Sizzlin’ Summer Sippers

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to think about what wines you’d like to have on hand for all of your summer get togethers, including barbeques, pool parties and more. Today’s article is devoted to my favorite sizzlin’ summer sippers from WineShop At Home.

Sparkling Summer Sippers

What I love about Sparkling Wine is that it works at all times of day and night. It’s perfect with breakfast. It’s delicious with lunch. It’s incredible with snacks, especially potato chips. It’s great with sushi. And it’s fantastic with a big, giant dinner. Our Sparkling Wines are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. If you haven’t yet tried them, I encourage you to do so. They are perfect summer sippers. You won’t be disappointed.

le Cadeau Semi-Seco Sparkling Wine. This wine has aromas of green apple, pear and flowers with hints of orange and lemon zest. The flavors are lightly fruity and very pleasant. With a good, strong acidity, this off-dry medium-bodied wine provides substance on the palate. $24.50

le Cadeau Rosé Sparkling Wine. This beautiful pink-purple wine has a nose that displays white flower fragrances like acacia and orange blossom, along with raspberry, watermelon and hay. The attack in the mouth is dry, round and pleasant. There are citrus aromas, which provide – from the mid-palate to the finish – a great amount of acidity for structure and ageing potential. This is a medium-bodied wine with long-lasting bubbles, which are a sign of quality in Sparkling Wines. $30.50

White and Pink Summer Sippers

Gemme Cellars 2016 California Gewürztraminer. Gewürztraminer means spicy wine, and this wine definitely fits that bill. It has a lot of floral fragrances of honeysuckle, hyacinth or daffodil, coupled with tropical characters such as pineapple, apricot, mango and lemon. There are also mild petroleum notes that are classic to this varietal. The attack is bright and crisp and there is some minerality to the mouthfeel. Try this dry to off-dry white with Chinese dishes, coconut shrimp or scallops. $23.00

Glory Cellars California Valor Blend.Our Glory Cellars Valor Blend was produced using 33% Chenin Blanc, 31% Muscat, 24% Riesling, 5% Symphony, 4% Muscat of Alexandria and 3% French Colombard from different regions of California. This wine has a beautiful pale color with lovely floral aromas in the attack. Rose perfume, passion fruit, lemon and orange zest aromas complete the bouquet. The wines in this blend were fermented separately in stainless-steel tanks to keep their aromatic intensity. This is an off-dry, crisp wine with a dry and pleasant finish. The acidity carries the wine during several seconds in the mouth, which is a gauge for longevity and cellaring potential. This wine pairs beautifully with seafood, grilled fish, roasted poultry dishes or a platter of assorted cheeses. When you purchase this special wine, a $2 contribution will be made to America’s Mighty Warriors, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that honors our troops, the fallen and their families with programs that improve quality of life, resiliency and recovery. $24.00

Nouveau Muse 2017 California Rosato. This beautiful pink wine was made from Zinfandel grapes from the Lodi region of California. A light soak on the skins of the grape juice prior to fermentation gives the wine its pretty pale pink color. This dry to off-dry Rosé wine offers floral aromas such as rose petals. There is also a resin-like character reminiscent of the scent of pine trees. The pre-fermentation maceration technique used provides the wine with aromas of candy and watermelon. There are spicy notes throughout the mouth with flavors of raspberry and strawberry. $19.50

Red Summer Sippers

Nouveau Muse 2016 California Rhapsody. This is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Tempranillo. Behind the dark color of this wine, we have rich, dark fruit aromas in the nose. Blackberry, black currant and strawberry come forward. Later in the finish, spicy characters of black pepper develop. This wine has a medium intensity but also has a good amount of tannins. This fleshy red is smooth and straightforward in the mouth. Rhapsody is a structured wine with balance and acidity, meaning it will age well for years to come. Try this wine with barbeque! $24.00

Gemme Cellars 2016 California Petit Verdot. The Petit Verdot varietal is one of the key red wine grapes from the Bordeaux region of France. It has smoky and oaky characters in the attack. Many black fruit flavors such as blackberry, black currant and cherry are present in the nose. These aromas are powerful and concentrated. With this 2016 vintage, we already have some maturity in the mouthfeel. Petit Verdot is a dense wine and displays a lot of fruit and tannins in the body. Balance is very well established with a fairly long finish. If you’re a meat eater, try it with all kinds of meat dishes, including roasted chicken, pork chops or veal Parmesan. If you’re vegetarian, try it with a wonderful cheese plate. $28.00

Please note that I focused this article on some of our more unusual wines. If you’re looking for a great Merlot or Chardonnay, I can help you there as well. If you would like to place an order, please call me at 650-714-7009 or visit my website, http://www.winetastingsandmore.com, and click “Shop.” Once you scroll down, you can click Wine on the left-hand side. Cheers to a WINEderful summer filled with sizzlin’ summer sippers!