Endless Summer Wines

The weather has turned, and the sun in the forecast brings the evocative scents of the season. The luscious ripe fruits, the freshly cut grass, the luxe beach aroma of a saltwater breeze, all of which demand a proper bottle to mark the height of the summertide. This season skirt beyond the usual suspects and beat the heat with these summerlong sippers.

Serving as the official summer kickoff wine, rosé now dominates as a perennial favorite with its bewildering diversity. From the robust and savory Tavels, to the delicately lean Provençal styles, you can enjoy rosé in every hue of its blush spectrum. Raise the atmospheric pressure this season with a chilled glass of Txakoli “cha-koh-lee” Rosado, an unfussy, low-alcohol and slightly effervescent rosé from the steep slopes of Northern Spain’s Basque region. Here, the wine is made from native varietals, Hondarrabi Zuri (a white grape), and Hondarrabi Beltza (a red grape), before it's theatrically poured into a stemless glass from an above average height to aerate the wine creating a stream of tiny bubbles. This unique regional blend often joins a newspaper dressed table with mounds of fresh, regional oysters and crawfish. Lime-drenched, spritzy and slightly salty, this wine is high in acid making it perfect on its own as an inviting aperitif, or as a masterful match for ceviches, gazpachos, raw seafood, and salt-cured anchovies.

Notable Producers
Ameztoi Txakolí de Getaria Rubentis
Bodega de Txakolí Txomin Etxaniz

Greek wines have made their mark in the wine world with recent competitive independent wine production ensuring that the former mass-producing cooperatives had little choice but to up their winemaking game. This drastic change has been a big win for the region’s wine production, improving the quality of its wine as a whole. Malagousia “Mala-goo-zee-yah”, a nearly extinct white grape from northern Greece, has come into the spotlight as a quintessentially elegant style with a charming nose of ripe stonefruit and smoky lemon peel making it an aromatically intriguing selection when the warm weather hits your doorstep. Softer and broader than its better known counterpart Assyrtiko, Malagousia has been likened to a cross of Chardonnay and Viognier with a lengthy finish to boot. Perfect for your summer poultry, light pasta dishes, and seafood. It’s worth your time to taste every wine from Santorini you can get your hands on as Greek wines are largely underrated.

Notable Producers
Evanglos Gerovassiliou Single Vineyard Malagousia
Domaine Porto Carras

Don’t overlook red wine during the long midsummer days. The key is to select reds that can benefit from a slight chill. With Beaujolais and Pinot Noir being familiar light red wine contenders, the southeast Sicilian Frappato di Vittoria or simply ‘Frappato’ is a lesser known varietal that has become a darling for backyard BBQ enthusiasts. This ancient grape boasts a rich history of fermentation with indigenous yeasts and is often joined with Nero d’Avola as a blending agent to introduce power and finesse. Frappato is a delightful selection, mild in tannins, high in juicy acidity, with a slight gamey note, and just a tinge of spiced white pepper allowing it to hold its own next to the charcoal-broiled fares of the season.

Notable Producers
Azienda Agricola COS Frappato Terre Siciliane
Arianna Occhipinti “Il Frappato”

Wine cocktails are a much welcomed treat and have gained much momentum in the wine and spirits world. Take inspiration from regional influences to include a classically-timeless Porto Tonico, a delightful Portuguese staple frequently served as a refreshing aperitivo before settling into dinner. White port is a refreshing, yet complex wine option created from a blend of local white Portuguese grapes, often Malvasia Fina, Códega, and Rabigato. It’s then fortified with a neutral spirit creating an intriguing blend with aromas of nuts, apricot, and honey offering a dry, yet slightly fruity option perfect for a warm evening cocktail ritual. White port has a vast spectrum of options ranging from the bone-dry varieties to those with a voluptuous sweet finish. When searching for a sweeter style, look for the ‘Lagrima’ designation. Concoct your own version using a 2-to-1 ratio of tonic water to white port over ice and citrus, then garnish with a fresh sprig of mint or cucumber to enjoy with the gift of extra daylight.

Notable Producers
Quinta Santa Eufemia NV
C. da Silva Dalva Golden White Colheita

Whether you head to the porch or straight for the wine list, it's prime warm weather wine season, so make sure there's a glass in your hand to experience the closest thing to an eternal summer in a shiny-weathered paradise.