?If ever I would leave you, it wouldn?t be in summer; seeing you in summer I could never let you go?? Yep, that?s about how I feel about wines this time of the year. I need wines just like I need a good bootlegger. Summers in India aren?t exactly what they used to be. But then speaking to the last generation, nothing is, not even corruption, what it used to be. But if I need a reason to soak in some wine, a soaring mercury is just as good as any other.
Wines should not just be enjoyed with food, but more to suit ones mood. That?s what I truly believe in. Sure, when having a steak, one should not feel insanely inclined towards a simple white, but beyond that, one will always enjoy what one feels like drinking. This article is dedicated to what wine to pack in a picnic basket.
So what exactly does one want to think of drinking when the hot sun melts the tar off the streets and one can almost feel ones brains broiling inside the skull? Nice, chilled, lemon-based drinks, iced teas/coffees, come rushing to ones mind, in glasses full of ice; so refreshing even the air seems to cling around it and weeps with joy onto the outside of the glass?Refreshing, that?s it, we found the key word.
We are looking for wines that will put the wind back in our drooping sails and have us cruising. We are obviously talking about absolutely acid-driven wines, plenty of citrus notes, light-&-clean-on-the-mouth type wines. Well from all that one can easily see that whatever we are about to imbibe, we will be chilling the pants off that bottle. Such chilling will unfortunately take away some of the tactile characteristics of the wine. So don?t go digging deep into your cellar for an ideal summer wine. Buy wines that will not require you to reach deep into your pockets. A simple wine, preferably not too old, will do the job and do it rather well.
Some people may be married to red wines, but to sit around an evening and drink to help anoint a chat, nothing beats the lighter shades of wine.
When it comes to soothing the system, sparkling wines are unanimous winners and ros? come in a close second. Any good sparkling wine is ideal; we don?t really need to do champagne. But then, we don?t really need to wear clothes either. Californian sparkling wines are many and good, Cava from Spain and Asti from Italy are pretty neat too. If one can, one should try getting their paws on some semi-sparkling wines. They don?t run the mouth over with acid bubbles and some people may just prefer that. Also, how many people really get to say, ?That?s not a sparkling wine, it?s a Petillant (French) or a Frizzante (Italian)!? Snob value for sure.
Ros?s are also a very good choice. Chilled to the bone, they are best enjoyed with friends and simple foods?pizzas, pastas, and salads. From Californian Blush wines (with some residual sugar) to Loire valley Ros?, from Tavel Ros? (most famous French ros?) to Mateus (Portuguese) ros??there are quite a few choices and as long as one chills the tartrates off them, one will never know the subtle difference.
Whites can?t be far behind. I suggest trying Sauvignon Blanc. Or perhaps the more floral Chenin Blanc and Muscat varietals. If one has ?sources?, one may try procuring some Pinot Blanc or Pinot Grigio (or Gris) wines. A classic heat-retreat is a chilled ?Soave? from Italy or a ?Gentil? from Alsace. I would suggest Chardonnay, but heavily oaked versions aren?t exactly light and vivacious and that is sadly what we usually get to see. Any wine one tries would be best if found in its un-oaked version as that way it will deliver more of the delicate, fruity/floral aromas.
Reds are not to be ignored just because it is summers. Simple Beaujolais wines find healthy use this time of the year. An earthy Pinot Noir is also exciting with food. A heavy red will be enjoyable as always, as long as it accompanies a rich meal in cooled salons where it is man-controlled 18?C all the year round.
To conclude, alcohol is always a stress on the kidneys and more so in summers. Too much of any wine will just spoil the good time, and possibly ones stomach. Drink in moderation and courier the extra wine over to me.
?The writer is a sommelier