For me, the wines for these occasions are definitely white and Rosé, chilled perfectly and ready for any family backyard gathering or drinks with friends.
This year my go-to style will be pale, dry, textural Rosé. This is the year of Rosé and there are so many cracking pale dry styles out in the market; Australian, French and a few other interesting ones in between. Name your favourite red variety and I bet there is a Rosé to match… and don't forget the sparkling ones too. We have just released our Rococo Premium Rosé and wowee, what a stunner. Pale pink and very pretty.
For what it's worth, here is my Summer drinks list:
- Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine whether it is from Champagne or Australia. Creamy and fine boned. Perfect. Try: Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs Brut Vertus Premier Cru
- Rosé and more rosé. Pale and dry. With or without bubbles. Need I say any more. Try: Villages Heathcote Grenache Rosé or our sparkling Rosé...Rococo Premium Rosé
- Textural Riesling with just a hint of residual sugar. A real party pleaser! Try: La Bohéme Act One Riesling
- Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. Same variety but quite different wine styles. Pinot Grigio (with Italian origins) is crisp and dry whilst Gris (French origins) tends to be more aromatic and textural. Both have a spot at my table. Try: La Bohéme Act Three Pinot Gris and Friends
- Yarra Valley Chardonnay; Classy, complex and a terrific combination with pan-fried John Dory....with fries. Try: Yarra Valley Estate Grown Chardonnay
It's also fun to have some other slightly-left-of-centre, unpronounceable wines in the fridge:
- Greco di Tufo from the Campania region of Italy and its sister act, Fiano are worth a try. Expect to see more of these wines being made in Australia in the next few years as their suitability to warm climate means a natural habitat in many wine regions of Australia.
- Assyrtiko from the sun-drenched island of Santorini. A bit hard to pronounce the name (ahs-SEER-tee-koh) but worth seeking it out. Briny with citrus overtones, bone dry. Just add sunshine.
- Vermentino (also known as Favorita). From Italy again but there are quite a few Aussie producers of this interesting wine style. Try our Vinoque Favorita this Summer... so refreshing.
We are often asked the best temp to serve wines. Very important for those warm Summer days:
- Sparkling wine (white or Rosé) should be served cold at around 6 to 10 degrees. It should be nicely chilled to retain its fine bubbles. In Summer, serve it straight from the fridge and then keep it in an ice bucket filled with ice and water.
- White wine and Rosé should be served cool (somewhere between 7 to 13 degrees). If it is too cold, you can lose the delicate aromas. Better to pull it out of the fridge a few minutes before serving. Again, keep it in an ice bucket but don't let it get too cold.
- And on very warm days, don't feel too bad about slipping an ice cube into your glass to keep your wine cool. The Wine Police won’t come to lock you up. After all it is about what you enjoy, so go ahead and enjoy it any way you like.
