CHILLING WITH WINES
It feels like we are jumping from a moderate spring time weather into hot weather very fast this year. I have been enjoying my reds, but those chilled white wines are roses’ are beckoning to me. Wine from the refrigerator is around 35 to 40 degrees. It is rather cold, almost too cold to enjoy the aromas and bouquet of those white wine. I like for my white wines to be around 55 to 60 degrees so that green apple and pear in a Chardonnay are enjoyed by my snoz. I know people who like to ice their whites and keep their wine temperature in the low 40’s. That is their decision, but it does present a crisper wine to sip on. Some people think it is sacrilegious to put ice in their wine glass with their wine, albeit it white, rose’, or red. One of my wine axioms is people should enjoy wine the way they want to enjoy it. If they enjoy their wine in a plastic Solo cup with ice, then that should be fine with everyone. I like my vino in certain ways, but I am open to enjoying a variety of wine experiences Sangria is one of those unique wine experiences that is open to a lot of exploration. Try thin slices of fruits like oranges, apples, mangoes, pears and perhaps vegetables like cucumbers in a large pitcher with your favorite wine (white, Rose’ or red or even a blend of those wines) and ice. Let the fruit seep its flavors into the wines. Some people might even add sugar to the brew!
I love to chill out with dry Rose’ wines from Messina Hof, McPherson, William Chris, Reddy Vineyards, Spicewood Vineyards, Becker, and Kerrville Hills to name a few Texas winery Rose’ wines. In order to make a true Rose’ wine, you start with red wine grapes like Sangiovese, Cinsault, Petit Syrah, or Mouvedere grape varietals and make the wine with minimal skin contact to provide a pinkish, shrimpfish color to the wine with almost no tannin. In this type of vinification, the fruit flavors almost always shine. If you wanted to make a red wine, you ferment the grapes with the grape skins which provides a tannin structure with fruit intertwined in the tannin skeleton. Some people also like to use Rose’ vino in the preparation of their Sangria concoction.
Some love a light red wine like a Syrah or GSM blend iced down when the weather is hot. When enjoying your vino in the Texas heat and humidity, enjoy it the WAY you prefer being iced vs. no ice, out of the bottle straight vs. a Sangria, or in a stemmed wine glass vs. a plastic Solo cup. However which way you are enjoying your wine, it is ALWAYS BEST to add FRIENDS. One of my wine axioms I learned from master winemaker Danny Shuster, WINE IS MEANT TO BE SHARED! Sipping on your wine in the way you want to sip the vino with your friends should bring out friendships and wonderful conversations. Chilling out in the hot weather is BEST when sharing wines with your friends!