Wines I Enjoyed This Summer

Summer is such an easy time to have community with your neighbors. You’ll see them out and about walking, stop for a chat at the mailbox, or wave when you see them in the yard. What a blessing it is to enjoy your neighbors!

The Wine for Normal People podcast recently shared an interesting note. Gen Z has swapped the idea of a physical “third place” for a virtual third place of interacting predominantly with social media. Instead of in person socializing outside of work and home, they stay alone and interact via computer or phone. They’ll use social media apps or gaming platforms to communicate.

Prior to the 2000s, the third place was usually a person’s church. With the rise of secularism, that was replaced with things like a bar, coffee shop, or health club. Now, it seems they’ve all been replaced with a smart phone.

I have a tendency to text my neighbors about 4pm to see if they are free the same evening. “Interested in me bringing over a bottle of wine to share over some chips or popcorn?” It’s low pressure, and we always have a nice time. Here are some bottles that I opened in July. I was sick with Covid for about 22 days of the month so not too many on here this month!

Hermann Moser 2022 Zweigelt Niederosterreich

Hermann Moser Austrian Zweigelt — This summer was all about the chilled reds for me ! A constant craving, the Austrian Zweigelts were top on my list.

A juicy Austrian red, best served chilled, this punches way above it’s under $20 price point. This is one of the first Austrian reds I’ve had since my afternoon with Austrian Wines all the way back in 2019. This was such an easier drinker on a hot day, and sort of jump started me into seeking additional chilled reds like more Zweigelts, Gamays, Lambruscos, and Frappato.

Medium Body
Medium Acid
On the Nose: Cherry, a hint of Anise, and Violet
On the Palate: Black raspberry, anise, white pepper and bursting with juicy cherries.

I enjoyed this with a Mediterranean Lamb Crunch Wrap; the zingy cherry and acid worked well the fat of the lamb and the diced mint in the mix.

Salentein Reserve 2020 Chardonnay

Salentin 2020 Chardonnay — If you can’t tell by the glass condensation, this Salentein 2020 Chardonnay was perfect on a very hot day!

When I spent an afternoon with Salentein Winery and their winemaker, it was my first wine event after having a child. I was worried I would be rusty, but with friends like Regine Rousseau and Kristy Wenz at our eight person lunch, it was a delight to be back with some of my mentors. At the time, their Valle de Uco Chardonnay knocked everyone’s socks off, and four years later, it did the same.

Full bodied
High Acid
Zippy with green apple, lime pith, a hint of salinity and white florals

This wine is aged for six months in French oak barrels, which helps with the body of the wine but doesn’t overwhelm the fruit. At 33 degrees latitude, and average temperatures for the year differing only by 40 degrees (32°F and 71°F), it is a high desert will plenty of irrigation from snowmelt moreso than rainfall. This is the type of Chardonnay I am looking for in the summer, reminiscent of something you’d find from Chablis or Willamette Valley. I’ve not yet found anything like it from California.

Becker Family Pinot Gris 2018

This 100% Pinot Gris from Germany’s Pfalz region shocked me out of the bottle as it was a salmon hue that I was not expecting. Skin contact from it’s skin and aging had it looking more like a rosé than a white wine.

Medium Body with a nice roundness to it
Medium Acid
On the Nose and Palate: this wine was direct in terms of scent and taste, with ripe apple, chamomile and pear notes.

I was left wondering if this is how Pfalz Pinot Gris is supposed to be, or if the aging, a somewhat happy accident, allowed me a unique experience with this wine.

Valdo Marco Oro Rosé Prosecco

This rosé Prosecco of 90% Glera grapes and 10% Pinot Noir, was a perfect pairing with some chicken fajitas and homemade salsa. At 11% alcohol content, the sugar in this off dry selection was my savior. Homegrown jalapenos picked thirty minutes ahead of serving, have a heat reserved for the seventh rung of Danté’s inferno! My mouth was on fire, and as someone who avoids dairy, the cold wine with bubbles and slight sugar helped soothe the burn.

Light body with small bubbles and a gentle fizz
Medium bodied
On the Nose: White Peach, Underripe Apricot and a hint of Baby’s Breath flowers
On the Palate: Strong note of melon with medium acid and lemon pith. A long finish that reveals more complexity as the wine sits for a little while.

Bonfadini Franciacorta Satèn DOCG Carpe Diem

Earlier this year, I had the chance to attend an intimate Franciacorta blending seminar. I learned about the intricacies of Franciacorta, and answered the age old question, is Franciacorta “Italian Champagne”? It is here where I first learned of the Franciacorta designation for Satèn. With one less atmospheric pressure under bottle in comparison to standard Franciacorta, this wine offers the bubbles with finesse. There’s a gentle sweeping of bubbles across your entire tongue, as if someone just rolled out a carpet of tiny effervescence across your palate.

The wine is made with part of the grapes heading to stainless steel tank fermentation for seven months, with the rest of the grapes age in toasted French oak barrels for seven months.

What really stood out to me about this wine is how full bodied it is. At 100% Chardonnay, it truly did have the weightiness of drinking cream, but the bubbles provided the levity that made The Wine Pair wonderfully with a heavily spiced steak fajita.

Full bodied
On the nose: yeasty and bready notes dominate; cream, lime, fennel, almond
On the tongue: Extremely round mouthfeel, with equisite minerality. Chamomile and grapefruit, as well as lime, with a long almond finish.

In the next couple of months, I’ll be attending a few more professional wine events that I’m looking forward to. On top of that, I have been studying for a new wine certification over the past month that I am hoping to complete in the next month. Looking forward to sharing that with readers soon!