#017 Great Summer Wine Options for Red Drinkers

As the weather warms up you might be thinking about summer wine, our latest post covers the different types of white wine grapes that are great for drinking in the summer.
As summer is approaching and the weather starts warming up even those of you that regularly drink red wine might be starting to think about switching over to white wine for the summer. White wines tend to be served cold, chilled and they go down a little bit easier even in the heat which makes them great summer wine.
One wine that I would suggest that you start with if you're typically a red wine drinker and looking for something a little different is a Rosé. Rosés are often confused with white Zinfandels and white Merlots, wines that tend to be sweeter. However, a true Rosé should be a drier wine. It's also light and refreshing and we'll do another whole video on Rosés in the near future.
The next variety that I would suggest that you look at would be a Chardonnay. Chardonnays tend to be on the drier side of the whites and they can range from big, full bodied, buttery and rich down to very light and easy drinking. A lot of that has to do with the way that the grapes are made with the way that fermentation is done and also whether or not they're aged in oak barrels. If you like the heavier drier Reds you might want to start with something that has been aged in oak barrels to give it a little bit more richness to it. If you like lighter styles with more citrusy fruits then go with something that says ”unoaked" or "lightly oaked”.
Another white wine grape that's very popular as a summer wine is Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is traditionally a French grape but it is now grown all over the world. One region that it most well-known for their Sauvignon Blanc is New Zealand. There, Sauvignon Blancs tend to have a very citrusy flavors to them particularly grapefruit, and are very refreshing for a hot summer day. All Sauvignon Blancs are also on the dry side, not too sweet. There is not very much sugar in them so they are easy for a red wine drinker to enjoy during those hot summer days.
Another great summer wine option that you've probably heard of is Pinot Grigio. This will be lighter than either Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, a little bit easier drinking. Many Pinot Grigios come from Italy but we do have a good selection from California and a couple from Australia as well.
Rieslings are another fun summer wine, they can range from very dry to very sweet. This particular one is Kung Fu Girl from the Charles Smith Winery in Washington State. It is middle of the road, a lot of green apple flavors, a little bit of citrus but not sweet,l so even for a red wine drinker you might find this very enjoyable in the summer, especially if you're eating something with a little spice to it.
Then on the sweeter side would be a Moscato. These are traditionally an Italian grape and are now grown all over the world. We have many Moscatos from California but one of our best sellers is the Castello del Poggio Moscato from Italy. We go through a great deal of this all year but especially in the summer we start seeing as the weather warms up people tend to go for lighter and sweeter. The nice thing about these Moscatos, and sweeter wines in general, is that they also tend to be very low in alcohol. So if you're sitting by the pool and you lose track of how many glasses you’re having, you’re not necessarily over doing it.
That's a short introduction to some wines that, as a red wine drinker you might find enjoyable during the hotter days. I know for myself as a red wine drinker, I tend to drink a little bit less red wine during the summer when it's hot out, and occasionally I'll switch over to one of these white varieties with dinner. Since I enjoy wine, it's nice to still continuing to drink wine, but not feel that heavy weight of the red dry wines while the sun is beating down on me.
Hope you enjoyed this video; we look for as always to your comments and questions. Thank you very much for watching, cheers.

Products featured in this video:
Twenty Rows Napa Chardonnay 750ml:
Matua Sauvignon Blanc 750ml:

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