Crisp White Wine for Summertime
Written By: Anonymous on Wed, May 13th 2009
Back Away From That Bottle of Chardonnay...
Standard wine logic dictates that you mostly drink reds in the winter and whites in the summer. This, of course, has always been a flawed outlook: Is there anything better with barbecue than a rich, spicy California zinfandel? And is there anything less refreshing when the mercury soars than a glass of heavy, oaky chardonnay?
It's with this ubiquitous grape that the old summer-is-the-right-time-for-white-wine logic falls apart. For while summer is clearly the right time for certain kinds of white wine, it's not right for all of them.
Take that California-style chardonnay as an example: It's high in alcohol, tastes like a popsicle stick dipped in rancid butter, and is best served at or very near cellar temperature - no cooler. Do you really want to quaff that in the summertime? It would be like reaching for a thick, complex Belgian Trappist Ale in the dog days just because, well, you know, all beer is refreshing, right? And Corona and Chimay are both beers, so it doesn't make a difference...
This is ridiculous, of course.
There are, however, many white wines that are perfectly suited to this time of year. And while they may be from many different parts of the world, and produced from different grapes, they have two very important things in common: They're relatively low in alcohol and relatively high in acidity.
In other words, they're refreshing. And as nice as a good glass of chard can be, it just doesn't serve that purpose.
So instead of reaching for that bottle of Kendall-Jackson in the back of your fridge, head on over to the wine shop and pick up a few bottles of wine that are more appropriate for this time of year.
Alsatian pinot blanc, for example, is tailor-made for warm weather. This may seem odd, seeing as Alsace isn't necessarily the toastiest place in Europe, but it's actually perfectly in keeping with the rules of grape-growing: The cooler the region in which the grapes are grown, the more acid they'll likely have, and the more refreshing they'll be. (This is assuming the winemaker hasn't done horrible, manipulative things to the wine...)
Trimbach makes a fantastic pinot blanc, and at less than $15 a bottle, you cannot go wrong. I recently tasted the 2004 and was struck by its impeccable balance of softer-edged fruit and crisp, refreshing acidity. If only I'd had a piece of trout with me at the time, I would have truly been in a happy place.
Gruner Veltliner is also perfect for this time of year, and now is a great time to buy it: The 2006 vintage of this classic Austrian wine is just hitting wine-store shelves now, and as it was a generally warmer year over in the nation that gave us the Governator, this typically crisp white wine is a bit softer and more easy-going than it usually is - perfect for passionate chardophiles looking for a change.
The list goes on: Oregonian or Alsatian pinot gris (in Italy it's called pinot grigio), Sancerre (which is sauvignon blanc from France's Loire Valley), Italian Gavi, Portuguese Vinho Verde...
The key to successful summertime drinking is to find wines that please the palate as well as refresh the body. And with this style of white wine, you cannot go wrong.
