 |
Now that summer is well nigh, this is a good time to consider some wines of good quality and of even better value, wines that are appropriate for warm summer days or evenings, and wines that are good for sipping or for enjoying with seasonal summer fare.
Our selections are priced well in range of almost every man’s wallet and they are interesting from the viewpoint of varietal blending. We’ll even take note of the international collaboration among vineyards that has become a trend over the last couple of decades. Wines that result would never have otherwise been produced, thus allowing something always new and unique to be born.
We’re featuring five whites, two rosés, and one red. You’ll see why we’ve chosen a red wine for those sultry summer days.
1. Los Vascos Chardonnay (2006) is a bright, clean, and nutty white with a surprisingly long finish. It is produced in Chile on the world-renowned Lafite Estate (a prime example of current, meaningful, Franco-American corroboration.) Here, the South Americans have it over the North Americans. Not to worry. The Italians and Australians are still among our best allies. Explanation is forthcoming.
2. Concha y Toro “Casillero del Diablo” (2006) is one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs. It is also Chilean, a sure hit with the sea bass of the same name. It is crisp with gentle hints of grapefruit and it features a screw cap. A word about the screw cap. Traditionally, anything other than a cork—the longer, the better—has been associated with wines of lesser or inferior quality. If you want to know why this is definitely no longer the case, just look for a bottle of Conundrum from California. It has a screw cap and it is, in my opinion, the finest multi-varietal white wine produced in this country. Of course, our eight-dollar rule does not apply (about 30 bucks).
