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Food and Drink

Cool wines for a warm summer

We need to be more proactive about summer if we ever hope to experience a few weeks of heat and sunshine. You can buy some sunscreen and put on shorts, but maybe what's really required is a small cache of summer wines ready to be chilled and opened at the first sign of sun and a temperature that creeps above 19 C.

Call me crazy, but when the longest day of the year has come and gone and most wet coasters are still awaiting the signs of summer, we need to take action.

Today's wine picks should change your mindset and just maybe have the required effect on the weather.

The good news is we have a terrific selection of lighter, brighter, fresher wines to choose from in the British Columbia market and, frankly, it's never been better or cheaper.

The key, as always, is acidity which brings freshness and less alcohol, allowing the wine to express its delicate floral, mineral notes that make a summer white, red or rosé a thing of beauty in the glass.

We begin with Gassier 2010 Rosé Sables d'Azur $16 from Provence. Many would say the quintessential rosé come from Provence, and its pale pink "eye-of-the-partridge" colour draws you magically toward the glass. In this case, you'll discover wonderful floral, earthy, citrus, mineral and cherries aromas and flavours with a fresh, soft, easy-sipping palate. It's the perfect patio pink. Serve it solo or use its firm, dry, citrus, cherry flavours to accompany grilled fish or summer salads. Serious value.

Perhaps the wine category best positioned to make a bit of noise with consumers this summer is the white wines of the Rhone Valley. Trading off the popularity of Rhone reds which are very hot at the moment, the curious mix of grenache blanc, bourboulenc, marsanne, roussanne, viognier and others, all in varying degrees of percentages, is finding traction with food lovers.

Case in point: the Louis Bernard 2009 Côtes du Rhône Blanc Villages Blanc $15 . Expect an expressive floral, honey, apricot, lemon and quince-scented nose to bolster its juicy, round, slightly fat palate as well as honey, pear, apricot and butter flavours. This is another white wine seemingly made for the wealth of seafood we have available to us on the coast. Crazy value if you like dry wine.

What can you say about a wine called Smart Grasshopper 2010 Grüner Veltliner $13 ? It's a fun little wine with a great story.

First off, grüner is for wine aficionados, meaning it's bone dry and fairly austere, but the minerality and mere whiff of stony fruit make it fun to drink with oysters and shell fish. The grasshopper is clever enough to select some leaves to eat and leave others alone. In this case, they don't like grüner veltliner leaves and leave them alone. To a wine grower, that is one smart grasshopper.

Locally, the latest edition of the Quails' Gate 2010 Chasselas-Pinot Blanc-Pinot Gris $18 is as solid as previous years. The nose is crisp, clean and tart with green apple, green peas and soapy/floral, mineral, citrus aromas. The attack is ultra-fresh and clean with more floral, pear, grapefruit and honey flavours. Simple but refreshing summer sipper for the patio and assorted sushi. Load up.

Riesling and summer are often inseparable. The warmth of the days and the freshness of riesling just seem to melt into each other and one of the best candidates is the Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling 2009 $19 grown on the steep-sloped vineyards of the Mosel. Expect a fresh, juicy, round palate with plenty of elegance and slightly sweet flavour with creamy acidity and lots of granny smith apple, lime, honey, orange, slate and pineapple flavours. Its flavours only exceed the variety of foods that pair so well with riesling. Think Thai, Korean, Chinese, barbecue and more.

There was a time when I would never recommend a Beaujolais from France, but the gamay-based red, especially in the latter half of the '00s, has really jumped in quality. To wit, a delicious Chateau de Pierreux Brouilly 2009 $20 from the base of Mont Brouilly in the Beaujolais region. An impressive vintage, this yields a delicious ready-to-drink red brimming with floral red fruit aromas and flavours of spicy black cherries and blueberries. Fine complexity and class. A real winner at 13.5 per cent alcohol. Grilled chicken on the barbecue would be a great summer match.

Tedeschi is considered a top producer of Soave and this cork-finished Tedeschi Soave Classico 2009 $18 delivers. One can only imagine how it would sing under screwcap. From the "Classico" region in the heart of Soave in northeastern Italy comes this bright, citrus, almond affair with twist of sophistication. Made from 100 per cent garganega often picked late for ripeness, it's a wonderful patio wine. Try it with a plate of raw vegetables and creamy dip.

Okay, red wine fans can now relax - we also have three barbecue picks that can easily double as fun sippers on the patio.

First up is the Jean Bousquet Malbec Reserva 2010 $20 made from organically grown grapes. The nose is typically rich and spicy with hints of savoury carrot. The attack is supple and ripe if slightly alcoholic on the palate. Classic malbec for this price range and one of the few made with organic fruit.

Bonarda always has plenty of colour and in the case of the Argento Reserva Bonarda 2010 $15 it also comes with a fresh, floral raspberry scent. The flavour is similar with a savoury note and jammy texture. The finish shows a touch of vanilla from its ageing in American oak. The fruit is grown at Rivadavia, Mendoza at 600-700 m above sea level, lending it an unexpected level of finesse in the mouth. Great value.

Still on the organic path is the Yalumba Organic Shiraz 2010 $17 from Australia that, thankfully, is pleasant on the nose with plummy, red fruit and floral undertones. The attack is dry with sweetish, ripe fruit with plenty of peppery notes and bits of blueberries and milk chocolate. An attractive wine for grilled meats and summer. All we need now is a little sunshine.

 

Anthony Gismondi is a West Vancouver-based freelance wine writer who travels the globe is search of terroir-based wine.