Summer Time Charmers....

I know a good portion of the country out there is experiencing spring in the air. I on the other hand live in California and spring is simply a two week precursor to summer. In addition to being in California I happen to reside in Bakersfield, and at the moment our little chunk of land cannot decide if it should be 90 degrees or raining or both. Regardless of your feelings about hot weather it is, without question for us in Bakersfield, well on its way. With this impending heat, my mind, as it often does, drifts to wine, beer and cocktails.

So what is on the wish-list when the weather warms? Something cool first and foremost, refreshing would be nice, crisp, clean, and highly drinkable.

The world of wine has a lot to offer on those hot days, and while many options will certainly lean to the white side of the category there are a couple of reds that can be appropriate when chilled. We will start on the light side of the house for obvious reasons. There is a wonderful little wine that comes over from Portugal that happens to be at the top of my list for summertime quenching. Though Vinho Verde (Broadbent is a current favorite) translates as “Green Wine” it is not a color description, it is simply that the wine exhibits such youthful freshness. Which is exactly the goal, when this wine is produced it is meant to be consumed within the year. Though the wine does not contain enough carbon dioxide to be considered semi-sparkling these wines are without question slightly pétillant. On the nose they lack real complexity, there is a good whack of lemon-lime zest and a touch of mineral, but it won’t blow your mind. Then you take your first sip; the wine is dry, but citrusy fruity, the bubbles lightly tickle your tongue, but do not sting, the acid sets off your salivary glands and then it finishes clean and dry with just light hints of astringency. An absolutely perfect wine if you are by the pool, gardening and of course for a picnic on a hot summer days. There are several other whites that can fill a good role in the summertime; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, and of course bubbles are among other favorites of mine.

The reds can be a little more difficult to navigate, while you can certainly put anything in the fridge and drink it cold, some reds can be quite intolerable when cold, but others may surprise you. Once again I do certainly have one that would be a kind of go-to for me, but really two dry reds can play pretty well in the cool to cold zone. My first pick is only my first pick to encourage you to seek it out, but trust me, you won’t regret the adventure. Barbera d’Asti (Michele Chiarlo is a good producer) is a red wine from Northern Italy that is commonly consumed cold by the locals. While some examples can have fullness to them most are medium to light bodied with a good bit of stewy, dried fruits, mineral, solid acid and on the dry side. This is what I want you to try; put your bottle of Barbera d’ Asti in the fridge and get some good cheddar to make a grilled cheese on sourdough. Throw together a nice wild greens salad with a balsamic vinaigrette and pull the cork. You can thank me later. Pinot Noir is the other one that I think plays pretty well with the cold. I am not encouraging you to take your most prized, expensive bottle of Pinot and throw it in the cold-box, don’t take me wrong, drink that one at precisely 60 degrees. What I am saying is that those “everyday drinkers” for $10-$20 of Pinot can do pretty well as a thirst quencher.

A little brew on a summer day can go a long way, whether it is a nice light lager while you are doing some manual labor around the homestead or an American Pale Ale at the BBQ with all of your friends. The lager, first off let me address the 64 calorie thing. I appreciate concerns about weight, and health, and so on….. But seriously, find something other than your alcohol choice to suffer the consequences here. I promise you that nothing that actually tastes good can be put in the bottle with only 64 calories, it just cannot happen. That being said light tasting beers are awesome during the summer (and actually lighter in calories than some of their heartier brethren.) A great lager (Bitburger is a good German example to look for) should be light, crisp, and bubbly. It should achieve these characteristics without a loss of flavor or interest though (this is where some of our famous Macro-breweries go wrong.) With an alcoholic strength of right around 5% these beers are not going to knock you on your butt, but they will quench your thirst and gradually work you towards the goal. I look for the session beer in the summer because, for god’s sake, I’m thirsty and I want to drink more than one, it’s hot out there. I have been stuck on American Pale Ales (Deschutes Mirror Pond is a current addiction, and what I am drinking as I write this) for a good session beer, specifically as it turns warm outdoors. Good pale ale is fuller than the lager, with a more malt driven profile. British styles will even have hints of cookie and biscuit to them. The trick to a solid summer pale are the hops, they must be pronounced enough to, not only balance the malt, but lead the brew into its dry finishing impression, which leaves the palate refreshed. For me summer can be a tough time to get mixed up with darker beers, but a good black lager (Kostrizer Schwarzbier) and some reds or browns out there can work out.

Alright, so we are drinking with at least some intent and want to dig into the home bar…. I have a, Brother-in-law induced, love for a Ketel One, tonic, and lemon. The lemon does make a difference, and yes, it does bug me when I get a lime, and please, feel free to be a little heavy handed with the Ketel. Regardless I think that there are some more crowd-pleasing options out there and my first choice, being born and bread a Cali boy, is the Margarita. I am not necessarily a purest.  I can appreciate some of the variations out there (banana is pretty great!) Who couldn’t? The classic though…. Not blended…. Is a beautiful thing…. The key here is to not use anything in this drink that you cannot drink on its own. If this is a properly made drink you will taste every aspect. Good tequila is obviously the base, but do not underestimate the role of your triple sec (a good friend of mine was just telling me of her passion regarding the quality of the triple sec.) Regardless if you are doing a classic lime or another style of the Rita you must use fresh fruit to achieve your goal, there can be no substitute here. Maybe a touch of Agave Nectar to sweeten things up and from there just decide if you are a “salt” or “no salt” (I’m a “no salt”) and now hopefully you have a good drink in front of you.

As we approach summer I hope we all have opportunity to enjoy the heat while working to counter its assault on our thirst. I have a good idea of what I will be drinking (at least a little water.)

Cheers!