Summer recommendations
While our weather has been anything but what we are used to here in North Idaho during the summer, we are all still spending time on the water and in our yards. The sun and warmth will no doubt return, but we continue to grill food out while we wait, and soon we will be dining alfresco like we have in summers past. Here are some of our new favorite wines and some “old friends” that will pair well with all things summer.
It just isn’t summer without dry rosé, and while many of our early season favorite pink wines are now gone for the year, we have found some delicious substitutes. As predicted, Pink Belly, 7 Hills Rosé and Pere Anselme Rosé are all sold out for the vintage. We were delighted though to try the 2015 release from Domaine du Couron ($10, $9 wine club). This rosé is always 100 percent Grenache, in our opinion one of the best grapes for crafting world class pink wine. This year, though, is the best we have ever had from this winery located in the Ardèche region of France. The 2015 is a bit darker in the glass but is every bit as bright on the palate. It really shows compelling texture to go along with lovely strawberry flavors. It is a joy and should not be missed.
Another of our early season favorites from Pierre and Marie Chermette ($19, wine club $17.10) is still available, and we continue to be blown away by this wine. It is rosé of Gamay from the Beaujolais appellation. The flavors are focused on strawberry and tart cherries, with lovely texture and a clean, crisp finish. The nose shows great minerality, to go along with intriguing fruit notes. The wine is fabulous to be sure and it comes in one of the coolest bottles I have seen. A small insider tip for our regular readers, it is also available at Fleur de Sel, our favorite restaurant.
For those of you who love Sauvignon Blanc in the summer but crave a bit of varietal diversity, you will want to try the Picpoul de Pinet from Domaine Delsol ($13, wine club $11.70). Grown in the South of France Picpoul is one of our favorite grapes although tough to find. Lots of minerality and salinity combine with lovely citrus and apple flavors for a light and refreshing summer white wine. It is a standout with grilled shell fish and seafood.
Many of us still can’t shake the Chardonnay bug even in summer, so we recommend the Alondra stainless steel Chardonnay ($18, wine club $16.20). Alondara is Spanish for Skylark, so you guessed it, made by John Lancaster at Skylark Wine Company. In a sea of “steel chards” that can best be described as simplistic, the Alondra has lovely complexity and layered flavors of citrus and ripe pears. It is the perfect choice for Chardonnay lovers come summer.
In reds we have four great choices. We must start with Pinot Noir, we grill a lot of chicken during the summer, and there is nothing better with it than Pinot. We just brought back in the 2013 Phelps Freestone ($40, wine club $36), it is spectacular. This vineyard located right on the Pacific in Freestone is known for lovely cherry fruit and bright acid. It is perfect.
The 2013 Barinas Monastrell ($12, wine club $10.80) from the Jumilla region in Spain has been a surprise hit this summer. Monastrell is the Spanish name for Mourvedre, the wine is dark and rich, but possesses such lovely acid and balance that it is great for summer. Dark plum blackberry and black cherry flavors abound in this wine, and while Jumilla is known for developing seriously tannic wines, the tannins in the Barinas are sleek silky and well integrated. Pair this one with your favorite burger.
The 2012 Secret Squirrel Cabernet ($30, wine club $27) from our friends at Corliss should not be missed. The wine is fabulous in the Corliss style and the label is hilarious, including the story on the back that talks of how you hide this one behind the espresso machine at a party and only bring it out for your favorite guests. Loaded with flavors and aromatics of grilled Italian plums and ripe Black Friar Plums, with subtle tannins and structure that enhance the layers of rich flavors, the wine is perfect with grilled steak.
Charbono is one of the insider grapes that is farmed in Napa, and — like most things insider — is tough to find. The 2011 Summers Charbono ($35, wine club $31.50) defies the imagination and the stereotype of the 2011 growing year. Charbono is a notoriously late ripener, and with the challenges of the rainy harvest in 2011, I frankly don’t know how they did it. The wine is dense and rich, it is all about blue fruit on the palate and has good acid, making it pair well with a variety of foods from pork shoulder to a robust antipasto tray.
There is our lineup of favorites, stop by the shop or consult with your favorite wine professional for more great new wines to enjoy this summer.
If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
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George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and table top décor shop located by Costco in Coeur d’Alene. George worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. Be sure and check out our weekly blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com/home/blog-2 You can get all of these articles as well as other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.