Updated July 15, 2016
How do we love summer? Let us count the wines. Dive in to great summer sips that our experts picked with our 20% off Top 10 Wine Sale. Valid 7/20-7/26/16. While supplies last. No sale in OH by law. Sale prices not legally available in all states. No additional discounts.
Summer is here — cheers! With summer’s long days comes endless possibilities. I love pairing drinks with occasions, and with so many adventures ahead this summer, there’s no way I’m sticking to just one. Luckily, Whole Foods Market made my wine choices easy with its Top 10 Wines. I have one for every situation. Here’s what I’ll be drinking this summer and when:
Presto Sparkling Cuveé
Picnic perfect
Apple flavors abound in these cute little cans of bubbly. Easy to toss in a picnic basket or hiking backpack and enjoy in the scenic spot of your choosing. Just add your favorite picnic fare (potato salad, cold fried chicken and hard cheeses for me!).
Oya Ponte Sauvignon Blanc
Long weekend, just-this-once lunchtime wine
Warm tropical fruit flavors mingle with a touch of spice up front. Ripe, sweet citrus and hints of red grapefruit move to passion fruit and melon in the mid-palate. Pour and enjoy with a lunch of Kaltbach Cave-Aged Le Gruyère AOP cheese, seared scallops, chilled cucumber soup, grilled zucchini and veggie and fruit kabobs. Shhh, I won’t tell!
Broadbent Vinho Verde
Poolside sipper
Vibrant green apple and fresh citrus aromas tinged with floral notes and a classic effervescence lends frothy liveliness to the body. Be poolside fancy by pairing with seafood favorites such as ceviche, crab salad, shrimp Caesar salad, lobster roll or barbecue shrimp.
Bieler Père et Fils Rosé
Kick off vacation
This bright and dynamic rosé offers a nice undercurrent of acidity from beginning to finish. Open a bottle and enjoy with Isigny Ste. Mère Bonhomme Brie, swordfish, mussels, clams, gumbo, bouillabaisse and charcuterie to start vacation off right!
Andover Estate Chardonnay
Boat day/beach day best bet
Aromas of pineapple, Meyer lemon and pear shine in this pale gold gem and counterpoint nicely with a creamy oak-aged butteriness. After a long day on the beach or the boat, enjoy a healthy pour with Seaside Cheddar, crab, chicken salad, turkey avocado burgers, charcuterie, fruit tarts or pretty much anything else that tastes like summer!
Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano
Double date pasta night
Intensity and elegance meet in this dark purple red. Earthy rusticity evokes evenings in Tuscany. Invite a couple or two over for the double date night of the summer and whip up fresh pasta. Best enjoyed with Catamount Hills Cheddar, lasagna, pasta with Bolognese sauce, meatballs, tomatoes, red meat, barbecue and ricotta ravioli.
Macedon Pinot Noir
Late night date night under the stars
This wine boasts earth, spice, dark cherry and dried currant aromas and robust flavors of sassafras, strawberry and wildflowers. Whether you dine out on the roof or the back porch, enjoy with the one you love and pair with Mons St. Nuage cheese, king salmon, prawns wrapped in prosciutto, duck dumplings, wild mushroom risotto, mushroom gnocchi for an evening of summer romance.
Autoritas Cabernet Sauvignon
Barbecue bold
Ripe cherry aromas mingle with sweet spices, vanilla and chocolate. This wine has a juiciness integrated with touches of oak and a tannic whisper. It’s silky, well balanced, approachable and friendly - great for a barbecue with family or the whole block! Enjoy with seared rib-eye steak, grilled pork kabobs, barbecue ribs, Manhattan clam chowder or cioppino. Afterwards, you may want to run through the sprinklers a time or two.
Globerati Tempranillo
Game night
Ripe cherry and leather flavors with big red fruit notes accompany subtle tannins that balance nicely with the mild, smooth finish. Go big with pairings such as lamb chops,pizza, paella, tapas and Manchego cheese that everyone will love. Game on!
Valravn Zinfandel
Family reunion
Flavors of wild strawberry, blackberry jam and just a touch of peppery licorice. Freshness, weight and complexity born of 50- to 100-year-old zinfandel vines. Memorable flavors for a memorable gathering. Dine on Borough Market Farmhouse Cheddar, honey barbecued chicken, grilled veggies, cheeseburgers, roast pork with a berry glaze or spicy pizza.
What other summer traditions do you think need a wine pairing?
