Summer is upon us. The weather is getting hotter and the sun is out much longer. This kind of weather calls for much lighter, crisper and less-oaked wines.
A key consideration at this time of the year, therefore, should be to select a wine that is refreshing.
Here are three that I recommend popping open regularly all summer:
>> 2016 Domaine du Salvard Sauvignon Blanc “Unique” (roughly $17 a bottle): This wine has little more color than plain water, yet yields astounding flavor. With the first whiff, the aroma leaps forward — a dynamic collaboration of grapefruit and melon nuances, a profound and uplifting minerality, with an accent on fresh herb and floral undertones. I love how refreshingly dry, effortlessly light and thirst-quenching it is, with no sense of gaudiness or pretense.
It is a consummate example of purity, with refreshing qualities one seldom runs across, and at a very fair price.
>> Berto Red Vermouth “Ross da Travaj” (roughly $18 per 1-liter bottle): This aromatic, thirst-quenching, very refreshing beverage is from a very different perspective, vermouth.
Vermouth is an aromatized white wine, meaning family recipes include a closely guarded mix of herbs, spices, barks, peels and the like, which are added to a base wine blend to create an aperitif or digestif — often slightly sweet.
Berto’s origins can be traced to the late 1800s and the family’s wines are still highly revered for their artisan, tradition- minded qualities. (Just to be clear, this is not your average, commercially made vermouth). On extra hot days, or when wine is not enough, pour some over ice (perhaps with a splash of soda) and serve simply with an orange or lemon peel.
I can almost hear you say ahhhhhhh in satisfaction.
>> 2017 Ravaille Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup Rosé (roughly $16 a bottle): The thirst for off-dry to dry rosés rages on. Make no mistake, pink wines are in. After a recent BYOB rosé event, we popped open a bottle of this wine, to see how it would compare. (I was somewhat concerned because the 2017 exhibited a darker hue compared with the previous vintage.) I found it to be a real gem of a find, especially in terms of quality for the dollar.
Along with gobs of delicious red fruit from an orchestra of typical indigenous grapes, this rosé is spiked with a strong core of minerality, from the collision of different veins of soils where the grapes are grown. The wine is delicious, interesting, savory and very uplifting, making it worth searching out. Just make sure it is served well chilled.
Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.
