Long Weekends
Hard to believe, but we’re on the verge of another Summer season. Whether you’re staying in town or heading out, maybe to the Cape or up to Maine for the long weekend, here are some ideas about what to have to welcome in the season.
2018 Cantina Zaccagnini Dal Tralcetto Dry Rose, Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo, ($18.99), is the type of Rose you’re going to see more of this year, as Southern Italy brings its Rose wines to this country. A wild strawberry and herb aroma carry a slight balsamic edge on the nose. The palate is well rounded and juicy in feel, with delicious red cherry and strawberry flavors that are honed by bright acidity and a tangy slick of wet stone. Cherry skin astringency marks the close, extending the fruit flavors into a medium finish. This one will pair really well with summer salads, some cold chicken or a fruit and cheese platter.
Vie Di Romans 2016 Chardonnay, Friuli Isonzo DOC, ($44.99), is also from Italy and is another trend-setter; the result of a firm commitment by growers in this region to produce a Chardonnay comparable to its sisters from Napa and Burgundy. Wine Spectator says, ”Light- to medium-bodied and harmonious, with a lightly juicy, round frame for flavors of poached peach, quince paste, jasmine and pastry. Offers a creamy, spiced finish. Drink now through 2023.” …and James Suckling scored it 94 points saying, “Lemon and apple curd, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, pie crust, dried apricots and papaya. Full-bodied and very textured with a butteriness, but forthright acidity that carries this through to a creamy finish.”
This is a really complex, supple wine and it should be had with food like a Tuscan Roasted Chicken or a fresh Rainbow Trout.
On the drier side, the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are, as always, my first choice for crisp, refreshing whites with a citrus and melon blend that always goes well with any kind of seafood or salad. Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018, New Zealand, ($18.99) is a classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc which is consistently produced in a fuller, riper, softer style that develops well. This wine is clean, fresh and tropical, with fruit from several vineyards situated throughout Marlborough. You’ll definitely taste aromas of blackcurrant and gooseberry over tropical fruits and citrus with a trace of jasmine, mango, passionfruit, peach-skin and honeydew melon. Lemongrass leads to lime on the lingering and mouth-watering finish. This is a really well-structured wine for the money, and you’ll enjoy it even more with some oysters on the half shell.
If you’re in a celebratory mood and would like to formally toast the beginning of the Summer season, why not try some Pommery, NV, “Summertime”, Champagne, France, ($49.99), The Summertime vintage of the Pommery house is a Blanc de Blancs champagne, that is to say only composed of Chardonnay. Made from a blend of 10 selected wines from different terroirs of Champagne, the Summertime is a champagne with a lively nose and offers a complex champagne, highlighting the different facets of the same grape, the Chardonnay. If you haven’t had this brand before, the Summertime vintage is an unusual and ideal way to discover the Pommery style.
Enjoy the weekend!
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