Warm Weather Wines

Al Roker is a vision of estival joy.

 

Here in New York, we've been gifted an exceptionally beautiful Spring.  America's most sartorially literate weatherman is predicting sunny temperatures in the high 60s and 70s for this weekend and the weather shows no signs of changing.  Hopes are high for a long and pleasant season, fair-weather revolutionaries notwithstanding.  When temperatures are this mild for this long, my thoughts invariably turn towards leisurely afternoons spent in the company of good people and good wine.  Below is a list of ten of my favorite wines, in no particular order, to serve with a slight chill and enjoy outdoors.  My apologies in advance for all the bullshit wine jargon I'm about to subject you to.

Name:     Croteaux "Jolie"
Style:       Rosé
Varietal:  Cabernet Franc
Region:   North Fork of Long Island, New York, USA
Vintage:  2011
Price:      $25

This is currently my favorite rosé on the market; it has a complexity of fruit that is quite rare for a rosé, but where a tannic jolt on the finish might be expected from such fruit, there is instead crisp minerality.  Really unique and interesting.  I have not seen this in stores, but a trip out to Croteaux's tasting barn and beautiful garden on the North Fork is most certainly worthwhile.  My understanding from the owner is that there are already less than 100 cases available, so jump on it while you still can.
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Name:    Miguel Torres Viña Esmeralda
Style:      White
Varietal:  Muscat, Gewurtztraminer
Region:   Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Vintage:  2010
Price:      $13

Great value and surprisingly dry for the varietals employed.  This wine displays aromatic notes of stone fruit towards the front of the palette that give way to a medium-dry finish.
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Name:    J. Hofstätter Metodo Classico Brut
Style:     Sparkling (White)
Varietal:  Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero
Region:   Termeno, Alto Adige, Italy
Vintage:  Non-Vintage
Price:      €18

I have only ever drunk this wine once, but it has left a lasting impression.  When traveling in Alto Adige exactly one year and one week ago, I tried this and was truly pleased.  It is the best Italian sparkling white I've had to date and a perfect expression of the mountainous mineral-rich terrain in which it is grown. Intoxicating (yes, it'll make you drunk) floral aromatics break into a bone-dry minerality that lingers long after you've finished.
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Name:    Ocone "Cerere" Coda di Volpe
Style:      White
Varietal:  Coda di Volpe
Region:   Taburno, Campania, Italy
Vintage:  2008
Price:      $16

Coda di volpe meaning "fox tail" in Italian, was so named for the appearance of its grape bunches.  This grape has been used in making wine since at least the time of Pliny the Elder when he featured it in his Naturalis Historia published circa 77AD.  The flavors of this indigenous Campanian wine begin on floral aromatics and edge into subtle citrus flavors; the wine finishes nicely with balanced acidic chalky flavors.  Pairs exquisitely well with fish.
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Name:    Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Rosé
Style:      Sparkling (Rosé)
Varietal:  Pinot Nero, Chardonnay
Region:   Franciacorta, Lombardia, Italy
Vintage:  Non-Vintage
Price:      $22

A spectacular value as far as sparkling rosés go.  Dry, delicately yeasty and balanced fruit yield to a sharp mineral finish.  I have elaborated on Franciacorta elsewhere on this blog.
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Name:    Lobster Point
Style:     White
Varietal:  Sauvignon Blanc
Region:  Marlborough, New Zealand
Vintage:  2010
Price:      $13

Do not believe anybody who tells you that all Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand taste the same.  This is a fun wine that is less smokey and lighter bodied than most NZ Sauv Blancs; it, quite strangely, has strong undercurrents of jalapeño, without the burn of course- unless you choose to sprinkle some capsaicin in your wine, which I cannot recommend.  Great to pair with a homemade mango salsa and tortilla chips.
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Name:    Vignetti Massa "Derthona" Timorasso
Style:      White
Varietal:  Timorasso
Region:   Piemonte, Italy
Vintage:  2009
Price:     $25

Timorasso is an indigenous white grape from the Piemonte region of Italy.  This grape was brought back from the brink of obscurity, and possible extinction by Walter Massa, the above producer.  The wine displays a sweet mineral profile on a medium-full body. Undercurrents of honeysuckle make this a really pleasant wine to enjoy in the warmth of the sun. _____________________________________________________________

Name:    Ca' Montanari Opera Pura Lambrusco
Style:      Sparkling (Red)
Varietal:  Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro
Region:   Castelvetro, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Vintage:  2009
Price:      $16

Most people are highly skeptical when confronted with a glass of sparkling red wine.  Most people are also stupid.  Dry and acidic, this wine features overtones of dark fruit and subtle undercurrents of tobacco.  The bubbles are very, very fine and result in an almost creamy foam with notes of strawberry.
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Name:    Elena Walch Pinot Bianco
Style:      White
Varietal:  Pinot Bianco
Region:   Termeno, Alto Adige, Italy
Vintage:  2010
Price:      $16

Elena Walch is one of my favorite wine producers in the world.  Her pinot bianco has delicate floral aromatics and showcases elegant mineral notes, again indicative of Alto Adige.  This wine pairs very nicely with vegetables and salads, provided the vinegar isn't overbearing.
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Name:     Broadbent Vinho Verde
Style:      White
Varietal:  Alvarinho, Loureiro
Region:   Minho, Portugal
Vintage:  2011
Price:      $12

Vinho verde of any kind is classic summer drinking.  This example is extremely light-bodied, low in alcohol and lightly effervescent.  It displays modest citrus notes and a pleasant acidity.