unbearable. This weather has altered my wine preferences, and I’m now in search of lighter, fresher, thirst-quenching wines, which I serve much cooler than I normally would.

Here are some for your consideration:

» Sommariva Rosa Extra Dry (about $23 a bottle): Italian prosecco has quickly become one of the top wine imports in the U.S. Sommariva is one of my favorite producers because its sparkling wine is tasty, light and ethereal with tiny, flirtatious bubbles. Furthermore, in this day of commercialization, I applaud its use of heirloom grapevines. Its rose bubbly is a delicious, softer, rounder rose bubbly from the indigenous raboso grape variety. It is a terrific thirst quencher for this time of the year — well chilled.

» Champalou Vouvray Brut (about $23): My wife took this sparkling wine to a recent get-together and said it was her favorite of the night. Didier and Catherine Champalou make this wine from France’s Loire Valley. They work magic with the chenin blanc grape in their estate vineyards of sand and limestone soil, to produce brilliant wines of great purity, minerality, finesse, amazing lightness and nerve. This particular bottling is made using the Champagne method, in which the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. The resulting titillating bubbles just make the wine more riveting and refreshing.

» 2011 Haart Riesling “Estate” (about $18): Not all Rieslings are sweet, just as not all chardonnays are dry. This is a medium-dry to dry Riesling, which is actually drier than many popular New World chardonnays. Its sweet aroma provides an illusion that the wine tastes sweet. I love the minerality of this German white wine and how food-friendly it is. I would not expect less from the “2007 Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year.”

» 2012 Poppy Pinot Noir “Monterey” (about $16): This light, delicious, gulpable pinot noir is suited for warm weather. Here’s why this one stands out: Across the globe, top producers of this grape variety attempt to create noteworthy, best-of-show wines. After all, high scores and accolades facilitate sales and boost the reputation. This is not that kind of wine. The first indication: its price. Then consider that the grapes come from three vineyards in Monterey, Calif., one of which has vines more than 30 years old. I mention this to illustrate this is not just another bottle of commercial schlock. There are significant differences between schlock and an unpretentious product.

Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.