Winophilia

What wine have you and your family been enjoying most during the recent warm weather—and what, if anything, do you serve it with? I’m most interested in the wine category or the variety since Winophilia users may not be able to find exactly the bottle you’re enjoying, but please name the specific example you’re drinking right now. (Keep in mind that people are thirsty out there: they’re looking for ideas! Perhaps you have recently made a new discovery that might help them.)

Jeremy Seysses, Domaine Dujac and Triennes (France). These days, should the sun grace us with an appearance, I am loving Manzanilla, more specifically Manzanilla La Gitana from Vinícola Hidalgo. It is phenomenal with all manner of salads, tomato, cucumber, fennel, etc. It’s also great with grilled seafood (and who doesn’t enjoy grilling whenever the opportunity arises? There is a bit of Cro-Magnon in every one of us). It’s superlative with barely grilled prawns. Spectacular with gazpacho. Yummy with chorizo or merguez sausages.

And it is shamefully underpriced. There is no going wrong with Manzanilla. What drink of equivalent complexity can you find for the money? Those slightly saline aromas, the almonds, the iodine. Yet crisp, fresh, long, subtle, complex. Do I have enough in the cellar?  That’s my top recommendation.

Other things I am enjoying this summer are far more conventional: rosé, Mosel riesling, Loire whites. But I enjoy those all year long anyway. That said, I could love Manzanilla all year long too.

Andy Erickson, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Arietta (California). We have recently been enjoying De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc 2008 from Stellenbosch, South Africa.  It comes from 40-year-old chenin blanc vines on a beautiful hillside. The wine is fresh and fruit-driven, but has a level of richness and complexity that I find very impressive. It’s an excellent summertime wine, but also a serious wine with plenty of depth and power, and one that satisfies my need, as a Californian, for a wine with a certain amount of muscle.

Philippe Cambie, consulting enologist (France). When the outside temperature is very high, I drink pink wines: Château Puech Haut Prestige Rosé Coteaux du Languedoc 2009 or Domaine Saint-André de Figuières Côtes de Provence Rosé 2009. With roasted fish and vegetables on the plancha.

Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Winery (California). My family and I have been spending much of our summer at the New Jersey shore. While it is hot and humid here compared to California wine country, it is certainly not Moscow hot, and we usually have an ocean breeze to make things more tolerable. Needless to say, as rehydration is important, we drink a lot of white wine in the evening after beach time. This takes many forms. Chardonnay mostly in California form, sauvignon blanc in many forms, riesling in many forms, and occasionally a form of grüner veltliner or gewurztraminer. It would seem, however, that the wine we are having the most exploratory fun with at the moment is albariño.

Ever since I followed the fermentation of a tank of these grapes that were a joint project of my son Morgan and Michael Havens, I have become a big fan. In the middle of fermentation the aromas that come wafting off the tank are of ambrosia salad. Yes, I mean that mixed fruit salad with maraschino cherries and little marshmallows. This would be a little offputting if this was the way the fragrance remained, but by the end of fermentation the marshmallow has resolved itself into scents of fragrant flowers, citrus and spice. Clean, fresh and frequently very tangy is the way that I tend to describe these wines.

The majority of these wines come from the Galician area of northwest Spain. The best-known region, and indeed the region that has done the most to make this grape available as a varietal, is Rías Baixas. The best examples I have had come from this area, though the grape is now grown in a number of places like the cooler-climate areas in California and Australia. This grape was once thought to be a riesling clone from Alsace and it is easy to see why. With its apricot, peach and floral perfume that is backed up by firm acidity, albariño makes the perfect hot summer wine.

Marc Beyer, Léon Beyer (France). Champagne Diebolt-lValois Blanc de Blanc 2002 with a large choice of antipasta.

Andrea Felluga, Livio Felluga (Italy). Sorry if we follow the tradition in Friuli, but we drink a lot of Friulano in the summer, served with anything—or just with nothing.

Jim Maresh, Arterberry Maresh (Oregon). Rosés under 12% and Spain’s txakolinas.

Yves Cuilleron, Domaine Yves Cuilleron (France). When I drink a wine during the warm weather, I choose a fresh wine with acidity and not too much heaviness.  Recently, I needed a red wine and I chose a red Sancerre from Domaine Vacheron. For the summer, I think it was a good choice.

From this appellation, I also like Domaine Alphonse Mellot, Vincent Pinard and Lucien Crochet—all these wineries produce very good red Sancerre in addition to their whites.

Cris Cherry, Villa Creek (California). I always look forward to the summer season as it gives one the opportunity to taste the first wines from the previous vintage, usually rosés and snappy whites. There never seems to be enough of these wines in the fridge so it is a constant search for new fun wines. Below are a few of my recent favorites and what we have enjoyed them with.

Domaine de Fontsainte Corbières 2009. This is a straightforward rosé from the Languedoc region in southern France. Notes of strawberry and minerals with a nice level of acidity. Served with our own Maha Estate pastured jamón.

Movia Ribolla Slovenia 2007. Ribolla is new to me and seems to be growing a following here in the states. There is very little planted in California, with just a handful of winemakers playing with it. I got turned on to this last week when visiting some friends in Napa. This is a wine that works well as your evening starter. A bit of richness from what I think is barrel aging followed by a strong backbone of acidity. We paired it with heirloom tomatoes with local chèvre and a marcona almond romesco.

Broadbent Vinho Verde Portugal Non-Vintage. This grape may be the most underrated summer wine around. It is the perfect summer quaffer: fresh, nice acidity, low alcohol, and just a spot of effervescence. It pairs well with everything from oysters to grilled bread, charcuterie and cheese.

The beauty of these wines is that none of them are over $20. With the kids out of school, the pool warm and the BBQ hot, there is always a group of friends around to enjoy wine with.

Louis Barruol, Château de Saint Cosme (France). My pick at the moment for warm days is Clos Sainte Madeleine Cassis white. It is a blend of marsanne, clairette and ugni blanc. It pairs very well with melon, rouget and asparagus. Cassis is a really cold corner by the Mediterranean sea. The wine is so fresh that it can be confused in a blind tasting with a great Sancerre.

Josh Bergström, Bergström Wines (Oregon). Since we love to take advantage of good outdoor cooking in the spring, summer and fall here, we like to drink wines that go best with grilled meat dishes and fresh vegetable salads. For that reason we are drinking a lot of rosé right now and my personal favorites are coming from Bandol in Southern France. But summer sipping doesn’t always have to be cold and pink. With barbecued meat dishes, I really enjoy a Northern Rhône from St. Joseph, Cornas or Crozes-Hermitage or a cru Beaujolais with a slight chill on it (below cellar temperature) to pair with great grilled ribs, steaks, sausages and chicken while eating on the patio. Now I’ve done it…..I’m hungry again.