Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and relaxed restrictions mean we can take advantage of restaurant dining and socializing outdoors. It also kicks off a season of summer wines often headlined by rosé, thanks to marketing campaigns like Yes Way Rosé. (I’m an avowed advocate of winter rosé.) Every year, we look for trending grape varietals or regions, but it’s hard to overstate the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic and last year’s U.S.-European wine tariff wars on the availability and price of European wines. There were also wildfires that ravaged California and harsh frosts that hit European wine regions this spring. Wine production is, above all, about farming. Availability and price were further impacted by the shutdown of the restaurant industry and government trade spats.
This year, expect to find food-friendly wines from Portugal made with indigenous grapes. I’m into the single-vineyard wines of the Douro region, like the peppery, dark fruit of Luis Seabra’s Xisto Ilimitado Tinto 2018 ($25), best served lightly chilled with grilled meats and vegetables.
You’ll definitely want to try one of the award-winning English sparkling wines outpacing Champagne in international blind tastings, in part due to the similar soil and climate (terroir) in the South of England and Champagne region of France. Luckily, Putnam Wine in Saratoga Springs carries both Nyetimber Classic Cuvee and Gusbourne Blancs de Blancs at usual Champagne prices. These are my special-occasion favorites, along with their sparkling rosé.
Speaking of sparkling, this year Prosecco rosé is flying off shelves. And Joe Maloney of The Wine Shop in Albany leads the list below with his wallet-friendly bottle.
The hard-seltzer market has some competition in the form of canned wine seltzers, and we have a local brand rapidly making waves. Look for Champé Handcrafted Berkshire Bubbly. Made with Finger Lakes sparkling wine and fresh fruit, it is available as a canned Bellini (peach) and mimosa (orange) coming this summer. I asked six buyers for restaurants or wine shops what they’ll be drinking this summer. Their picks:
Joe Maloney, owner, The Wine Shop, 265 New Scotland Ave., Albany. thewineshopalbany.com and 518-438-1116
Wine: Brilla! Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2020 ($14)
Varietals: Native white glera grape, the base of all Prosecco, with a smaller percentage of pinot noir (pinot nero)
Region: Veneto for its temperate climate, mitigated by the sea and protected from northern winds by the Alps.
Production: Filtered in steel tanks with the addition of must and selected yeasts for secondary fermentation.
Says Maloney: “I love the fresh strawberry nose, the creamy bubbles and the mouthful of ripe red fruit (cherry, watermelon, passionfruit) this Italian sparkler offers. The burst of flavors in my mouth is balanced by the softer edge that this rosé Prosecco offers.”
Brenda Torres, wine buyer, 22 2nd St. Wine Co., 22 Second St., Troy. winetroy.com and 518-874-1244
Wine: Stein Rosé Trocken 2020 ($23)
Varietals: Pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot
Region: Mosel, Germany
Production: Practicing organic
Says Torres: “I instantly thought of Ulli Stein’s Rosé Trocken. It’s a staple for summer drinking for its snappy red fruit (pomegranate, strawberry) and lime zest, lip-smacking acidity. Crisp and dry finish. (Trocken means dry.) It’s one of our all-time favorites, perfect for stoop sippin’ or enjoying by the pool. Ulli’s wines are not widely known in the U.S., although his rosé has become a cult favorite in Germany and Europe. It’s somewhat limited, so we were lucky to snag five cases.”
Jamie Matzdorf, owner, Grape & Grains Wine and Spirits, 279 Troy Road, North Greenbush. grapesandgrainswine.com and 518-283-9463
Wine: Bodegas Eidosela Albariño 2019 ($16)
Varietal: 100 percent albarino
Region: Condado de Tea subregion of Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain
Production: Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested from a co-op of 60 1-hectare parcels
Matzdorf says: “My pick is a crisp, dry white wine from the Rías Baixas region of Spain. It offers flavors of peach and apricot with bracing acidity and a bit of salinity on the long, mouthwatering finish. Perfect for sipping on on your porch or while sitting at the beach!”
Matt Swapp, wine specialist, Saratoga Wine Exchange, 43 Round Lake Road, Ballston Lake. saratogawine.com and 518-899-9463
Wine: Château Bourdieu Bordeaux 2019 ($15)
Varietal: Red Bordeaux blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes, with a small percentage of malbec
Region: Blaye subregion, Côtes de Bordeaux, France
Production: Aged in stainless steel; racked and manipulated minimally with the goal of preserving the fruit.
Swapp says: “Sometimes you want a delicious middle-weight red blend that you can pair with almost anything coming off the grill. This is that wine. World Wine Award Gold winner at an everyday price. We recently tasted four to six of the WWA Gold wines and thought this was a level above the others, and our best value Bordeaux of 2021.”
Dan Bagnall, chef-owner, Sonder Wine Bar, 610 Warren St., Hudson. sonderhudson.com
Wine: Christina Gruner Veltliner 2020 ($23)
Varietal: Gruner veltliner
Region: Carnuntum, Austria
Production: Organic. Native yeast, no filtering or fining.
Bagnall says: “It is being said amongst wine people that this will be a heavily orange wine-focused summer, and although I am a hardcore fan of rosé, I love seeing orange wine more readily available. The Christina Gruner Veltliner is a hazy, skin-contact (orange) wine and one of my favorite wines to drink, period. Natural, organic, with a focus on ancient winemaking techniques. Christina Netzl, the winemaker/owner, makes a plethora of incredible wines, but this one is the perfect balance of ‘crushable’ and complex at the same time. I like it chilled, with pizza or picnic foods — charcuterie, cheese, potato salad, a good leafy green salad. It is apple-y and pear-forward with hints of herbal notes and even a little white pepper. At under $25, it’s a steal!”
Adelia Sugarman, beverage program director, Post Wine Bar, 200 Lark St., Albany. postonlark.com and 518-621-7889
Wine: Eminence Road Cabernet Franc Rosé 2019 ($20)
Varietal: 100 percent cabernet franc
Region: Catskill (Hudson Valley) with Finger Lakes grapes
Production: Hand harvested, malolactic fermentation. Unfiltered, all natural, no sulfites.
Sugarman says: “This is one of those wines that flirts with the boundary between a light red and a dark rosé, with watermelon and juicy berry flavors jumping out of the glass. It has a depth of flavor and liveliness that you won’t find in a generic Provence-style pink wine, and I love that it’s both local and natural. (The) husband-and-wife winemaking team at Eminence Road buy their grapes from sustainably farmed vineyards in the Finger Lakes and process them into highly drinkable, thoughtful cuvées in a barn in the Catskills.”
June 03, 2021 at 05:13AM
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Wine buyers recommend 10 for summer 2021 - Times Union
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