By Ray Spaziani
Wine Talk
Ray Spaziani
Generally, when we think of summer wines we think of some crisp white wines and perhaps a rosé or a sparkling wine. How about some reds? Some reds will match well with outdoor parties and those nice, long summer days. Here are some fruity and fresh summer reds that will go with a barbecue or a pizza night.
One of my favorites is Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2022. At around $20 it is a great buy. It has a nice mocha smell and a great vanilla finish. It has lots of dark fruit and a little pepper on the end. It goes great with barbecue.
Several red blends are great choices as well. They are generally easy drinking and inexpensive. You can chill these wines slightly, and they are easy to share. I like blends that feature Cabernet and Merlot. You have to experiment and find your favorite.
Valpolicella is a great summer choice. Tommasi Raphael Valpolicella is a famous brand, and they make a great classico as well. It has lots of fruit and big cherries and a little black pepper as well, with some earthy characteristics on the finish. You can get it at $18 or $19.
Decoy is a very popular Merlot, seen on several restaurant wine lists these days. This wine has a nice balance and is easy to drink. Lots of berry flavors with some vanilla on the finish make this one very popular. It retails for about $25.
If sparkling wine is your choice, Prosecco has become popular in the past few years. This wine is Italy’s answer to Champagne. It is made in the Veneto region in northern Italy and it ranges from dry to semi-sweet. It has flavors of honeysuckle, pear and melon, and the wine is relatively reasonably priced.
One nice entry-level Prosecco is Zardetto’s brut. It is light, clean and very crisp, and makes a great start to any summer affair. At $12 it is a great buy. Kirkland has Prosecco for $8.99 that is of surprising quality.
Try some of these great red wines or one of these summer sparklers. You will be glad you did.
Ray Spaziani is the chapter director of the New Haven chapter of the American Wine Society. He is on the tasting panels of Winemaker Magazine and Amate del Vino and is a certified wine educator and award-winning home winemaker. Email Ray with your wine questions or activities at realestatepro1000@gmail.com.