Temperatures, water bills, and electricity consumption are all on the upward rise. Hopefully with some cooler nights ahead, we will be able to enjoy the outdoor season while we can.

While  in the barbecue and entertaining modes, let us explore some wines that just might be a cool change of pace for you. Give these wines a chance to help you relax and cool down a bit. They should fit perfectly your summer evening dinner, or relaxing time outdoors, or at the swimming pool. Remember to use that ice bucket, or chill down both reds and whites before taking them outside.

Coppola Bianco is from Francis Ford Coppola, famed movie director, who has over 30 years experience in fine winemaking. This blend has aromas of ripe apples, tangerine and spice with flavors of honeydew, pear and citrus. It is lush and lively on the palate, making it the perfect wine with many different foods, including fresh summer salads and all your picnic foods.

My choice for one more great white summer sipper would be Claiborne and Churchill dry Riesling. This is the perfect wine for those hot summer nights with its honeysuckle, peach and delicate mineral flavors. This wine is excellent with chicken salad, pasta salads, honey baked ham, barbecued pork spareribs, sweet and sour pork, any spicy Asian Schezwan dishes. Try it with prosciutto, and Swiss or Havarti cheese.

Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc is another favorite of mine. It has well defined flavors of flowers, apple, and fig, making it rich, firm and very complex. A classic pairing with goat cheese, grilled seafood, summer salads or any light fare, it is excellent for sipping and enjoying in the summer evenings

Buehler White Zinfandel is not one of the usual sweet white Zinfandels you may have had in the past. With just a slight touch of sweetness, more on the dry style, this will definitely be a crowd pleaser. Great with mild cheeses, salads, Mexican fare, and fresh fruits, it begs to be shared with a picnic and good friends. Just remember that everyone’s taste is different, but nobody’s taste is wrong.

Trentadue La Storia Zinfandel, is probably one of the country’s best. I know what you are thinking, all these cool wines and now a Zinfandel. Just wait. Chill this baby down for about 30 minutes before serving and it will prove to  be one of your favorites, as it is mine. Dark red in color, with a nose of ripe plums, raspberry and blackberry preserves, this Zin explodes on the palate with flavors of berry, plum and black cherry (credit michael). Serve it with your favorite grilled steaks and chops, or red sauced pastas. WOW, it was love at first taste for me.

Honig’s Cabernet Sauvignon is showing ripe plum and black raspberry aromas, framed by vanilla, allspice and some toasty oak. Fruit flavors and a rich palate are followed by a cocoa and black cherry finish. Serve with barbecue tri tip, ribs, steaks even grilled Italian sausages. You have made an excellent choice when you serve this  Cabernet Sauvignon.

WINE QUOTE FOR THE WEEK:

“One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and one talks about it.”  King Edward V11 (1841-1910)

Till next time,  Good Health and Peace to all,  Salute = sah- LOO- tay