Summer Wine Picks from Our Resident Wine Manager

Washington summers are hot and humid and that’s when it’s not violently stormy, but there are some benefits, we have like ripe tomatoes, sweet corn and Maryland crabs and cold beer and wine to go with these on those sweltering afternoons. To make your next shopping experience easier, we’ve rounded up a few summer wines hand-picked by our Beltsville wine expert, Carey Callahan. They tend to be low in alcohol, dry to semi-sweet and refreshing to pair with food that is light and fresh. You’ll find them on the float in front the Bistro at Old Line.

Monte Da Gloria – Portugal- $10.99

TASTING NOTES:

Color: Citrine

Aroma: Tropical fruits.

Taste: It´s a wine with a very interesting freshness and a harmonious acidity.

Final taste fresh and light.

Serve with: Fish dishes, pasta, salads or as an appetizer.

Grape varieties: Arinto, Antão Vaz and Perrum

Alcohol content: 12.5%

Mont Gravet – Cotes De Gascogne – France – $8.99

TASTING NOTES: You may have tasted Colombard without knowing it.The variety, grown around Gascony in southwestern France, traditionally was distilled into Cognac or Armagnac. But it also can be used to craft tasty table wines, as this 2013 vintage from Montgravet demonstrates. This engaging, medium-bodied wine offers notes of melon, candied apricot, green apple, lime and cream.

Food Pairing Suggestion: seafood, with or without a cream sauce.

Grape Composition:100% Colombard

Alcohol content: 12.5%

Pratsch – Gruner Veltliner- Austria - $13.99

TASTING NOTES: Native to Austria, Gruner Vetliner is a pale dry white with flavors of strawberry, rhubarb, but predominantly apple or white pepper. With Golden Delicious apple skin, white pepper and a faint suggestion of mixed herbs. Floral aromas accompany this answer to the question: “What can we drink with this asparagus?”

Food Pairing Suggestion: Grilled or Roast Leg, Grilled or Broiled Chops or Rack of Lamb, Prosciutto & Serrano Ham, Sausage with Sweet & Hot Peppers. It pairs well with so many kinds of food, especially vegetarian dishes! No wonder I love it. It would be fantastic with zucchini, artichoke and asparagus recipes!

Grape Composition: Gruner Veltliner 100%

Alcohol content: 12.5%

Sun Garden Riesling – Mosel Germany- $12.99

TASTING NOTES: Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is –if the majority of top wine critics are to be believed – the world’s finest white-wine grape variety. Sun Garden 2012 Riesling pours a light straw color and has an inviting floral aroma. The overall flavor is semi-dry with hints of pear and melon. Not overly complex, but a good summer cocktail hour wine.

Food Pairing Suggestion: Works well with spicy fare, fruit dishes, lobster, scallops and fish, pork, BLT sandwiches and smoked meat.

Grape Composition: Riesling 100%

Alcohol content: 9.5%

Broadbent Vinho Verde – Portugal - $9.99

TASTING NOTES: Vinho Verde, the most popular white wine from Portugal, is a deliciously refressing, light wine. “Verde”, meaning “Green” refers to the hints of lime color. The way to makea proper Vinho Verde is to suppress the malolactic fermentation and inject carbon dioxide at bottling togive the wine its characteristic spritz. It is an ideal warm weather wine, excellent for lunch and picnics, or an evening apertif.

Food Pairing Suggestion: It makes a brilliant pairing with any fish, shellfish and poultry.

Grape Composition: 50% Loureiro, 40% Trajadura, &10% Pederna

Alcohol content: 9%

Santa Julia Brut Rose – Medoza – Argentina - $12.99

TASTING NOTES:

Baltimore Sun: For the second straight week, Wine Find shines a spotlight on the amazing wines of Argentina’s Santa Julia, one of the best winery’s for quality and value this writer has run across. This nonvintage pink sparkling wine made from pinot noir grapes is simply the best brut rose I’ve ever tasted in its price class. It’s crisp, well-rounded, penetrating and crackling with wonderful flavors of strawberry and cherry – along with a hint of anise.

COLOR- Elegant and delicate pink color with violet hues.

AROMA - Red fruits such as berries and strawberries typical of Pinot Noir, complex aroma due to the time in yeast.

FLAVOUR - A kind sweet entry, creamy and fresh, good volume in the mouth. Delicate presence of fresh red fruits. Well balanced and long finish.

Food Pairing Suggestion: Serve with: Caviar, salmon, hors d’oeuvres

Grape Composition: 100% Pinot Noir.

Alcohol: 12.50% vol.

Chateau Montaud Rose – Cotes Du Provence – France - $11.99

TASTING NOTES: The staff around here always appreciates a good rosé at a very fair price, especially from the sunny climes of Mediterranean France.

Exhibits fruity and floral notes. Look for some melon flavors and dried herbs.

Food Pairing Suggestion: Nice acidity which lends itself to pairing well with many different types of food.

Grape Composition: Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Tibouren, Carignan

Alcohol: 12.50% vol.

Heinz Eifel Riesling – Mosel Germany - $13.99

TASTING NOTES: The 2011 Heinz Eifel Riesling Kabinett is 100% Riesling. It is clear star-bright yellow-gold of medium concentration with minor green tinge, no rim variation and medium viscosity. On the nose this wine displays medium intense aromas of bruised apples, canned pears, golden raisins, peaches, apricots, and honey with noticeable signs of botrytis. On the palate it is off-dry, medium bodied with medium+ acidity and a medium length finish with lingering notes of mandarin oranges.

Food Pairing Suggestion: It serves well as an aperitif and matches a wide variety of foods, like lighter salad dishes, shellfish, cream sauces and also anything with a touch of spice.

Grape Composition: Riesling 100%

Alcohol: 7.50% vol.