The Summer Wine Guide

— 2 July 2012

The Summer Wine Guide
by Dawn Davies

It may not feel like it but summer is officially here, with the odd shower. To celebrate that we have long hours of day light, Ascot and a summer of sport, I thought that a guide to the best drinks of summer would be a good idea. The key to summer drinking is light and fresh, or big and bold if you are having a BBQ. It is easy to go with the classics like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio if you want light and fresh, or Shiraz and Cabernet for big and bold. Below I have a few suggestions that would be good if you want to experiment but not stray too far from the fold.

LIGHT AND FRESH

Vermentino: Aka Rolle in France, is a medium bodied white wine that has a lovely citrus freshness and a herbaceous overtone. The best examples come from Sardinia and Corsica. It works very well with white fish dishes in a light creamy sauce.

Verdejo: An easy drinking light white wine from the North of Spain, that is reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. It tends to have a hint of tropical fruits with a peachy lift on the finish.

Cortese: If you like Gavi di Gavi you like Cortese. This crisp refreshing white wine is all about limes and greengages.

Melon de Bourgogne: This grape is responsible for all wines from Muscadet. It is light bodied and has a lemon zest, salty tang that makes it perfect with oysters. Muscadet sur lie wines tend to be fuller and more complex on the palate.

FULL BODIED PERFECT BBQ WINES

Carignan: This full bodied, beefy red wine that is packed with black hedgerow fruits is excellent with red meats. Best examples come from Spain, Sicily and the south of France.

Zinfandel: Zinfandel or Primitivo as it is known in Italy is ideal for those who like big powerful reds. It is stuffed full of red berries, cherries and kirsh. Often it is quite high in alcohol so be warned!

Barbera: This variety famously comes from Piedmont in northern Italy. It is medium bodied with a sour cherry, crunchy berry flavour and a lovely fresh finish. Perfect for lighter meats and summer truffles.

Zweigelt: This Austrian red is works very well with chicken or lamb it is full of raspberries and red berry fruits and often has a hint of pepper. It is medium bodied and some styles can be lovely chilled.

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My Top Summer Wines

EL QUINTENAL VERDEJO, CILLAR DE SILOS
£11.99

If you fancy a change from Sauvignon Blanc but like the fruity, fresh, zesty character you get look no further then Verdejo from Rueda. This one has fresh peach, apricots, floral touches and a hint of pink grapefruit on the finish.

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RODIL PALO CORTADO, EMILIO HIDALGO
£34.99

This Palo Cortado is one of the best it is balanced, elegant with a fresh almond aroma and with a fullness on the palate that astounds.

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SELFRIDGES SELECTION ENGLISH BRUT SPARKLING
£29.99

The Selfridges Sparkling English wine comes from the Gusbourne estate is based in the heart of the Kent countryside.This is one of the most exciting English wines on the scene and absolutely one to try.

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DOBLE PASTA, CIEN Y PICOS
£16.99

The wine is packed full of blackfruits, plums, blueberries and herbal notes. The tannins are supple and full; this is a wine made for BBQs.

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Email the sommelier
If you have any queries about wine, contact me at dawn.davies@selfridges.co.uk.

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