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By The Glass By Roberto Viernes |
Stylish wines hit
the spot on hot
isle summer days
These super-hot Hawaiian summer days have put me on the quest for REFRESHMENT. Summer, especially in Hawaii, is not conducive to drinking a lot of BIG red wines with their huge amounts of alcohol, tannin and extract -- the wines that usually win the big scores. I'm looking more for freshness, vivacity and elegance. I've found several wines able to quench my thirst without making me feel tired and worn after just a few sips.My first find is a wonderful German Riesling. Yes, it is sweet, but just slightly; I would not use it for dessert. Toni Jost's 2001 Bacharacher Hahn Riesling Kabinett ($14) is really a treat. (You don't have to be able to pronounce it to enjoy it!) It has a beautiful aroma of the ripest pears, apricot and apples. It flows over the palate like a wispy cloud, leaving a long trail of tropical fruits and minerals for complexity. With just a light, refreshing sweetness and balancing acidity, it provides perfect drinking for a pool party or accompaniment to spicy marinated shrimp on the grill. If you're lucky, you can still find the 1999 version of this wine, which has even more complexity and depth.
Depth is not something usually associated with rosés, which is why my next pick is the 2002 L'Uvaggio di Giacomo California Barbera Rosato ($13). This rosé is based on the famous Italian variety of barbera blended with some nebbiolo. Made by Jim Moore, formerly of La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi, this wine possesses a ton of complexity. The scent is of an exuberant spiced berry salad! The flavors also include rich berry accents with a roundness and rich mouth feel without the heaviness of high alcohol. This is great for a picnic with antipasti, olives, salamis and tapenade or your favorite Salade Nicoise.
Speaking of favorites, one of my favorite Italian wine producers is Giuseppe Quintarelli. The cognoscenti consider him the leading producer of valpolicella in the Veneto. His 2000 Primofiore ($26) is one of those reds that -- because of its intensity of flavor, balance and complexity -- begs you to take another sip. The scent reminds me of dried cassis laced with flowers and spice. It dispenses with heaviness and overt alcohol, leaving a refreshing acidity and well-integrated tannin. It has a velvety texture that would pair well with herb-roasted fowl or a pork loin stuffed with raisins, mushrooms and spinach with a cranberry or plum dressing. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!
And now for dessert. Elio Perrone's Bigaro ($13) is an exotic blend of moscato (white) and brachetto (red). Each grape on its own produces a deliciously sweet frizzante (semi-sparkling) wine. But together they produce a remarkable rosé that has aromas of sweet, luscious strawberries and roses. The wine explodes on the palate with a shower of sweet berries and candy. The sweetness and effervescence are wonderfully refreshing after a long meal or a hot day of work. I would pair it with fresh fruits and tropical sorbets.
And here's one more "hot" tip: Cool your wines, whether white or red. It's nice to have red wines just a touch cool, 65 to 70 degrees -- not cold. Leave the bottle in the refrigerator for half an hour to 45 minutes. The cool temperature mutes the alcohol, bringing out more of the fruit aroma and flavor.
Stay cool, enjoy and maintain. Cheers!
Roberto Viernes is wine educator for Southern Wine and Spirits.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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