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

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 

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:

• 2 oz Pours: Looking at the World Through Rosé Colored Glasses
  
• Cooking to the Wine: Ultimate Provence Urban Rosé with Herbed Sous Vide Chicken Breasts and Roasted Eggplant Sheet Pan
  
• 2 oz Pours: Rosé After Labor Day
  
• Cooking to the Wine: Acquiesce Grenache Rosé with a Glazed Stuffed Pork Loin Roast (And A Visit to the Winery)
  

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.

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  

Join me for a conversation with Kristin Olszewski, creator of Nomadic Wines, a line of conscientiously made canned wines. Then stay for a casual rooftop brunch of smoked salmon sandwiches with herbed goat cheese spread paired with Nomadica’s Sparkling Rosé Monterey 2018 in support of the Bâtonnage Forum mentorship program. 

Nomadica’s Sparkling Rosé Monterey 2018 paired with smoked salmon sandwiches. Note that this wine was received as a media sample. No other compensation was received, and as always, all opinions are my own.

If you’re not on the canned wine bandwagon, it’s really time to rethink things and get over those pre-conceived notions. Canned wines are perfect for packing for hikes, picnics, or hanging by the water, and there are some really wonderful options out there, made by innovative, quality-conscious producers. It gets even better when buying the cans supports a good cause. 

I helped to organize the first two years of Bâtonnage Forum, a day-long event “stirring up the conversation on women in wine.” In 2020 it went virtual as Bâtonnage://Connect. Shortly after the conference, they also introduced a mentorship program pairing up women at different levels in their careers. While I didn’t attend, the 2021 forum was a hybrid affair with virtual panels and an in-person tasting event. 

It’s still possible to support the cause,  and as a bonus, you can drink well at the same time. This year Bâtonnage partnered up with Nomadica Wines to offer a canned sparkling rosé of Pinot Noir to benefit the mentorship program – 100% of proceeds go directly to the program. Like the rest of Nomadica’s wines, the grapes for this one are sustainably farmed, and the wine is made via low intervention methods, with minimal sulfur, is completely dry, and vegan. And of course, the wine is delicious with tangy notes of bright strawberries, raspberries, with a bit of white peach and delicate fizz.  

Nomadica’s founder and CEO ​​Kristin Olszewski has quite an impressive profile. She was on her way to a pre-med degree when she switched paths and decided to pursue wine instead. She worked as a sommelier at an impressive list of restaurants including Osteria Mozza, Husk, F10 Creative, and Straight Wharf, and is currently the Beverage Director at Gigi’s in Los Angeles. She was also named as one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 this year. 

I had a chance to talk to Kristin over email to get to know both her and Nomadica Wines a little better. 

Here’s our conversation.

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You earned degrees in Sustainable Agriculture and Gender Studies, so with hindsight, in some ways, it seems like the journey to creating a line like Nomadica was preordained. However, you nearly went down a very different road. You were on your way to a pre-med degree and applying to med-school when wine drew you in. What was it about wine that enamored you and called you down this path?

I’ve always worked in restaurants with inspiring Beverage Directors - smart, talented, interesting people who taught me how to love wine. I didn’t grow up in a family that drank wine, but once I began to learn that great wine didn’t need to be expensive (and wasn’t just for the ultra-wealthy), I was hooked. Wine is the perfect marriage of farming, storytelling, romance (and a little party). 

I love that mix of factors too!

You’ve worked at a pretty impressive list of restaurants. What have you loved and what have you found challenging about working as a sommelier and then wine director? How has your time on the floor influenced the wines in your brand?

My favorite thing about working the floor is the exhilaration of service, the thrill of getting a table who was originally intimidated to talk to a sommelier into their new favorite bottle of wine, and also having regulars become friends. It can be challenging from a lifestyle and health perspective. The long nights… I used to try and ensure I had commitments (a hike with a friend, coffee date, etc.) that incentivized me to get home early and take care of myself! 

That’s really smart and it’s so important to prioritize wellness. On the other hand, that exhilaration from service must be quite the rush since you’re continuing to work in restaurants even now. Has it been a challenge to start your own brand while maintaining the demanding hours of restaurant work? (I’d imagine the last year provided a bit of a break on that front.) How have you juggled the two?

It has been so difficult. I’m very lucky to work with great people at Gigi’s who are incredibly accommodating of my travel schedule and hectic existence. I know I’m a little crazy but as a buyer, you have the opportunity to taste so much wine! It’s truly the thing I’m most passionate about and tasting a beautiful wine really enhances my day. 

I’ve never worked in fine dining, but feel the exact same way – a beautiful wine can be completely enchanting.

I admit that I love the convenience of canned wines, but it took me a while to come around to them. I read that you too were skeptical about canned wines in the beginning. What brought you around and won you over?

My partner brought me a high-end Pinot Noir she’d convinced a winemaker to sell her for the can and it tasted AMAZING. I really went in wanting to hate it and my brain broke when I smelled that glass (I always pour my cans into the glass). Additionally, when I discovered the increased recyclability and insanely reduced shipping emissions, I was sold. 

That’s a great tip and I completely agree – whenever possible, I also pour canned wines into a glass.

Let’s move on to the Nomadica wines! The website notes that you choose grape varieties specifically for the can. What are you looking for in a grape to present in this format?

I source bright, fresh wines as those tend to be the best out of can. We also look for universally appealing flavor profiles. I always think to myself, “If I had this at a wedding, would everyone love it?”

That makes sense, now let’s talk about where those grapes come from. Nomadica pairs with carefully selected small producers to create the wines you release. What are you looking for in the producers you work with?

I look for sustainable farming practices, no pesticide usage in vineyards, no chemical additions of any kind done in the cellar. I’m also very grateful to really enjoy all the people I work with. Working with great humans truly does make life better. 

100%! All of Nomadica’s wines are made via low-intervention methods. Are there particular considerations for making low-intervention wines in cans?

None different than low-intervention wine in bottle! ;) We source from growers who practice sustainable farming, no chemical intervention in the cellar. I’m not a sulfur purist by any means, but you really don’t need it in the can so we don’t use it. 

That’s interesting regarding sulfur and cans – it does make sense.

The artwork on the various cans is really beautiful. How do you see the art integrating with the wine in each can, and with the brand as a whole? How do you search out the artists you work with? 

Something I noticed when working the floor is that so many wine-drinkers lack the language with which to describe their own tastes in wine - but they know what they like. As a sommelier, I used to work off of unconventional poetic imagery to break through that barrier (and make it less intimidating) rather than discussing the levels of tannin, etc. At Nomadica, because we don’t have that ability to talk directly to our customers all the time, we thought it would be fun to describe the flavor of the wine visually. Cue in the art! Each can acts as a tasting note for the wine inside. 

I love that!  Tell me about the artwork on this specific can by Alisha Sommer.

I wish I could take credit for selecting it but the incredible women of Batonnage were responsible for selecting it! Our entire team *loved* the photograph. Alisha’s also an incredible writer. I think Alisha has this distilatory (is that a word) quality to her work, it’s as though someone is handing you the purest form of an emotion. 

It’s really arresting. I also love the tasting notes for this wine you share on the website, particularly when you describe it as “eating raspberries inside of a waterfall.”  What’s the story of this rosé?

Growing up in Western Massachusetts, summertime always involved picking wild raspberries and swimming in rivers! When I tasted our Sparkling Rose for the first time, it immediately brought me back to that memory. I love how pure the fruit is in a California rosé while still having all that freshness and acidity one wants on a hot day! This pinot noir from Monterey, CA is the perfect expression of that. 

Any favorite pairings for this wine?

It's just *so* crushable. It pairs well with ceviche, fish tacos, burgers, fried chicken, raw salads, Mediterranean foo. I honestly think it's one of our most versatile wines! 

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In keeping with the go-anywhere spirit of canned wines, I decided to enjoy the can I received during a rooftop brunch. I wanted to keep the food similarly low-stress and portable, so I made smoked salmon sandwiches on Trader Joe's Everything Ciabatta Rolls layered with thick slices of heirloom tomatoes and a super simple herbed goat cheese spread. 

Obviously, this sandwich took inspiration from a NY bagel platter, but the ciabatta rolls have a softer, fluffier texture. Of course, you can substitute in whatever type of bread or bagel you prefer. I also thought the herbed goat cheese spread brought a little something special to the party and elevated the sandwich. It also worked beautifully with the wine and helped tie the sandwich and the wine together in a harmonious way. Paired with a sunny day, it all made for a wonderful weekend morning. 

cheese, spread

brunch, appetizer, sandwich spread

Servings: varied

By: Nicole Ruiz Hudson

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Herbed Goat Cheese Spread

Prep Time: 5 MinCooking Time: 5 MinTotal Time: 10 Min

This cheese spread is super simple and can easily be adapted to suit your tastes. It’s also a non-recipe, which means that you don’t need to be beholden to exact quantities.

Ingredients

• 4-oz log of goat cheese (Feel free to use a larger log and adjust the rest of the ingredients as needed. Or, if you don’t like goat cheese, you can also use cream cheese, or use a combination of the two)
• Picked thyme, starting with about 1 Tbsp (use less or more to suit tastes)
• Chopped chives or green onions, starting with about 1 Tbsp (use less or more to suit tastes)
• Heavy cream, start with 2 Tbsp and add in as needed, (you can also substitute sour cream or plain yogurt)
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and use an immersion blender to combine until you reach a creamy, spreadable texture, adding more cream gradually as needed. Adjust seasonings as needed.
2. You can also use a food processor or mix by hand.

https://www.sommstable.com/2021/08/rooftop-brunching-with-nomadica-rose-and-q-and-a-with-Kristin-Olszewski.html

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