Pleasing summer wines tend to offer a nice balance between flavour and refreshment.Jean-Philippe WALLET/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Rosé is the wine most closely associated with summer sipping, but it’s far from your only option. Any lighter bodied wines with lower alcohol and higher acidity levels, which contribute to a refreshingly crisp character, fit the bill. Summery styles could be white, red, orange or pink in colour. They’re typically unoaked and low in tannin – the astringency that gives structure to full-bodied red wines like cabernet sauvignon, syrah or Barolo – which make them easy to appreciate when served chilled.
Pleasing summer wines tend to offer a nice balance between flavour and refreshment. Most have easy to appreciate fruity personalities that add to the experience of lingering on a patio or lounging on beaches or next to pools. The coming weeks offer an opportunity to try different wines than the ones to which you’re accustomed, starting with these three thirst-quenching styles.
Crémant
The success of frothy and fruity Proseccos from Italy continues to drive sales of sparkling wine across the country. The easy-going and affordable Italian bubbly, which is made in white and rosé styles, accounts for nearly one of every three bottles of sparkling wine consumed in Canada last year. Here’s hoping interest will expand into other competitively priced sparkling wines, especially the broad assortment of crémants from France. These are sparkling wines produced using the same bottle fermentation technique as Champagne, often with similar grape varieties (chardonnay and pinot noir), made in other regions of the country. There are eight appellations approved for sparkling wine production, notably Crémant d’Alsace, which accounts for nearly half of the total production, Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Loire. The style of sparkling wine varies by region, with different grape varieties influencing the aroma and flavour in the glass. While they are made in the same manner as Champagne, these wines are usually fruitier, with a softer, creamy texture that makes them more approachable. Another key difference is the price per bottle, which typically ranges from $20 to $35 in markets across the country. Some labels to seek out: Bailly Lapierre and Louis Bouillot (Bourgogne), Grande Cuvée 1531 de Aimery (Limoux) and Rolet (Jura).
Pinot Noir
Beaujolais and other wines made with the gamay grape are the poster child of chillable reds. Easy-drinking Barbera d’Asti and Valpolicella are other wines that are even more enjoyable with a light chill, but I’m recommending pinot noir, based on the tremendous quality of wines available now from Canadian producers as well as inexpensive imports from Chile and New Zealand, which are typically fruity and flavourful. Pinot Noir is grown in every Canadian wine region where it is producing quality wines that range from good to outstanding. The entry level options from wineries in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia tend to be lighter in body, with a pleasing mix of floral, fruit and spice flavours that are well suited to summer enjoyment. Top producers from Ontario include 16 Mile, Bachelder, Closson Chase, Cloudsley, Flat Rock, Hidden Bench, Le Clos Jordanne, Stanners, Tawse and Westcott. In British Columbia, look for Blue Mountain, CedarCreek, Fort Berens, Meyer, Quails’ Gate, SpearHead, Stag’s Hollow, Tantalus, Martin’s Lane, and Unsworth.
Vermentino
Italy is home to a wide assortment of vibrant and fruity styles of white wines that are ideal summer sippers. Sunny weather makes a chilled glass of Soave, Gavi di Gavi or Greco di Tufo even more satisfying. But right now, I’m focusing my attention on wines made with the vermentino grape. Widely planted in Italy, particularly the island of Sardinia as well as Tuscany, Umbria and Liguria, vermentino is a lively white wine that typically has green apple and citrusy (zesty grapefruit / lime notes are common) flavours that draw comparisons to sauvignon blanc. Some inexpensive bottles also have a grassy / herbal note that increases its similarity to sauvignon blanc. In France, the grape is known as rolle and is an important variety in Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, where it is frequently used in blends. Plantings are increasing in Australia and the United States, including California, Texas, and Virginia. Italian producers of note: Argiolas, Banfi, Rocca delle Macìe, Monterufoli and Volpaia.