If you are a dedicated drinker of red it is time to think lighter as the summer nights continue
The mercury is rising and it is officially summer – so it is time to break out the summer wines. For those, like me, who say ‘While we enjoy all wine, red is the colour of my heart,’ the desire to find a crisp and refreshing quaff for the patio has us scrambling to our cellars or the local shop. The thought of drinking a glass of heavy red wine now feels just that, heavy. Syrah? Forget it. Super Tuscan? Super no. Cabernet Sauvignon? Are you kidding? So what are we left with?
There are hundreds of great wines out there that are perfect foils for the dog days of summer. Although there are about as many styles as there are bottles, a few common denominators exist when selecting a vino for the patio or the pool. Start with crisp acidity, throw in low alcohol content and then mix vigorously with lighter fruit flavours. The end result is a racy wine that will delight the senses and dance across the taste buds instead of plodding along like a palate attached to an anchor.
Let us start with the standbys Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. While many Chardonnays saddled with heavy oak and cream may be closer to the heavy wines we are trying to avoid, there are also numerous examples that avoid the oak and the malolactic fermentation that adds the rich and creamy feel. Young white Burgundies retain a higher level of acidity than their American counterparts, for example, and thus stay crisp and fresh instead of cloying and thick. Also look for innovative examples of Chardonnays from the New World or even progressive Greek and local wines. The result is pure fruit, a lighter mouth feel and a zippy finish.
Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favourite summer whites as the grape is naturally high in acidity and has a backbone of citrus fruit that is just wonderful on a hot summer day. Sancerres and Pouilly Fum?s from the Loire Valley in northern France have a vein of minerals and fresh cut grass that can be quite refreshing versions of the Sauvignon Blanc, while the addition of the S?millon to White Bordeaux adds a round and lush note. Sauvignon Blanc has found a fashionable home in New Zealand, where the wines are as dry as it gets, buoyed by the high-toned gooseberry aromas so common in these wines. Sauvignon Blanc from the New World is a little more ripe and round but still a fine wine when fish is the main course.
More tips next week.
Wines of the week
N/V Tihikos Moschato, Mesana Krelan Winery, Pafos Regional, Alcohol Volume 12%
A medium sweet wine form the Krelan Winery based on the Malaga varietal, which, up until in the mid nineties, was planted in abundance especially in Pafos. Basically Malaga is better known as Muscat of Alexandria and there are about 280 hectares of it. Medium intensity yellow in colour, clear, with brilliant yellow hue. Grapey and herbal on the nose, mint, ripe pear, melon and honeysuckle are the predominant aromas along with roses. Light to medium body, more raisin concentration on the palate, intense fruit of melon and peach, the taste lasts long enough in the mouth. Served at 9?C, this wine was excellent with pan-fried chicken and blue cheese sauce, and it will do well with Spanish tapas or baked fish in tomato and spicy sauce.
N/V Tihikos Maratheftiko, Mesana Krelan Winery, Paphos Regional, Alcohol Volume 13%
The Maratheftiko is kept for 12 months in oak barrels, which is evident on the nose. Deep red in colour, limpid and clear, the nose is also supported by intense red fruit – plums and blackcurrant – a touch of leather and sweet spice, vanilla and dark chocolate. Medium body, red fruit in abundance, firm tannins and medium aftertaste with the fruit lost. At 16? to 18?C, this Maratheftiko was perfectly married with roast leg of lamb infused with mixed herbs. Rest assured that this wine is ideal with your barbecue outings. Silver medal at Concours International du Vin 2005 and silver also at the 1st Cyprus Wine Competition.
