Refreshing Summer Wines

Is anything more delicious than a lazy July day? This is the perfect time of year to enjoy the fruits of the earth — meals easily made with ingredients from the garden or the farmers market. In summer, too, people turn toward the fresh, clean tastes in a glass of chilled white wine.

The earthy horseradish zing in the Smoked Trout with Horseradish Crème Fraiche suggests a bright, dry Riesling to balance the palate with nice floral notes and a luscious soft texture. Look for a Riesling from a high hillside German vineyard, where the rocky soil and river breezes put a little more structure in the wine. In California , there are some good Rieslings coming out of Monterey County, so you could compare our progress to the “gold standard.”

The Madeira Beef Filet is a substantial dish rich with red wine flavor. In summer, I’d serve a Syrah, with its spice and herbal character and medium body. The acid backbone and soft tannins of the wine will made the beef seem light and tender. Look for a bottle from a good Northern Rhone producer, or you could try one of our cool climate California Syrahs.

Keep in mind that when the weather is really hot, there is nothing wrong with chilling a red wine a little to make it more refreshing and lighter on the palate. A well-made red will keep its substance when chilled, and the slow release of layers of flavor as the wine warms in the glass can be a very enjoyable experience.

The Aromatic Rice and Pearl Barley Salad brings to mind a nice Chardonnay — one of the lighter variety, steel fermented, not too much oak conditioning. You can easily find a Chardonnay that will chorus nicely with the melon and fruit in the recipe — look for those harmonies rather than contrast. The sweet elements in this recipe should tame the vinegar and prevent it from interfering with the wine.

This brings us to the topic of wines with dessert.  The recipes offered this month each suggest slightly different wines, but the question is, “Should we serve wine with dessert?”  As with any wine question, there is no single answer.

There are hundreds of sweet wines, what the Aussies call “stickies,” that can be a stand-alone dessert in themselves. Each of these wines has its own nature and distinct flavor that can be paired with particular foods. Some of the stickies are great poured over plain ice cream, like butterscotch or honey. Then there are the fortified wines, like Port, which stand alone or pair with foods. These wines are sometimes paired with salty-savory last courses like cheese and nuts, but Port with chocolate can be a perfect pairing.  And, always, I mean always, there is Champagne, a perfect way to start or end any meal.

I think you have to take an overview of your entire meal plan, or broader yet, the plan for the day or night when you are serving your guests. How much is enough? Do you want to orchestrate a light, rising note at the end of your symphony, or go for one more flavor crescendo?

Wine should add balance to your meal and pleasure to your life. Too much of a good thing can test the tastebuds (and tummies) of your guests.

Gina Gallo is the award-winning third generation winemaker for Gallo of Sonoma.