2008-08-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today, Wine Broad, Andrew Stover and guest Jill Zimorski of Cafe Atlantico/Mini Bar showed us some great wine ideas for the Dog Days of Summer. They emphasized to look for crisp, acidic & fresh wines to refresh yourself on hot and humid days. Stay away from those big, oaky Chardonnays because they will just tire out your palate.

Wine #1: 2007 Xarmat Arabako Txakoli, Basque Region, Spain

• The wine is named ‘Xarmant’ which is the Basque spelling of the French word for “Charming” and is meant to reflect the charmingnature of this wine.

• This wine is a blend of Hondarribi Zurri (80%), which is native to this Basque Region, and is blended with Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Corbu.

• The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks using native yeasts and bottled with residual carbonic acid that gives the wine a natural spritziness.

• The wine is medium straw yellow in color and has mild lemon-lime aromatics and similar lemon-lime flavors with a hint of minerality. Txakolina wines are high in acidity, low in alcohol and usually served in a tumbler, with tapas.

• The wine is a perfect summer drink due to its lively acidity and crispness – cooling and refreshing and a tremendous value. It pairs very well with seafood – clams, raw fish (Crudo) or carpaccios (lovedit at Hook with various raw fish preparations. Great accompaniment to salad/vegetable starters with citrus vinaigrette components.

Wine #2: 2006 Morgadio Albarino

• Albariño is a variety of white wine grape grown in Galicia (northwest Spain) and northern Portugal, where it is used to make varietal white wines.

• The grape is noted for its distinctive aroma, very similar to that of Viognier or Gewurztraminer, suggesting apricot and peach. The wine produced is light, and generally high in acidity. I also find it can be reminiscent of a dry riesling.

• The wine is medium straw yellow in color and has aromatics of honey, flowers and citrus and peach. Notes of smoke and tropical fruit can also be found.

• The wine is always dry and fermented in stainless steel tanks –oak would obscure the purity of fruit in the albarino.

• Adhering to the regionality principal in food and wine pairing – that wine of a certain area goes well with food of a certain area, Albarino is a natural accompaniment to fresh seafood – Rias Baixas ist he in region of Galicia in Northwest Spain – on the coast of the Atlantic. Because of its more complex stone fruit flavors, it can handle more full bodied fishes and white meats/poultry.

Wine #3: 2007 Ca’ Bona Pinot Grigio Rose, Lombardy, Italy--

Totally fun and perfect for summer heat—plus its PINK and PINK is in.--Pinot Grigio grapes are not completely white…have slight pigment and if macerated long enough, will produce a slightly pink white. Just like Pinot Grigio, but with slight red fruit flavors—strawberry, raspberry, watermelon.

Wine #4: 2007 Cederberg Chenin Blanc, South Africa

--huge grapefruit and citrus notes, melon and pear. Fresh and mouth-tingling.

--The style of Chenin Blanc from South Africa tends to be lighter and more acidic than Chenin from the Loire Valley of France…those tend to be a little heavier with a touch of sweetness. Still they are refreshing with loads of minerality and ripe apple and pear notes. I prefer the South Africa for a hot summer day, however.

Wine #5: 2007 Lynfred Sevyal Blanc, Illinois

--if you do like something a little sweet, this is a totally fun wine…available in Chicagoland---or at OYA----one of our OBAMA wines for our ROAD TO THE WINE HOUSE PROGRAM at OYA.

--made from a French-American hybrid grape…its like Sauvignon Blanc meets Riesling. Loads of ripe citrus/grapefruit, little herbal quality…and medium sweet. A great summer sipper and fabulous with desserts. Its not quite a dessert wine so its better with less sweet desserts…or cheese. If you prefer reds over whites, try the following types of wine with little chill--55 degrees will do. Beaujolais from France Pinot Noir from Europe or Oregon (lighter, fruitier styles)Barbera from Italy Dolcetto from Italy

Christine's Corner