Summer may be my favorite season because there are so many wonderful summer wines to enjoy! The longer days move our dining experiences outdoors. We are able to linger over meals and enjoy a nice glass of red, white and rosé wine in the summer weather. The freshness of summer flavors launches an abundance of food combinations to tantalize your taste buds. These flavors inspire me to create new wine pairings with my recipes. So, in this post, I will share with you five of my favorite summer food and wine pairings, which are sure to please everyone’s palate.
Wonderful Summer Wines to Enjoy
Do you drink a sparkling or white with a flavor-bursting citrus salad? What pairs nicely with your grilled steak to bring down the heat of freshly made jalapeno pineapple sauce? Is rosé, all-day, a bad thing?
While you can discover new wines any time of the year, summer is a wonderful time to experience lighter varietals. My favorite summer wines to enjoy and to pair with food from the white, rosé and red families are: Riesling, Spanish Abariño, Rosé, Pinot Noir and Barbera. These five wines cover a range of tastes, and offer great options for meals, from brunches on a hot day, to dinner on a cool night.
Wonderful White Summer Wines to Enjoy:
Riesling
According to WineFolly.com, Riesling is “An aromatic white variety that can produce white wines ranging in style from bone-dry to very sweet.”
Germany produces some of the most important Riesling’s in the world. But, Rieslings production is also popular now in France, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Canada. While, Washington, Oregon and New York in the US are also becoming known for their noteworthy vintages.
Flavor profile:
The naturally high acidity makes Riesling one of the most versatile wines, allowing it to pair nicely with dishes that range from light to rich, tart to sweet. Expect notes of citrus, green apple and beeswax, as well as guava, and rose blossom. In a 2018 article on Winespectrum.com, they dive into what makes Riesling such a versatile wine for food pairings.
Recommendations:
I prefer a slightly sweet, low alcohol Riesling, like Max Ferdinand Richter Riesling as it is a wonderful summer wines to enjoy and perfect for a light summer lunch of Blackened Salmon with Avocado Salsa or SHRIMP COBB SALAD WITH CILANTRO LIME VINAIGRETTE, or on a hot day.
A more off-dry Riesling, like the “M” Burgberg Kabinett Riesling by Weingut Richard Bocking will pair well with many Asian dishes, such as our favorite Red Thai Curry.
Spanish Albariño
The Pennsylvania Wine School describes albariño as “a white grape, made famous by wines produced in Galicia, a region of northwest Spain, and northwest Portugal”. The small Albariño grape is also known for its thick skin, making this grape more difficult to produce.
Spain and Portugal (where it is known as Alvarinho), on the Iberian Peninsula, are the largest producers of Albariño. However, California, Uruguay, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and even parts of Pennsylvania, have started producing some lovely Albariño wines recently.
Flavor profile:
Many Albariño grapes are grown close to the sea, allowing for a briny profile, usually mixed with peach or apricot. Citrus, melon and mineral notes often also accompany these wines. Albariños are best enjoyed young to capture their full zip and zest. But, they can also age beautifully.
Recommendations:
Albariño is one of my all-time favorite wines, especially in summer because its vibrant acidity pairs perfectly with fish, as well as lighter meats and leafy greens. I typically drink, and prefer Albariño from Spain, and I recently paired Adegas Tollodouro Pontellon Abariño, Rias Baixas with my Grilled Shrimp with Garlic Scape Pesto. So, pick up a bucket of crabs or shrimp and enjoy a crisp, chilled Abariño, especially on August 1st, as it is Abariño day on the Wine Calendar.
Rosé Wine
Rosé wines are made from a variety of grapes, allowing for a range of sweetness levels. They can be still, sparkling or semi-sparkling, and can be found all around the globe. This delicious wine delights in the summer, due to its ease of drinking. It also offers a gorgeous range of pale pink hues, blending red and white wine varietals together, ranging in color from orange to faint purple, matching many summer sunsets.
Provence, France is the largest region in France that produces Rosé. However, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece. And US states like New York, California and Virginia now produce delightful Rosés.
Flavor profile:
Because Rosé is made from such a wide variety of grapes and different production and fermentation methods, the flavor profiles vary just as greatly. One can find highly dry Provençal Rosé to sweet White Zinfandels and blushes, ranging from jammy fruits to crisp greens.
Recommendations:
Most people tend to think of Rosé as pink and sickeningly sweet, but Rosé is a top pick for me especially in the summer. I love the jam color of this Ehlers Estate Sylviane Rosé 2019 from California, and would pair it with an amazing cheese plate when it’s just too hot to cook. Or, drink it with this whole grilled fish and add summer vegetables. This delicious Grilled Peach and Halloumi Salad with Lemon-Pesto Dressing would be perfect with Two Vintners “Have a Nice Day” Rosé – 2018.
I also prefer varieties from France, like Domaines Ott Chateau de Selle Grand Cru Cotes de Provence Rose 2019 with easy chopped salads. So, Rosé all-day is a nice summer vacation option! Taste many, and see what you prefer!
Wonderful Red Summer Wines to Enjoy:
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a light bodied, medium to dry red grape varietal that can appeal to most any wine drinker, from beginner to expert. And is definitely a wonderful summer wine to enjoy. Typically fruit-forward, it has a range of foods it can pair well with. AND, it is just as delicious enjoyed on its own.
Main producers:
Burgundy, France is credited for the birth of the fickle Pinot Noir grape, where it is known as “red Burgundy”. Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, Spain and Chile also produce wonderful Pinot Noir wines. And, recently California, Oregon and Washington State have become important producers due to the fact that the grape prefers cool, coastal climates to grow.
Flavor profile:
Pinot Noir features fruit flavors, expertly mixed with herbs and spices. Typically strawberry, cherry and other ripe berry or current flavors are the base notes, layered with clove, vanilla, chocolate, mushroom, and other tastes of a forest, such as pine and oak.
Recommendations:
I love Pinot Noir anytime of year as it’s so food friendly. However, it is another wonderful summer wine to enjoy. I have recently stocked Archery Summit Winery Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017 to enjoy with the salmon I grill on hot summer nights at home. Domaine Matrot Auxey-Duresses 2016 is a lovely treat for those who’d like to keep a special bottle on hand for themselves or guests.
In our latest video, one of the dishes I featured was a Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato Basil Sauce and paired it with 2016 The Withers Pinot Noir from central coast California.
Barbera
And, my final favorite is Italian Barbera. Hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy, it is the third most planted grape in the country. Called the “people’s wine”, it is dark in color, full of body, but light in taste. The low tannins and high acidity in Barbera wines make them a great compliment for summer foods.
Flavor profile:
Blackberry, cherry, raspberry flavors are pronounced in Barbera wines. Hints of herbs, licorice and vanilla from toasted oak barrels compliment the wine before fermenting.
Recommendations:
Barbera can be enjoyed young because there is a lower alcohol content. Bava 2017 Libera (Barbera d’Asti) is approachable and savory. Good when friends pop in unexpectedly and you whip up some quick appetizers, like a charcuterie platter. I like to enjoy McManis 2018 Jamie Lynn Vineyard Estate Grown Barbera (California) with a grilled steak, served with an herb butter on a cooler Summer night.
Time to Enjoy Summer Wines
As a chef, I have a passion for learning about wine, as well as tasting them. I enjoy wine tastings as part of a small wine enthusiast group. I hope this post and this short Summer Wine Pairing video will become useful resources to help you choose wonderful summer wines.
Please feel free to reach out on our blog or Facebook and Instagram pages, if you have any questions I can help with in terms of food and wine pairings. And, don’t forget to to contact us to be put on our waiting list. We are looking forward to resuming service in the near future.
Happy eating and drinking!
Stay safe and be well,
