Summer has always been my favorite time of the year. Vacations, trips to the shore, time to explore-all while spending more time outdoors and enjoying Mother Nature. For many wine drinkers, summer also means enjoying a few more white and Rose wines (or perhaps a lighter red or white wine) than during the colder months. While you’re exploring new places to visit it’s nice to explore some new styles of wines.
For those dealing with “staycations” (staying at home, while vacationing), either due to the pandemic or economic constraints, I’d like to offer a few suggestions which can help support our state and local businesses, while enjoying good wine in all of its diversity. If you are going away (and traveling by car) over the holidays you can always take a few of these bottles with you.
Note: There are many other very good summer wines I could recommend, but it would be a much longer post. My criteria for inclusion in this post: 1. Recently tasted and enjoyed and 2. Offering a few excellent alternatives to your “go to” wines.
My suggestions for Summer White Wines
While Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio will continue to be among the most popular white wines any time of year, I encourage you to enjoy one of the following wines.
- Albariño-A light, refreshing white alternative. My favorites are found at White Horse Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyards, Autumn Lake Winery, Cape May Winery, and Turdo Vineyards. They are all dry, but fruit forward. They are all different, but all very good.
- Riesling-While the Finger Lakes are famous for this varietal, Beneduce Vineyards, Hawk Haven Vineyards, and Turdo Vineyards make very nice NJ Rieslings-dry, lively acidity, and totally refreshing. They also go with almost any food.
- Traminette-A delicious hybrid that has a flowery nose and a hint of sweetness on the palate. My favorite NJ versions include Bellview Winery and Autumn Lake Winery.
- Gewurtztraminer-My favorite NJ Gewirztraminer is definitely Hawk Haven’s Signature Series 2021 Gewurtztraminer. With just a hint of sweetness, it pairs very well with Thai cuisine or other Asian dishes with a bit of spice.
- Grillo-Only found at Turdo Vineyards, it is great with seafood (which we tend to consume more of in the summer, when you can get great fresh seafood selections). Grab a bottle of Grillo soon, as they only make a very limited amount.
White blends also present great alternatives for something light and different…like Cedar Rose Vineyards’ Quartz.
My Suggestions for Summer NJ Rose Wines
I don’t know why I rarely reach for a Rose wine in the winter, especially since there are now so many good ones available locally. But, it’s summer now and I heartily recommend the following. All are dry and very good. They vary from pale Provence-style to darker versions, depending on the grapes used and length of exposure to the skins. Presented below are Hawk Haven Vineyards 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, William Heritage 2021 Dry Rose, Hawk Haven Vineyards Dry Rose, Hawk Haven Vineyards2021 Petite Sirah Rose, and Turdo Vineyards 2021 Turis Rosato. I also love Unionville Vineyards Mistral Rose.
My Suggestions for Summer NJ Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon always heads the list of consumers’ favorite reds. But when the days grow longer and hotter, other options become more appealing. My suggestions for local summer reds include:
- Pinot Noir*-My favorites include: Unionville Vineyards 2020 Pinot Noir Reserve and Beneduce 2018 Pinot Noir (unfortunately not currently in my cellar) as well as Turdo Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir. I love the versatility of Pinot Noir.
- Turdo Vineyards Barbera-My favorite version in the state.
- Bellview Winery 2020 San Marco-While not a light red, it is unique, very good, and may be gone by fall. Its soft tannins and good acidity make it a good summertime wine. I dedicated a post to it here: https://wp.me/p74VSa-de3
- Hawk Haven Flying Press Red-While not light in body or color, think BBQ. It is great with grilled meats or anything with a coat of BBQ sauce and it is very reasonably priced.
- Unoaked reds, like Unionville Vineyards 2021 Silver Lining Cab Franc, a marvelous, award-winning wine (which I polished off shortly after picking up my bottle). The unoaked version allows the fruit to shine.
- Unoaked red blends fit the bill, too-Like the William Heritage Winery 2020 Steel Aged Red (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Again the steel aging really shows off the fruit.
- Amalthea Cellars Cantina Mas Summer Blend-Their Cantina Mas (offered in plastic totes), are fresh draft blends, that are changed for each season. The summer blend offers their lighter version.
*If you are a devoted white wine drinker and can’t get past the color red, Beneduce Vineyards makes an amazing White Pinot Noir they call Tuxedo.
On the Sweeter Side
While I am a passionate dry wine drinker, I do enjoy an occasional Sangria or similar fruit-driven wine. My favorites are Sharrott Winery’s Just Peachy Sangria and Auburn Road’s Give Peach a Chance. Both are pictured below.
Pet Nats
Finally, the very popular style of Pet Nats are even more in vogue in the summer. I have enjoyed the Riesling Pet Nat from Unionville Vineyards and the Bellview Winery Pet Nat. The Pet Nat pictured below is my favorite Rose Pet Nat. Pet Nats (short for petillant naturel and meaning “naturally sparkling”) are generally a little lighter and are a little less carbonated. They are a fun and tasty summer-style wine.
Enjoy!
Coming Attractions
- White Horse Winery & More
- Stokelan Winery-Finally opening!
- An interesting interview with another wine professional
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