THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506150051
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F6 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: HUMBLE STEWARD
SOURCE: JIM RAPER
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
FULL-BODIED REDS such as the better Bordeaux and California cabernet sauvignons are the wines that warm my cockles. But who wants warm cockles when the outside temperature and humidity level are coinciding at 90?
Summer in Hampton Roads calls for lighter, brighter wines, which for most people means white.
But red-wine lovers need not despair. Many reds are soft enough to be served chilled, and unassuming enough to be described as refreshing.
The lighter reds are easier to drink in summer than are some whites. An example of a heavy white would be a California chardonnay that has been liberally dosed with oak and has surrendered much of its freshness and green-apple acidity to malolactic fermentation. The typical ``big'' chardonnay is pushed into this secondary fermentation to convert crisp malic acid into milder, buttery lactic acid.
Also, ``big'' California chardonnays are made from choice, ripe grapes that have loads of sugar in them and therefore produce wines that are high in alcohol. (Primary fermentation converts sugar into alcohol.)
On a recent warm and humid evening, I foolishly drank several glasses of a ``big'' California chardonnay that had an alcohol content of 14.5 percent. I regretted it the next morning. A lot of readers complain of morning-after headaches brought on by red wines, especially when they have drunk the reds in warm weather. But a ``big'' chardonnay can be just as punishing for overindulgence as a heavy cabernet, red zinfandel or Rhone red.
So if chardonnay is your wine of choice in summer, select the lighter, less alcoholic and - usually - less expensive bottles. Wait until autumn to buy the ones labeled as ``reserve'' or ``barrel fermented.''
If you would rather drink reds in summer, here's some advice:
Beaujolais wines from France are probably the most popular of the refreshing reds. They have lively acidity and an unabashed fruitness. In addition, they are not at all harsh, even when chilled. (Chilling can make a more tannic wine taste bitter.)
The Beaujolais district is the southern stretch of Burgundy, but the grape used for the wine is the gamay, not the pinot noir of the more northern Cote d'Or. The different grapes as well as different winemaking practices explain the difference between a red Beaujolais and a red Burgundy.
Wine from the district may be labeled one of three ways: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages or by the name of a specific ``cru'' village (Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint-Amour).
The single-village crus are the best and most expensive, but the Beaujolais-Villages are close behind in quality. The 1993 and 1994 vintages of Beaujolais-Villages are very good, and the widely available Georges DuBoeuf examples are excellent values at about $8.
Gamay grapes also are grown in California, and a small number of wineries there are bottling a varietal labeled as gamay or gamay Beaujolais.
These are fruity and simple reds that are especially refreshing when chilled to about 65 degrees (about an hour in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in ice). And, like the red Beaujolais, they usually are best when drunk within three or four years of vintage date.
Five to try, each of which costs $8 to $9, are the Mirassou 1992 Cru Gamay Monterey County, Beringer 1993 Gamay Beaujolais North Coast, J. Lohr 1993 Monterey Gamay Wildflower, Geyser Peak 1994 Gamay Beaujolais Sonoma County and Preston 1994 Gamay Beaujolais Dry Creek Valley.
California also sends us light and fruity pinot noirs that take well to chilling for summer enjoyment. Most of these wines cost less than $10 and, although pleasant, do not aspire to the complexity of a fine pinot noir.
Dependable inexpensive pinots have come in recent vintages from Mountain View and Monterey Vineyard.
The Napa Ridge 1993 Pinot Noir North Coast, which is often discounted to $6, is a delightful red that can be served chilled to just below room temperature.
This wine even has some complexity to it. At this year's The Best American Wine competition sponsored by the Dallas Morning News, the Napa Ridge 93 Pinot bested a slew of other pinot noirs costing $30 or more to win a coveted gold medal.
Other domestic reds to choose for summer quaffing would include the lighter red zinfandels.
Tailor-made for picnics and ice buckets is the Montevina 1993 Brioso California. This wine is vinified from zinfandel grapes subjected to carbonic maceration, which is the fermentation process that gives red Beaujolais its signature fruitness. The 1993 vintage produced an excellent Brioso, and its price of $7 is easy on the pocketbook.
Merlots are much softer than cabernet sauvignons and therefore easier to drink during warm weather. But I don't recommend chilling merlots below 70 degrees. For informal dining, try the Mirassou 1992 Merlot Central Coast Limited Bottling ($12) or the Kendall-Jackson 1992 Merlot California Vintner's Reserve ($14).
A grab bag of other summer reds could include the Rioja crianzas of Marques de Caceres and Conde de Valdemar ($8 to $9); a Valpolicella classico or dolcetto from Italy (various producers offer these for about $12); and an inexpensive cabernet franc from France's Loire Valley such as the Peron 1993 Saumur ($6).
by CNB