Summer Wines, for Pleasant Dining

Summer wines are like summer reading. You wouldn’t read Proust on the beach, and you wouldn’t enjoy a Chateau Latour there either. It’s a time to relax and enjoy yourself, soak up some heat and sunshine, and plan your outdoor meals with some refreshing wines to match.

It’s also a time to recuperate financially from any splurging on wine purchases. When you are having an elaborate dinner in the other seasons, it’s hard to keep the wine costs reasonable these days. The wines I enjoy for the summer shouldn’t exceed $10-$12 a bottle, tops. Most cost even less, and all are good. None benefit from long aging, and most would suffer from it.

Here is a flavorful case of wines for your summer enjoyment..

Let’s start with Beaujolais. The 2003 vintage is still in stock, and whereas I am suspicious generally about what the record heat that year did to wines that require long aging, the Beaujolais region produced wonderfully flavorful wines. They are red wines, but are an exception to the usual rule for red wines, and benefit from being chilled. There are nine different crus (including Regnie, the latest one), in addition to basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages. They range from light and fruity tasting (Fleurie, Chiroubles) to moderately full (Moulin A Vent). My favorite is Chiroubles, which seems to go well with most meat courses. If you want to have an assortment of cheeses, you might try a somewhat fuller wine, say Julienas (said to be named for Julius Caesar), or Moulin A Vent. I have never been disappointed with Georges Duboeuf. His quality is excellent. Let’s pick for our case a Beaujolais ($7.29), a Regnie ($8.99), and a Julienas ($10.09).

Last week, it hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit. We barbecued some pork ribs. A nice rose wine seemed in order. Now, the best rose wines are all French, and you have a fine choice. Wines from Provence, such as Tavel which has set the standard for years, are rather full-bodied and stand up well. Try a Tavel 2004 Rose ($9.59). However, the Bordeaux region has now begun to produce rose wines in some quantity. Some say that they are reviving an old tradition, and the British term “claret” is really derived from the old French “clairet,” probably a rose wine. Be that as it may, there are a number of good Bordeaux rose wines for sale now. We have enjoyed a Rose de Calon, made at the Medocestate, Chateau Calon Segur ($13.49), something of a wine for company. However, the bargain for now is Rose de Bourbon, a fresh and delicious wine at a bargain price ($8.99). This wine deserves to be well known. We’ll add all three to our case.

With fish or crabs, you’ll want a nice white wine. Here are some choices. You might choose a Marquis de Goulaine Muscadet sur lie, which is flavorful and stands up well. Other Muscadet wines from the Loire Valley region include the Chateau de Cleray and Sauvion’s “La Nobleraie.” Each is in the $8.50-$11 range. Our case will include a flavorful wine from Alsace,  Hugel’s Gentil 2004 ($10.09), which is a rather full bodied quality introduction to the excellent white wines of Alsace. We are also fond of Monsieur Touton Sauvignon Blanc 2004 from Bordeaux ($7.99), a dry and fine white wine, just right with chicken. We’ll add a bottle, and for good measure, a bottle of Mommesin Macon Villages Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay 2004 ($9.29), floral and tasty. I have been pleased that the young Lurton generation is carrying French winemaking expertise to South America. Their Lurton Pinot Gris Argentina 2005 ($7.99), said to be produced in the foothills of the Andes, is worth discovering.

And for a traditional French sparkling wine to end the meal or prolong it, try the Blanquette de Limoux St. Hilaire 2002 ($10.29). It would nicely complement a fruit dessert, and provide a touch of elegance.

We’ll round out the case with an intriguing red wine. I have noticed that French wines are becoming more plentiful at the reasonable end of the price scale, at least at my wine retailer. They are clearly anxious to recapture lost market share, and are beginning to do so with some verve. I was intrigued, for example, with a Syrah wine called “Domaine des Blageurs” (“Jokers’ Domain”). I’ll try their 2004 ($10.99) in part because of the irresistible label that pretends to quote Shakespeare for their grape. “Ah sirrah! We shall do nothing but eat, and have good cheer!”  We have spent less than $10 a bottle for our case of wine (excluding taxes), and may now look forward to pleasurable summer wine enjoyment.

But what if a white wine wasn’t to your taste? Add a tablespoon or so of cassis  or framboise. A small bottle from Massenet, which should last most of the summer, will set you back $13.99. You’ve just made a kir, a favorite French appetizer drink.

And as for that inexpensive bottle of  red  Rhone wine that you were going to serve with Cassoulet last winter, but never got around to it, here’s another possibility. It just might make a terrific Sangria. Cut it half and half with soda water (lemon/lime flavored), and add more citrus accents, a lime or orange peel. Squeeze in the fruit juice of the lime or orange. Add sugar to taste, perhaps half a cup. Swirl around with lots of ice cubes. You’ll have a very refreshing and inexpensive summer drink.

Save those expensive wines for fall. Now is the time for flavor and fun. And please share your own favorites with us. We’ll never tell how little they really cost!