Salads, cold soups (think gazpacho), and of course summer grilling are going to be favorite choices for under the umbrella nibbles this summer. Chances are, things are heating up in your neighborhood, and you may be wondering what to serve with your favorite summer menu items.
Summer is a great time to get out of your "old standbye" rut and branch out into the ubiquitous selection of lighter styled wines available. Just a few moments ago I tasted a delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. This would be a go to wine to to try with any type of raw bar sea foods. They are lively and crisp, and make a great summer white wine for sipping.
Are you standing around that grill waiting to get your chops into that rare burger or steak, but don't feel like a heavy red? This is the perfect time to try a glass of rose. The West Vail Liquor Mart has more than a dozen different rose wines from all over the world. They work great in the summer because they are considerably lighter than a Cabernet or Merlot, but still have lots of structure and will hold up to those red meat bbqs. They also tend to be very value priced. Rarely do you need to spend more than $20.00 to get outstanding quality. You can find many for around $10.00.
Earlier I mentioned gazpacho. I recently made some of this cool tomato based soup for some friends and found that a Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris hit the spot for this course. They are both lively, light and bit on the delicate side. If you want to ad a little zip to this dish ad a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. As a bonus, Pinot Grigio is a great opener for your summer dinner parties or bbqs and if you want it to it will take you through the evening.
Stay Cool and Cheers!
Tom Mullen
Ps, that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was Oyster Bay.
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