megram - Index

megram - desummer - Index

Summer
Wines
Sip and Sample
Some of the Best
BY WAYNE WALKER
Summer is here! And like anywhere
else, Ottawa indulges in the warm
weather pleasures of matching food
and drink at home, on the trails, in the
parks, beside the barbeque and on the
patio. It’s a great time for wine drinkers
who want their wines to enhance their
summer lifestyle, just like the summer
foods they are eating.
There are some special qualities to
the wines we like to drink in the warm
weather. The warmth and fullness of a
Shiraz, a Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon
or a California Zinfandel don’t quite
hold the same appeal in July as they do
in February, unless of course we are
elbow bending beside the smoky aromas
of a big, thick New York strip loin at
a sunset barbeque. Light, cool refreshment
defines satisfaction in summer.
That, in a nutshell, is what we want
from summer wine.
why summer wines?
1. Thirst quenching and refreshing are
higher priorities for satisfaction in
warm, humid temperatures (instead of
the warm full-bodied feeling of winter
contentment).
2. The weight and texture of our foods
and our drinks are lighter in summer.
3. Pleasant aromas and flavours of summer
are nurtured by the freshness of
blossoms, fruit and new growth (aromas
usually only in muted, preserved
states in winter).
4. Cool drinks to remedy summer heat
and humidity are a practised pleasure.
5. We want portability in our wines so
they can refresh our mobile summer
lifestyle, even if only out into our own
backyard.
Thirst quenching and refreshing
are paramount in a summer wine. That
means high acidity and little or no tannins.
White and Rosé wines offer the
best profiles for achieving these satisfactions.
As well, they offer lively aromas
and fruit flavours. Notwithstanding
these benefits, they deliver on lighter
textures and weights and are best served
chilled (6°C to 12°C). This gives them
many of the summer desirables. As an
added advantage, they are more versatile
than most reds when it comes to
food pairing. A French Sancerre,
Chablis or Chenin Blanc would be great
choices, as would Italian Verdicchio or
Dolcetto, Portuguese Vinho Verde,
Austrian Grüner Veltliner or Spanish
Albariño. When these wines are available,
they are great ways to quench and
refresh. Their Sparkling cousins
Ottawa Page 4 Due West/Due East Magazine • Summer 2008