Wine selections to pair with summer fun and fabulous memories.

Sunny, summer days require particular wines. Moreover, the criteria that go into selecting wines for easy, breezy days whether they’re spent by the water, picnicking, or on an outdoor adventure, are very different than what’s needed at other times of the year. I take this selection very seriously, and criteria number one is that the wine has to be fun!

Certain types of wines just naturally step into the role of a party starter. Bubblies, crisp whites, and chillable reds call to me and say “hey, let’s have a good time!” Packaging and closures also play more of a role at this time of year than at any other. I want it to be as easy as possible to get at that vino, so screw caps, bottle caps, and portable packaging like cans are extra desirable. If a wine can combine elements from both of these camps, well, there’s a summertime winner!

Today, I’m rounding up five favorite summertime wines that combine some of these attributes, plus a bonus extra, to inspire more good times. All of these have wonderful memories attached to them, which of course, makes me love them even more.

I will note that in the Bay Area, “summer” kind of pops in and out throughout the year, not always in the actual summer, and definitely stretching way into the fall, so the memories shared here kind of take that looser interpretation of the season.

Sparkling Wine + Bottle Cap: Carboniste Sparkling Pinot Noir and Albariño

Name: Buttery Shrimp and Corn and Cilantro (Non-Recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: Garlic, minced, to your preference; Corn, plan on about a cup to a cup and half per person, shucked; Shrimp, plan on 6 to 10 per person depending on the size of the shrimp; Butter, as needed, but be generous; Olive oil, as needed; Lemon juice, to taste; Cilantro, chopped (if you don’t like cilantro, feel free to substitute parsley or basil), to your taste; Salt, as needed; Pepper, as needed; Optional: paprika or chile powder make great additions, as do cheeses like Parmesan, feta, or cotija.

Price: Both $28

Carboniste makes some of my very favorite “happy day” wines. Dan and Jacqueline Person are the husband and wife team behind Carboniste, and they bring a fresh perspective to sparkling winemaking. As described on their website, they “are dedicated to making sparkling wines that are modern and reflective of grape and place.” Most of their bubblies are made in the traditional method, but they want the quality of the fruit to take center stage rather than the toasty notes that come from autolysis.

This is even more true for their “critter line.” In the case of their Octopus Sparkling Albariño and Sea Urchin Sparkling Rosé of Pinot Noir, the wines are made in the traditional method, but they only spend a few months on the lees after being bottled (4 months and 2 months respectively), so that what you’re tasting is really bright fruit. Don’t get me wrong, I love the toasty notes in other traditional method sparkling wines, but these wines are just so likable and full of personality. They’re both dry and crisp but are also bursting with fruit. In the case of the Pinot, it’s cherries, strawberries, guava, and watermelon rind, while the Albraiño tastes of peaches, lemon, and sea spray. It’s a sunny day at the beach in a bottle.

If you invite me to a pool party in the summertime, there’s a very good chance that I will show up with one of their bottles. They were with me at two of the funnest pool parties I’ve been to in recent years. The rosé came with me to a pool day a group of my girlfriends planned for my 40th birthday, and the Albariño came along to a pool weekend getaway we had with several couples that was full of giggle fits.

Carboniste’s bottles are also under crown bottle caps, so it takes all of about 5 seconds to get at that tasty juice.

Additional details for the Pinot Noir here and for the Albariño here.

As another alternative, Pét Nats also fit bill quite nicely.

Crisp White + Screw Cap: Nortico Alvarinho

Average Price: $15

I love an impromptu dinner party. A pool day that magically turns into a dinner party is even better. Last summer, Greg’s brother Dave and his wife Julia were staying at a house with a pool and they invited us over to hang out for the day. Once the sun started to go down, we all drifted inside to make dinner. The last thing you want to do in a situation like this is to deal with a fussy, complicated meal. You want it to be fresh, delicious, and easy. I set about making a Caprese salad while Dave made a delicious and incredibly simple shrimp dish, and we grilled some bread to accompany it all. So delicious, so easy. You’ll find a non-recipe for the shrimp at the bottom.

The food and the occasion were all calling for a crisp white wine to pair alongside, so I cracked open a bottle of Nortico Alvarinho Minho 2019 from Portugal. It’s basically a Vinho Verde (which covers the same territory as the DOC of Minho), but I suspect the production method put it outside Vinho Verde regulations. For one, this wine is completely still and has no added CO2, which is often the case for other Vinho Verdes. The goal here is to achieve and richer style, although the wine is still very crisp and bright, full of notes of peaches and citrus. It’s 100% Alvarinho – and as you might guess, Alvarinho/Albariño is one of my favorite summer grapes.

It was perfect with our dinner, but for more pairing ideas, the winery gives the following additional recommendations: “Have it simply with corn bread and butter like country folks do in Portugal. Also a terrific seafood wine, particularly with salty, fattier dishes like fish tacos or broiled oysters.” All perfect summer fare.

The grapes are sustainably grown and you can find additional details here.

Find more related to Albariño here and here, and Vinho Verde here. Txakolina and Riesling are two more summer favorites.

Rosé + Screw Cap: August Kessler Rosé

Average Price: $20 (Sample)

I’m not sure it’s possible to get through the summer without rosé. Can you even call it summer if there is no rosé? I make no bones about the fact that I love rosés in many styles and from around the world. I find that versions from Austria and Germany, like this August Kessler Pinot Noir Rosé Rheingau 2018, often have a little extra bouncy, bright quality to the fruit. This one had notes of strawberries, cherries, and a touch of peach. Bonus, screw cap for easy opening is par for the course with a lot if not most rosés from these countries.

I enjoyed this one while sprawled out on the lawn gabbing with girlfriends on the lawn at the Culinary Cabin at Lake Tahoe.

Find additional details on the wine here.

For just a few of my many rosé-related posts, check out:

Chillable Red: Tessier Winery Soul Love

Price: $30

I’ve shared wines made by friend Kristie Tacey of Tessier Winery before (read my interview with her here), and I love her wines in general, but in the last few years she’s added a small collection of what I lovingly like to refer to as “trippy wines” and I LOVE these. Her chillable red Soul Love is one of the trippiest and has been one of my very favorites since she started making it three years ago. The blend changes a little bit every year. The 2020 vintage pictured above was a blend of Riesling, Trousseau, and Mourvedre, while the 2021 is made up of Riesling, Mourtaou (aka Cabernet Pfeffer) and Merlot. As the blend changes, the flavors change as well, and it’s always a bit hard to describe, but let’s go with a super chuggable, magical fruit punch of strawberries, guava, berries, flowers, a hint of pineapple, and citrus fruits. (The 2021 also has a bit more tannic grip on the finish.)

This is another “happy day” wine for me that I’ll reach for during fun times or when we’re just hanging out and I happen to be in a particularly good mood. It pairs pretty easily with lots of foods. I’ve had it match easily with a roasted chicken topped with everything from a slightly sweet soy-chili glaze, bool kogi beef, pizza, and it’s even not half bad with buffalo chicken wings – not an easy food to pair.

Chillable reds are pretty great that way. They pair with a lot of foods you really want a red wine with, but without all the heaviness that goes with a big red wine. I don’t know about you, but I typically just can’t stomach a big, alcoholic red when I’m standing around in the sun. There are a lot of grapes that generally can take a light chill – Gamay, for example – but nowadays you can also find lots of great examples from winemakers deliberately making wines for this purpose. A lot of times, they’re crazy blends like this one, or sometimes they’re single-variety wines made in a style that sits between rosé and typical versions they might make from that grape.

On her website, she describes it as her “glou glou” wine (it is!) and “is a tribute to David Bowie and the ideal picnic wine.”

All of Kristie’s wines are vegan, made from sustainably grown grapes, and natural. More info here.

My friend Adriana and I recently helped pour at one of Kristie's release parties at a rooftop venue here in Oakland. The "trippy" wines were center stage and tasting fabulous.

For more chillable reds, check out:

Valentine's Date Night with Broc Cellars Love Red & a Cheese Plate
Cooking to the Wine: Pezzuoli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro with Antipasto Pizza
Cheese, Charcuterie, Ciabatta & Praesidium Cerasuolo (Cerasuolo is technically a rosé, but I think it fits in here well.)

Cans: Maker Wines

Prices Vary.

It’s really hard to beat a canned wine for portability and convenience. They’re also perfect to pack out for a stealthy drink, when you don’t want to open a whole bottle, and/or when you don’t want to deal with glass. It’s lucky that there are more and more producers making quality versions. And then there are some trying to take it to the next level. Enter Maker Wines. This female-run company has a great mission:

We started Maker to offer premium wine sans the snobbery. To highlight interesting varietals crafted by award-winning small producers. To tell the story of the producer that hand crafted your wine. And to package up “wine for one” in earth-conscious cans. Because we believe high-end wine isn’t just for the wealthy, distribution shouldn’t just be for the big guys, and great stories—like great wines—are meant to be shared.

Basically, they partner with quality small producers and package their wines in sleek cans, and tell their stories via their website and info provided packaged with the wines. Even better, a lot of the wines are made from sustainably farmed grapes and/or are made by women, LGBTQ, or minority winemakers, and the info is clearly listed on the website. The rosé pictured, which had notes of cherries, tangerines, and flowers, and the Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc – which I really enjoyed, but isn’t pictured – were made by Chris Christensen of Bodkin. The Chenin Blanc, which had notes of white peaches, honeysuckle, and lemons is made by Colleen Sullivan Clothier of Revolutions Wines.

We enjoyed these cans of their Rosé and their Chenin Blanc on a walk while taking in an AMAZING sunset while staying just outside Joshua Tree.

Find more on canned wines here and here.

Bonus Round: Mommenpop Blood Orange Spritz!

Price: $38

I brought back a spritz’n habit from our trip to Italy a few years ago. Thoughts of enjoying them on various piazzas at sunset around the country are among my favorite memories of our trip. I still continue to drink them throughout the summer. It’s fun to give them a twist by playing with different vermouths and bitter aperitifs. I love the Mommenpop line of aperitifs made by Samantha Sheehan, the winemaker of Poe and Ultraviolet (I recommend both), and her husband designer Michael McDermott. They use a lot less sugar than most versions you’ll see out there and they don’t add any dyes. My favorite is the Blood Orange, but they’re all really delicious.

We drank these with Dave and Julia by the pool on the same day the Nortico Alvarinho up at the top.

Cheers to a happy summer!

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The rest of the Wine Pairing Weekend Blogging Group (#WinePW) is exploring summer sippers this month. Check out the rest of their posts:

Camilla’s posting “A Casual Feast and Canned Wines: Bo Ssäm + Two Shepherds' 2021 Maxzilla Piquette” at Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Wendy is “Sipping Rosé and Enjoying Summertime” at A Day in the Life on the Farm
Terri’s got “Summer Time Canned Sparkling Prosecco and Pepperdew Bites” at Our Good Life
Gwendolyn’s going with “Orange Wines for Summer Times from Austria, Mexico, Oregon, Paso Robles” at Wine Predator
Jane offers “Summertime Nibbles with Prosecco” at Always Ravenous
Andrea is “Sipping Pretty this Summer with Emir and Trail Mix” at The Quirky Cork
Jeff says “Add Some Pop! to Your Summer of Rosé” at Food Wine Click!
Kat insists “Schiava is the Perfect Summer Red Wine for Grilling” at The Corkscrew Concierge
Finally, Linda serves up “Washington Pinot Gris for chilling on a lazy summer afternoon” at My Full Wine Glass

A couple of summers ago, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law rented a house in San Sebastián for a month. It was a HUGE bummer that we couldn’t swing getting away at the time to join them for a bit. I mean who doesn’t want to go lounge on a beach in a gorgeous Spanish resort town that’s famed for having a galaxy of Michellin Stars?! So jealous! I’m hoping we’ll be able to rectify the error in the future. It was all the more disappointing since I also love the wines from the Basque Country and would’ve loved to explore the area. *Sigh.* Someday.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

In the meantime, I can bring the dream home in the form of bottles of Txakolina, which I do fairly on the regular during the warm weather months. They’re among my favorite summertime wines. Txakolina, aka Txakoli (pronounced "Chock-o-lee,” and also spelled Chacoli, Txacoli or Chakoli), is the wine of the Basque Country. The wines don’t tend to be super complex, but it’s light, often sprtizy, refreshing, and all-around delightful. They also tend to be low in alcohol – between 9.5% and 11.5% – making it perfect to enjoy on chill summer days without worries of getting too zonked out, often an unfortunate side-effect of day drinking.

The Basque Country, or el País Vasco, is located in northeastern Spain, near the border with France. The region is on the Atlantic’s Bay of Biscay near the Pyrenees Mountains, with the Cantabrian Mountains to the west. The area isn’t really known for its wines, but as I said, they’re lovely and so easy to drink. The are three DOs: Arabako Txakolina, Bizkaiko Txakolina, and Getariako Txakolina. (It’s worth mentioning that Rioja’s Alavesa subregion is also in Basque Country, but that’s a different discussion.) All three DOs are quite small – among the smallest in Spain.

Map courtesy of WineFolly.com

Our wine today comes from Getariako Txakolina, the furthest east of the Txakolina DOs, just 18 miles from the French border. The DO lies right against the coast, organized around the towns of Getaria and Zarautz, and not far from San Sebastián. It’s the smallest of the three DOs, but it makes the most wine.

Map courtesy of Cellartours.com.

The area has a mild maritime climate. The Atlantic Ocean brings rain and has a cooling effect, but the majority of the vineyards are located on the southeast-facing slopes of the foothills of the Pyrenees. The hills shield the vines from some of the weather, creating milder micro-climates.

Image courtesy of Getariakotxakolina.eus

The Basque are known for being fiercely independent and keeping with that reputation, they’ve stuck with the region’s indigenous grapes. Their principal white grape Hondarrabi Zuri accounts for 95% of plantings, and red Hondarrabi Beltza is also planted, mostly for use in rosé wines. Despite having similar names, the grapes aren’t related in any way. The grapes are named for the nearby town of Hondarribia, and zuri and beltza mean “white” and “black” respectively. Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, Izkiriota / Gros Manseng, Izkiriota Ttippia /Petit Manseng, Riesling, and Chardonnay are all also permitted but are planted in small quantities.

As is the case with many old varieties, the origins of Hondarabbi Zuri are still a matter of debate, and it might actually be the case that the name is used for three completely different grapes in the region: Courbu Blanc, Crouchen, and Noah. However, Hondarabbi Zuri makes such a lighthearted wine that seems a little silly to get too far into the technicalities. (As prone as I might be to doing so!) Just like with the word Txakoli, you'll also find a million and one different spellings for the grape's name – just go with it.

Getariako Txakolina’s wines are meant to be drunk young and tend to be full of citrus flavors, hints of herbs, and lots of minerality. When you add in the hint of spritz you’ll find in the wines, you’re sure to find yourself picturing a day at the beach. The majority is clearly enjoyed in exactly this way since most of it never leaves the Basque region. It’s drunk in large quantities at pintxo bars where it’s often poured out of a porrón, a traditional glass pitcher that helps to enhance the fizz. It’s been gaining in popularity in the US since the early 2000s, and I am certainly happy to emulate the Basque in this respect.

Me pouring Takolina Rosé out of a porrón.

THE WINE & PAIRING

Ulacia is located in the fishing town of Getaria. The winery has been family-owned for three generations and is currently run by Julian and Maia Ulacia. The estate is small – only 6 hectares, producing 6,000 cases of wine per year – and they pay a lot of attention to quality. In 2009 they built a new winery in order to incorporate new technology so as “to create a txakoli with unique characteristics that evokes the green meadows of Getaria from where the grapes are obtained,” per the website.

This wine is simply fun and refreshing. On the nose, there were aromas of lime skin, grapefruit, fresh white flowers, and stones. The palate was similar but with notes of green pear, white peach, and key lime joining in. It’s fairly light in body with zingy acidity and a spritzy lift.

This is a wine I’ve had many times before, so I had lots of ideas of what to pair it with. It will love anything seafood. I’d been planning to make ceviche since that and a big helping of tortilla chips seemed like an ideal match, but we ended up having that just a few days before at some friends’ house. I ultimately decide to take inspiration from Bacalao al Pil Pil, a Basque dish involving salt cod cooked in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and chili, with straightforward fish and chips. I don’t love salt cod to begin with and frying cod filets is much, much quicker. While Pil Pil sauce is creamy and with a depth of flavor, I used similar flavors to infuse olive oil for a speedy topper. I swapped in jalapeños for the chilis, but feel free to use the pepper of your choice. I served the fish on simply roasted potato slices with a simple green salad. This dish definitely doesn’t have the complexity of Pil Pil, it’s simple, fairly quick, crispy, and has a punch of flavor.

It was also delicious with the wine! It was the type of combo that had us want to follow up each bite with a big swig of the wine. Super yummy!

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Fish or shrimp tacos, poké bowls, fried seafood – really anything fried – green olives, and light tapas would all make great pairings. I’ve shared a recipe for Parsley-Tomato Shrimp with Lemon Pepper Orzo on Nibbling Gypsy, which paired beautifully with another favorite Txakolina by Ameztoi. You’ll also find an example of a rosé version in this post.

For me, Txakolina exists in a very similar flavor camp to Vinho Verde, and to a slightly lesser degree Rías Baixas, so can you pretty much swap around the pairings.

THE GEEKY DETAILS

Taken from the 2020 tech sheet and the producer’s website.

A blend of 95% Hondarrabi Zuri and 5% Hondarrabi Beltza rooted in granite bedrock with a clay topsoil. Grapes are hand-harvested in late September or early October; direct pressing into steel tanks for fermentation and three-month elevage. Bottled with residual carbonic zing from the tanks.

Their vines range anywhere from 5 to 60 years old. The grapes are trained on trellises and arbors with south-facing exposition.

MONEY TALK

The average price of this wine is $20. I’m blanking out on where I picked it up, but that is about what I typically see it going for. It’s a Solid Value and I’ll continue to happily grab more bottles in the future!

fish

dinner, lunch

Spanish, Mediterranean

Servings: 2 to 4

By: Nicole Ruiz Hudson

Crispy Cod with Garlic, Jalapeños, and Lime

Prep Time: 10 MinCooking Time: 20 MinTotal Time: 30 Min

Ingredients

2 to 4 cod filets
Flour, for dredging (I used Wondra Flour, as it coats really well and burns less quickly than regular flour)
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeds removed (if desired), and thinly sliced
1 to 2 limes – 1 tsp zest, juice of ½ lime, and the rest cut into quarters for serving
2 Tbsp sliced green onions or scallions (about 4 to 5 spears), optional, for garnish
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Instructions

Pat down cod filets with paper towels to make sure they’re dry. Season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge through flour. Set aside.
Pour enough olive oil in a pan so that it comes up about a ¼ inch. (I prefer a non-stick pan for this purpose.) Add in the garlic and jalapeños and heat over medium to medium-high heat until the garlic is becoming fragrant and starting to turn golden. Spoon the garlic and jalapeños out of the pan and into a small bowl. Set aside.
Turn the heat up to medium-high heat, if it’s not already there. Make sure the oil remaining in the pan is hot enough to shimmer, then add the cod to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the fillets are golden brown. Carefully flip and repeat on the second side, cooking until the fish is fully cooked through. Transfer the filets out of the pan and season again with salt and pepper.
Remove the pan from heat and gently swirl in the lime juice (be careful, the oil might spit). Add the garlic and jalapeños back into the oil, along with the lime zest, and the majority of the green onions if using.
Serve the fish with the oil and garlic mixture spooned on top, and garnish with additional green onions if using. Serve with potatoes, rice, or vegetables.

https://www.sommstable.com/2021/06/Ulacia-Blanco-Getariako-Txakolina-and-Crispy-Cod-with-Garlic-Jalapenos-Lime.html

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thesommstable on instagram and hashtag it #sommstable

Created using The Recipes Generator

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The rest of the World Wine Travel (#WorldWineTravel) Blogging group is exploring the Basque region of Spain hosted by Jill Barth of L'Occasion. Check out their posts for more great pairings!

Basque Country Means Pintxos and Txakolina by Jeff at Food Wine Click
Fish Friday in the USA with a Spanish Txakolina Rosé by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
Two Versions of Txakoli, Perfect Summer Wines from Susannah at Avvinare
Pintxos and Txakoli - a celebration of Basque Country from Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles
Almejas en Salsa Verde (Clams in Green Sauce) + 2019 Zudugarai "Amats" Getariako Txakolina from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Basque Country Wines for Beginners and Great Food Pairings from Teri at Our Good Life
Recalling Spain: Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis and Shrimp from Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
Tasty Txakolina from Basque Country calls for fish by Linda at My Full Wine Glass
Basque’s Effervescent Txakolina from Gwendolyn at Wine Predator
The History of the Basque Culinary World Prize by Jill on L’Occasion

Additional sources used for this post and extra reading:

This post contains affiliate links, including these Amazon Associate links, from which I might receive a commission at no cost to you.

Lambrusco is a very misunderstood wine. Most people think of it as a sweet, fizzy red, but in reality, it’s made in a wide range of styles from sweet to dry, and dry is actually the more traditional style. Similarly, while it’s best known as a red wine, it comes in white and rosé styles as well. Today, we’re going to take a look at two bottles from these lesser-known camps – one rosé, or rosato since we’re talking about Italy, and one white, a blanc de noir.

Lambrusco is the name of the region in Emilia-Romagna the wine comes from, and it’s also the name of a whole family of grapes, rather than just one. Each one has its own distinctive personality ranging from aromatic and delicate to structured, deep, and dark. When I last took a look at a Lambrusco, it was an example at the deep end (check out that post for more background and details). The two bottles I’m exploring today come from the more aromatic grapes in the family.

Let’s jump into the light side.

Cantina Paltrinieri Radice Lambrusco di Sorbara 2019 with Chicken, Strawberry, and Nectarine Salad with Baked Goat Cheese

Blend: 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara | Price: $20 at K & L | Alcohol: 11.5%

Lambrusco di Sorbara

Lambrusco di Sorbara is known as the most aromatic and elegant of all the Lambrusco varieties, with lots of floral notes and delicate fruit flavors. It’s also the lightest and often looks more like a rosato rather than a red wine, even when it’s not made in a rosato style. The grape is grown predominantly around Modena, and the DOC is situated to the north of that city near the village of Sorbara.

According to DOC regulations, Lambrusco di Sorbara must make up at least 60% of the blend. Lambrusco Salamino can make up of 40% percent of the blend, and other Lambrusco subvarieties are also allowed to make up to 15% of the blend.

Cantina Paltrinieri

Cantina Paltrinieri is owned by Alberto Paltrinieri and his wife Barbara, the fourth generation to run the winery. It was begun in 1926 by Alberto’s grandfather Achille. Alberto took over in 1989 and created the first mono-mono-varietal Sorbara Lambrusco. Today, all but one of their bottling is made from 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara.

Image borrowed from Lyrawine.com .

They’re a quality-focused artisanal producer making only 20,000 bottles per year from 17 hectares located between the rivers Secchia and Panaro, which is considered to be the premier spot for this grape. They use sustainable and organic techniques for both their farming practices and production techniques although they’re not certified. (Occasionally, in particularly difficult vintages, they will use a little more copper on the vines than allowed by organic certifications.) The wines are made via indigenous yeast fermentations in stainless steel tanks, for the most part.

Today’s wine, Radice (which means “root”) is an exception. This rosato with a beautiful salmon pink color is made in via the ancestral method. To make sparkling wine by this method, the first fermentation is halted, the wine is then bottled, and the secondary fermentation creates that lovely fizz then occurs in the bottle. (To read more about this method, check out Around the World Pét-Nat Party!) In this case, free-run Lambrusco di Sorbara juice is vinified with no skin contact. The wine is bottled and ferments in the bottle with native yeast. The resulting wine remains on the lees and is not disgorged, so you will likely find sediment in the bottle. Find more details on the winemaking here and here.

Tasting Notes: This wine always tastes like a spring day to me. Slightly green strawberries, tangerine skin, white peach, and watermelon rind are accompanied by a bouquet of wildflowers and herbs on the nose. The fruit notes return at the front of the palate with a hint of sweetness to round the mouthfeel, but then fades into a more tart fruit character laced with the savory herbs and flowers on the finish. There’s lots of acidity here to make your mouth water and refresh your palate.

Pairing: With the days starting to warm up and beautiful produce available at the farmers market near me, I decided to revisit a salad I’d made for an 8 & 20 years ago with strawberries and baked goat cheese, although I tweaked a couple of things and made a couple of additions. I had leftover roast chicken around, so I decided to use that in place of the turkey I used in the original recipe. I was excited to see peaches and nectarines at the market and thought that would also work with the wine, so I grilled them up and added them in. Instead of regular balsamic vinegar, I used a white balsamic vinegar I found at trader joes. This gained a beautiful pink color once I added strawberries to macerate in it. I tossed in a few sprigs of oregano into the vinegar as well as an afterthought, and it proved to be a key move. The flavor came through even more than I’d expected and really resonated with the herbal notes in the wine. I added a biscuit on the side, because why not?!

The wine paired beautifully with this version of the salad. The wine became crisper alongside the sweet fruit, but the hint of sweetness in the wine was just enough to allow it to hold its own against the fruit. The balsamic vinaigrette, oregano, goat cheese, and greens, all helped to balance out the flavors and spoke to the wine’s more savory notes. Just lovely!

I will quickly mention that I’ve also had Paltrinieri L’Eclisse and also enjoyed it very much.

Lini 910 Labrusca Lambrusco Bianco NV with Sushi

Blend: 100% Lambrusco Salamino | Price: $14.99 at K&L | Alcohol: 11%

Lambrusco Salamino

Lambrusco Salamino blends some of the best qualities of other Lambrusco grapes. It’s known for having the aromatic qualities of Lambrusco di Sorbara, along with the structure, creamy mouthfeel, and deep color of Lambrusco Grasparossa – although today’s wine skips color altogether. The grape gets its name from the long, compact cylindrical shape of its grape bunches, making them reminiscent of salami. And why not?! Lambrusco and salami make a fantastic match together.

Lini 910

The 910 here stands for the year Lini was founded – 1910. Oreste Lini established his operation in Corregio, in the heart of Emilia, making both wine and balsamic vinegar. It continues to be a family business and with over 100 years under their belts, they’re now in their fourth generation.

Image borrowed from Lini 910's website.

They make wines in both the Charmat/Martinotti method (the way most Prosecco is made) and in the Metodo Classico (the way Champagne is made). They were one of the first to make Lambrusco in this way, and they put years of research into doing so. The family is known for making their wines artisanal fashion with a trademark style that displays beautiful freshness and a classic dry character. Their wines undergo long second fermentations, and are held for longer than is typical so as to allow the bubbles to incorporate more completely into the wine. I wasn’t able to find much on their farming practices other than that they have long-standing relationships with their growers.

Their Labrusca Lambrusco Bianco in made via the Charmat method using Lambrusco Salamino grapes. The juice sees no contact with the skins, so it doesn’t get any color. The wine is then aged for three to four months in pressurized tanks and left in contact with the lees for added complexity and texture. Find more details on the wine here.

Tasting Notes: Pears, yellow plums, and almond paste greet you on the nose. Peaches and lemons join in on the palate along with white flowers, and blanched, salted almonds with a creamy mousse. It drinks a lot like a Prosecco, but it isn't quite as aromatic and with more savory notes mixed in with the fruit. It's simple, but lively and refreshing.

Pairing: When we lived in New York, I’d buy this wine often to pair with sushi. I haven’t seen it as often out here in the Bay Area, so grabbed a bottle when I saw it recently at K&L. I decided to stick with tradition and popped the bottle open with sushi takeout and was happy with the decision once again. The combination of delicate fruit, almond, and creamy mousse worked easily with pretty much all the sushi.

Both of these bottles are ideal for sunny weather and perfect for getting to know the lighter side of this family of grapes.

And ff you want to better get to know Italian sparkling wine, check out The Wide World of Italian Bubblies.