Often I’m asked about what wine is mandatory to stock for late summer going into fall?
Many people incorrectly assume that warm weather wines must whites and only be whites, but, trust me, warm weather wines come in all colors and flavors, including my perennial favorite, Rosé.
I love Rosés, in my book, you can’t go wrong with Rosé. Often made from high-acid, mineral-driven grapes, they tend to go well with summer-fresh produce and are great to drink with or while you’re waiting for your food to arrive. Another plus for Rosé is it makes a good transition into fall’s cooler climate and pairs beautifully with root vegetables.
There are many beautiful dry and crisp Rosés, the best known seem to come from Provence, in Southern France. One of my favorites from this region has recently undergone a name change by the new winery owners. Not only has this wine changed names, it now sports a new bottle shape as well. Once known as Chateau Miraval Pink Floyd because the legendary rock group Pink Floyd recorded a portion of their famed 1979 album The Wall at Miraval’s private recording studio.
New owners, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, took care of the old vines, terraced vineyards, and organic farming that form the basis for the salmon-hued Chateau Miraval, Cotes de Provence Rosés “Pitt & Jolie”, 2012. This refined and elegant full-bodied Rosé is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, offering pure flavors of dried red berry, red cherry, honeydew and tangerine, with a focused finish layered with flint and spice notes. (Around $20)
Another delicious Rosé from Provence is Chateau Beaulieu Coteaux d’Aix-En-Provence Rose 2012. Situated in the town of Rognes, Chateau Beaulieu’s 494-acre vineyard lies in the heart of on old volcanic crater at an altitude of 1300 feet. This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah. Each grape variety is vinified separately in stainless steel tanks to preserve its natural character and is aged two to three months before blending.
Chateau Beaulieu offers a subtle, yet expressive bouquet of red currants, wild strawberry with notes of juicy ripe peaches and pear. The crisp fruit flavors echo the nose. This is a balanced, elegant wine excellent as an aperitif and pairing with grilled fish, crustaceans, and fruit-based desserts. Serve slightly chilled. ( Around $12)
I can never pass up a Spanish Rosé and a current favorite is: Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Rosado 2012 from Rioja, Spain, 2012. This pink Rioja offers a great value and can be found under $12 in most shops. A blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha, this wine offers aromas of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, rose petals and a very slight hint of licorice. The flavors of this fresh wine follow suit, there is a balance of red berry fruit, acidity, alcohol and a very generous finish. This wine makes a match for white meat (chicken and pork), vegetables, pasta and a variety of cold cuts.
To transition into fall’s cooler weather and darker reds, there are two regions that offer astounding values: Chianti and Rioja.
Starting with Chianti, a region in Tuscany, you’ll find the term “Chianti” is a broad catch-all phrase that doesn’t convey the range of styles offered today. The old straw-clad fiasco bottle that held shrill, acidic Chianti is long gone and in it’s place you’ll find some wines with character and great values.
One such wine is Antinori Chianti Superiore Santa Cristina 2011. I enjoy most of the wines made by this producer and this one, a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot is a good value running around $15 (or less).
Santa Cristina was originally introduced in 1946 as a Chianti Classico, but with the passage of the 1984 DOCG laws requiring lower vineyard yields, Chianti Classico grapes became so complex and rich that they required more aging than this fruity fresh wine needed to maintain its style and character. In 1987, Santa Cristina moved away from the Chianti Classico designation, and with the 1994 vintage Antinori began including 10% Merlot to the blend to add soft, open fruit nuances to the wine.
Antinori Chianti Superiore Santa Cristina 2011 is a classic, ruby-red, well-structured Chianti, offering aromas of red berry fruit (red currant and cherry), with vanilla and floral hints of violets. As the wine breathes ,whiffs of vanilla from the oak aging waft from the glass. The medium-bodied palate is well-balanced and complex, with sweet tannins and ripe red fruit notes upfront, followed by typical spicy sensations from the oak palate and more savory flavors lingering on the finish.
For me, when it comes to red, Rioja continues to offer the best values in ready-to-drink, age-able wines. At a tasting earlier this year, I absolutely fell in love with Vivanco Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Reserva—my tasting notes had five exclamation points,
For just under $20, you get a deep, dark cherry red wine. The grapes come from vineyards in Briones and Haro, Rioja Alta, where the average age of the vines is 35 years. With aromas of spicy oak, this wine has everything I and any Rioja fan would expect: mature black plum and red cherry followed by some balsamic and eucalyptus notes. There is a wonderful balance and blending of the aromas and flavors—from the oaky toffee elements in the nose (vanilla and marshmallow), to the long-lasting black cherry, sweet currant, dried herbs, mushrooms, and a minerally touch of limestone that race across your taste buds. This wine has intensity and balance, soft, round tannins, and a long finish with hints of toast and licorice. If possible, decant before serving.
Both of these wines are perfect with appetizers, any cheese, pizza, root vegetables and red and grilled meat. To bring out their soft fruitiness, try chilling them for about 20 minutes before serving.
There you have my five delicious finds to take us from summer’s heat to the beginning of fall.
Wine knowledge with attitude…Wineitudes 