Rosé Alternatives for the Summer

If you're not a huge fan of rosé wines and maybe a little tired of the "rosé all day" phrase know that there are alternatives! There are many chilled wines with decent acidity that work great in warm weather. Why acidity? That's what makes a wine refreshing. So flabby Chardonnay and even Viognier are out.

You want to think of crisp (there's that acid again), fairly dry (not much, if any sugar), whites that don't have high alcohol because you don't want to be sipping on a 15% alcohol wine on the patio in the heat. I'm thinking of New World versions of these wines. Yes, I know there are plenty of European wines that fill the bill, too, especially since many tend to be drier and lower in alcohol.

Most wine drinkers are familiar with Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris. I'm going to mention lesser known wines that are made in the U.S, but not in large quantities.

Albariño

If you like Sauv Blanc you'll probably like Albarino. Similar acid so the same sort of freshness and refreshing sensations, but without any of the green, grassiness. It's more stone fruit such as apricot and peach. It's great in warm weather, great with many foods especially anything from the sea. It'll even work with a salad if you go with a citrus-type dressing. Ten or twenty years ago this Spanish grape was quite rare in the U.S, but is showing up more now.

Chenin Blanc

It's a light, lean, crisp somewhat neutral wine, but that doesn't mean boring. Flavors can remind you of green apple or pear, maybe ripe melon if the grapes were grown in a warmer area. It has a silky texture. Chenin is another good seafood wine or one that will help cut the heat of a spicy dish. It's also great on its own as a patio sipper. Chenin Blanc tends to be fairly inexpensive, something to keep in mind if you'll be serving a crowd.

Gewurztraminer

It's that other German grape with Riesling being the most popular of the two. Why? It's likely something as simple as not knowing how to pronounce it. Just say guh-verts. If you're a Riesling fan think of Gewurztraminer as a bit richer, thicker texture version. Instead of Riesling's minerality/stoney flavor you'll notice the spicy aromatics. Like Riesling it seems best as an off dry

wine -- just a bit of sugar to balance the acid though it doesn't have the high acid level of Riesling. Riesling might be better with spicy foods (the classic being Asian) where Gewurz does better with chicken, pork, and anything roasted, meat or vegetable. Gewurztraminer can be made into a sweet dessert wine just as is Riesling. Gewurz is often less expensive than Riesling because it's not as  popular.


There are other lighter whites that I find a little bland like Pinot Blanc or Grenache Blanc, but you can give them a try.

Here's a summer red you can even chill if you want.

Grenache Noir

Think of it as Pinot Noir lite -- in flavor and price. It's actually the world's most planted red wine grape. You get a lot of red fruit flavors and often some spiciness. Overall the flavors are pretty simple though it comes across as an elegant wine like Pinot. There's enough acid to pair with some foods, but the tannins are low enough so you can drink it without any cellaring nonsense. Pair with roasts, stews, sausages, beef or turkey burgers. Watch the alcohol levels in wines from California or Spain especially. Those 15-16% wines tend not to be so great in hot weather or with many foods.

Time to break out the grill!