Page 24 - Summer 2022 Taste Magazine

WineScene
By Andy Abramson
Summer Wines
It's summer, and your BBQ is heating up. You're getting some fantastic fish from the waters surrounding Florida. You're also likely enjoying fresh salads made from what you've found from the local nearby vegetable farms
and the farm stands that dot the communities along the coast.
But the arrival of summer also means a change from those hearty red wines to the more enjoyable lighter-bodied reds, cool crisp whites, and racy rosés. The pink wines from two Austrian producers, Schloss Gobelsburg and Brundlmayer, are two not to miss. For rosé, instead of the usual suspects from France's Cotes de Provence, which we are again finding the shelves awash with, look elsewhere.
The 2021 Cistercian Rosé from Gobelsburg is a delight with its deep salmon color and fruit cocktail-like flavors. Brundlmeyer's rose is a treat, but it's not a still wine. It's a very dry sparkling wine. The Brundlmayer Sekt Brut Rosé is made of main red varieties Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, and St Laurent. Light on the palate and smooth on the finish, it's a food wine, not just something to toss back.
For whites, it's time to move away from Chardonnay and embrace more food-friendly choices. Start with Riesling. The noble grape is one of the most food-friendly types around. Riesling is grown in many parts of the world. Often thought to be the sweeter-styled wines from Germany, Riesling wines are produced in Canada, across the USA, France, Australia, Austria, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, and many other countries. Great with oysters, shellfish, and salmon dishes, you'll also find how well Riesling pairs with sushi and Asian-inspired foods.
The differences are striking, as Alsatian and Austrian Rieslings are often dryer than their German counterparts. At the same time, those from Australia, New Zealand are even more diverse, with wines coming at all dry and sweetness levels. In that same vein, wines from Spain, especially the Basque region, are equally satisfying in the summer. Look for the 2021 Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina white wine that's low in alcohol and big on flavor. Also from Spain are wines made from the Albarino grape.
Nothing comes off better than the so-called "green wine" from the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. Also known as Alvahrino in Portugal, you can find that delicious white and the 2020 Vina Cartin
The Brundlmayer Vineyard in Austria and their delicious Reisling
from Spain locally at
Seagrape Wine Company
(while they last), and enjoy
both with fresh fish cooked
on the grill. Locally you can
find the Broadbent and
Mapreco Vinho Verde at The Wine To Buy.
While the big-bodied cabernets from Napa are still enjoyable, summer means a shift to the lighter-bodied but even more distinctive flavors of red wines from the Loire Valley in France made from Cabernet Franc. Look for the tasty Chinons from produced by Bernard Baudry and Charles Jouget.
What's even more fun to drink that's red when it's hot? Look no farther than Italian reds from the Lake Garda region. The lighter-bod- ied but full-flavored Bardolino Chiaretto from Corte Gardoni has been a phenomenal summer red. It's more than a poolside sipper, as the wine is made from 60% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, and 10% other grapes that add character. Summer weather in Florida doesn't mean you have to abandon wine. Always chill down the reds, ice down the whites, bubbles, and rose woes, and you'll be enjoying what's cool while it's hot.
Andy Abramson is editor of WineScene.com and Winesiders.co two online wine dis- covery sites. He is also the USA Ambassador for the Grenache Association and a frequent visitor to wine regions around the world. Andy also makes wine under the Comunicano Wine Company brand in Santa Barbara with Doug Margerum of the Margerum Wine Company. He recently co-founded wineTOURia, with longtime wine colleague Victoria Nicole Varela to enable the discovery of wines made
along wine roads of the world less traveled.
24 Celebrating 30 Years! Taste Dining & Travel • Summer More online at www.tasteweb.net
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