Summertime, with it's sweltering heat and heavy



air, does something to a wine drinker's palate.

We no longer crave a tannic rich Cabernet, for

example. They tend to make us warm. During the

hot months, wine drinkers tend to crave wines

high in acidity. These livlier wines tend to be

more cleansing and refreshing. So, put away your

Merlots and Cabernets for the Summer, and join us

for a tour of some delightful summer substitutes.

No question about it, we Americans love our

Champagne! We drank about 35 million gallons of

it in 2006. This figure represents about a 20%

increase from 2001. We would probably drink alot

more of it, but it's price has risen right along

with it's popularity. An excellent, economical

substitute is a proseco from the Veneto region of

Italy. Proseco comes extra dry, or brut, which is

drier still. Heavy, creamy dishes such as

fettucine Alfredo, complement the lively, dry

quality of proseco. Proseco tends to cut through

the oiliness and richness of Salmon or even an

avacado. Proseco leaves us cleansed and refreshed,

and eager for the next bite!

Though sometimes a little too sweet, Spanish

Cavas are a great, bubbly alternative to

champagne. Extremely affordable, most cavas are

under 20 dollars. Most Cavas are made west of

Barcelona, in northeastern Spain. Cavas are

generally sparkling wines, however once in awhile

youll run across a rose. With aromas ranging from

apple to lemon, Cavas are one of the main reasons

that Spain is rapidly ascending in prominence in

the world of wines.

Although only slightly effervescent, Portugal'

s Vinho verde still qualifies as a choice

alternative to Champagne and an excellent summer

wine. Featuring a delicate lightness and a lower

alchohol content, Vinho Verde is perfect for hot,

summer days when the tendancy is to consume your

wine a little more quickly. Perfect for many

types of foods, Vinho Verde is usually quite

fruity, with citrus being the most common.

Generally a young wine, Vinho Verde has earned

the nickname "green" wine.

Beacause it lacks the harsh tannins of a

Cabernet, the full bodied spirit of a Grenache is

a good summer choice. Although most associate a

Grenache from France or Australia, Grenache is

grown in abundance in the Priorat region of Spain.

Grenache typically conveys accents of dark

fruits such as black plums or rasberries.

Californis, too has it's share of Grenache.

Interesting enough, Grenache complements a good

old fashioned burger as well as anything else!

In finishing our round-up of great summer

wines, we still have a few more that deserve

mention. Sauvignon blanc, particularly from New

Zealand, is a great summer choice. It features

just the right amount of acidity combined with

the goodness of gooseberry and grapefruit. The

ever popular pinot grigio, especially from Italy

is clean and wonderfully refreshing! A little

less well known is a Gruner Veltliner from

Austria. Gruners are wonderfully crisp and thirst

quenching. They are bone dry and are frequently

laced with green apple.

Needless to say, we have left out somebody's

favorite summer wine. For that we are sorry.

Hopefully we have included some wines that will

make this summer perfect for discovering new

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