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Light, refreshing wines
beat July heat

Meet a wine master Brian K. Julyan, chief executive of the Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide, will host a talk-story session at noon Tuesday at Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas for wine professionals interested in beginning the master sommelier certification process. Cost is $25. To attend, call Chuck Furuya, 533-4476, by Monday.

Although it doesn't seem as sweltering this July as in years past, it's still hot. So, here are some wine recommendations to beat the July heat.

Moscato D'Asti, La Spinetta "Quaglia": This has to be one of my all-time favorite wines for cooling off. It is a fizzy, slightly sweet, deliciously fruity white from the rolling hills of Northwest Italy. So cooling, thirst-quenching and wonderfully refreshing, it's like biting into a cold lychee, but without the gnarly skin and somewhat bitter seed.

After a hot day baking on the beach, sip an ice-cold glass of this nectar. You'll see it clearly is the remedy for the summer swelter. At roughly $21 a bottle, Moscato d'Asti does not get better than this.

2003 Domaine de Lafage "Cote d'Est": Here is a dry, remarkably light and refreshing white wine from the Catalan, a sub-region of southern France located near Spain, where the Pyrenees Mountains dip into the picturesque, blue Mediterranean. Summers there can be as scorching as ours.

The locals quench their thirst with these light and refreshing, café-styled wines, serving them with fresh seafood. I would do the same here -- with pan-fried akule or even light pasta dishes with shrimp or fish. At less than $10, this Catalan white is a sensational buy.

2002 Vin Gris, Scherrer: Those who have visited the Mediterranean in summer know that pink wine is totally en vogue. Carafes are served in every café or bistro. Well-made rosés make food taste better and cool down the body. Can you imagine, instead, trying to gulp down a big, oaky, California chardonnay?

But good rosé does not have to come from the Mediterranean. During a recent trip to California, I re-tasted Scherrer's pink vin gris (actually translated to mean "gray" wine). It was reminiscent of the very best I have had from southern France and Italy. Unlike most of its California peers, the Scherrer is dry, crisp and effortlessly light. Minerality adds to its incredible refreshing nature. Serve it well-chilled and -- at roughly $15 -- serve it often for the remainder of the summer.

2003 Pinot Bianco, Cantina Terlan: This is one of the most riveting white wines I have come across in some time -- incredibly light and refreshing; the perfect aperitif. The crisp acidity stimulates the palate and revs up the gastronomic engine.

You will also be amazed by this wine's ability to work with a myriad ethnic foods, from Mediterranean to Asian to local. This is a "food" wine if there ever was one. At less than $20, it will not break the bank, either.

Lambrusco, DeMedici "Concerto": Are you ready for a fizzy, fruit-driven red wine? Served well-chilled, this lambrusco is absolutely terrific for beating the heat, a welcome partner to barbecued foods such as ribs and hamburgers. It is the perfect summer red for the adventurous.

It's a bit hard to find -- check specialty wine stores or place a special order. But at less than $20 a bottle, it is truly worth the hassle of tracking it down.

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