Lighter Wines for Lighter Meals
We are getting near that very sad time of year when summer is coming to a close. As you try to squeeze in the last of the warm beach days and outdoor meals, there are some great wines, not to be missed, perfect for drinking in the summer and into early fall.
I love drinking crisp, refreshing Italian white wine during the warmer months, when the meals are lighter, and require a light wine.
One of my favorite Italian white varietals is Verdicchio. Although many wine critics claim Verdicchio to be one of the best white wine varietals of Italy, many wine drinkers are not at all familiar with this type of wine. Verdicchio is grown in the Marche region of central Italy. It is typically a crisp, dry white wine with green tinges of herbaceous notes and fresh apple. Some have a slight aftertaste of toasted almond.
While most Verdicchio are light, dry, crisp wines that pair well with seafood, there is also another style Verdicchio that is more complex and age-worthy, and is a nice complement to stews and pecorino cheese.
ANDREA FELICI VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIOREThe Andrea Felici wines are certified organic and are hand-harvested. They have incredibly purity of fruit and pronounced minerality, with flavors of peach, pear, and citrus. Pure, long, and tantalizing!
UMANI RONCHI CASAL DI SERRA VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESIThis is a delicious wine with crisp acidity and stone fruit flavors. Lovely, long finish. A classy wine.
BISCI VERDICCHIO DI MATELICABisci practices organic agriculture. Made from 100% Verdicchio from hillside vineyards. Pale straw color with lovely green reflections, an intense nose of tropical aromas, and notes of flowers and green apple. On the palate the wine is intense, warm, tasty, fresh and quite balanced. It will pair wonderfully with your favorite fresh cheeses and seafood dishes.
Another Italian varietal that is light, dry, crisp and refreshing is Soave. Soave is made in the Veneto region of Italy, primarily from Garganega grapes, but small amounts of Trebbiano di Soave and Chardonnay are also permitted. The most common flavors of Soave are peach, honeydew and citrus.
GINI SOAVE CLASSICOThe Gini family has its roots in the Soave Classico region dating back to the seventh century. Its vineyards are situated on the best hillside position of the appellation. The hand-harvested Soave is 100% Garganega from 60-year-old vines. These wines are certified organic. This golden-hued, medium-bodied wine has flavors of golden apple, pear, and a tinge of ripe lemon. It features stony minerality, bright and refreshing acidity, and lingering notes of honey.
BALESTRI VALDA SOAVE CLASSICOThe Balestri Valda winery does a great job producing delicious estate-bottled Soave. Polished mineral notes make for a fitting background to honey, nectarine, white flowers and melon.
There are also many delicious red wines available that are perfect for lighter meals:
PAOLO SCAVINO VINO ROSSO (Piedmont, Italy)
Scavino Rosso is a blend of Dolcetto, Barbara, Nebbiolo and Merlot, taken from the younger vines of the estate. This delicious wine is a great value!CUSUMANO NERO D’AVOLA (Sicily, Italy)
This is a very tasty, fruit-forward wine with plummy spice flavors along with bitter chocolate and black fruit.AYRES VINEYARD GAMAY NOIR (Chehalem Mountains, Oregon)
Brad McLeroy is the owner and winemaker of Ayres Vineyard. Following a 6-year stint at Domain Drouhin Winery, McLeroy purchased land and began making his own wines. His winemaking philosophy is one that emphasizes freshness and purity, which is exactly what he has achieved with his Gamay Noir. Gamay is not a well-known grape varietal; most people associate Gamay as the grape used to make wines from Beaujolais. This is a tasty, succulent wine with crisp black raspberry fruit and some exotic spice. Perfect with salmon dishes.DOMAINE CHANDON DE BRIALLES SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE PREMIER 1ER CRU LES LAVIERES (Burgundy, France)
This winery is run by seventh-generation brother and sister Francois and Claude de Nicolay. This wine is made from 60-year-old vines and is certified biodynamic. Les Lavieres is one of the best sights in all of Savigny. The wine is bright and charming, with flavors of juicy cherries, rose petal, plum and warm spices. A very pure, satiny and elegant wine.JULIEN SUNIER WILD SOUL (Beaujolais, France)
A blend of organically grown Gamay from the Beaujolais Cru of Régnié. Sunier practices organic farming with biodynamic principals. The wines are naturally made. Each vine has been chemically untouched and tended by hand, the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 150 cases were produced. The result is a beautiful wine with a spicy bouquet of raspberry and cassis. The flavors are of raspberry, wild strawberries and red currant, and there is a nice touch of minerality. You can drink this wine slightly chilled, preferably on a nice, sunny deck. This wine benefits from decanting or a small amount of time opened before drinking.
The wines mentioned are not strictly for warm-weather drinking. They are great at any time of the year, especially when they are paired with lighter-styled meals.
