Wines for Summer

PREVIOUS TASTING ARCHIVE – MAY 2023

Is there such a thing as ‘seasonal wine drinking’? For some the answer may be no, but for many of us dark winter nights call for hearty reds to match hearty food, while in summer whites, rosés and lighter reds come into play.

But it’s not just about the colour of the wine: it’s about alcohol, serving temperature and of course, wine style.

Wines with modest alcohol are ideal for lunch-time sipping in the garden, or drinking with summery salads and lighter dishes, but so too are inexpensive sparkling wines for those small summer celebrations.

And of course, summer is barbecue time, so what to choose to do justice to a well cooked burger or steak, without blowing the budget?

All of these occasions and questions will form the basis of this tasting, as Tom presents six wines he has carefully chosen and which, for him, sum up the essence of summer wine drinking.

The Wines

There will be a theme of moderate alcohol for most of our wines in this tasting. But a number of other fascinating themes are explored too.

A perfect case in point is our first ever ‘Pet Nat’. A phenomenon of the natural wine movement, this is actually an ancient style of pétillant wine rather than fully sparkling. Fermented in bottle like Champagne, but unlike Champagne it is not disgorged. Closed with a beer bottle-style crown cap, this dry, refreshing and zesty wine is something very summery – and very different. Both of our other white wines suit the bill perfectly too: a half bottle of classic Muscadet, the ultimate fish and seafood companion from the Loire, and from the south of France, a mouthwatering blend of local varieties Colombard and Vermentino – both with just 12% alcohol.

It wouldn’t be summer without a rosé, and we’ll taste one from Piedmont in the north of Italy, a classic ‘Chiaretto’ made from Barbera and Pinot Noir. Our two reds represent two very different facets of the summer spectrum. From Touraine in France, a Gamay from a 5th generation family domaine that will suit being lightly chilled, is bursting with vibrant fruit, and has only 12.5% alcohol. But what about those burgers from the barbie? We have something very different in a 14.5% blockbuster, crammed with chocolaty smooth and ripe fruit. It’s from South Africa, where they know a thing or two about barbecues, or ‘braais’.

How does it work?

This tasting is split over two consecutive Wednesday evenings. We’ll open three bottles per night, but they’ll drink well through the weekend, so nothing will be wasted. And remember: if you cannot join us live for any session, our ‘catch-up’ service allows you to taste along to the recordings at your leisure.

• Tasting tickets and wines are purchased separately
• The ticket price is per household, not per person
• The ticket covers both sessions
• After you purchase your ticket, you’ll see a link to buy the wines
• We’ll make a recording of each session in case you miss one
• You may attend without buying the wines.