Summer times, cool wines

A few weeks ago, I asked my wife if she had any ideas for the focus of my column this month. After only a moment’s reflection, she said, “How about summer-vacation wines?”

I wasn’t immediately sold on the idea. I didn’t believe most people consciously compartmentalize wine in that way. From my experience, the average consumer has two basic classifications: everyday wines and special-occasion wines, with one’s budget as the major distinguishing factor between them. And what exactly is a summer-vacation wine? In the same vein, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend a winter-vacation or spring-break wine.

{mosads}So I brushed aside her advice — at my own peril, as usual — and proceeded to lose a cowardly battle with procrastination and writer’s block. Then, as my best friend Ben and I were sampling a few bottles last weekend, he casually remarked, “This would be a good boat wine.” Boat wine? That’s an even more esoteric category than summer-vacation wine.

Ben is an unapologetic epicure who spends summers on his boat cruising Maine’s glorious Casco Bay. When I pressed him on the specific qualities of a boat wine, he explained: “First, it has to be refreshing. It has some interesting fruit, but nothing so elaborate you feel guilty drinking it from a stem-less plastic disposable cup. At the same time I refuse to be relegated to drinking jug wine that tastes like grapefruit juice mixed with Everclear. Not essential, but a screw cap is handy when sloshing about. And it’s not too pricey, so you don’t have to worry about spills, or having to share with boat guests.”

The more I thought about Ben’s well-considered definition, I realized it would also make for a fitting description of a summer-vacation wine. I identified the following selections with those characteristics in mind.

• Covey Run Dry Riesling Columbia Valley 2006 ($8): Honeysuckle aromas precede succulent flavors of honey, nectarine and peach. The finish is a rare combination of rich and refreshing.

• Snap Dragon Chardonnay California 2007 ($8): Refreshing and perfectly balanced (especially for the price); spicy orange, pear and melon fruit finishes with a delicate but long aftertaste.

• Bad Dog Ranch California Pinot Noir 2006 ($10): Pretty rose scents with juicy cherry, strawberry and rhubarb flavors. Serve this red slightly chilled. Fifteen minutes in fridge will bring out its best qualities.

• Saintsbury Carneros Vincent Vin Gris of Pinot Noir 2008 ($15): This is one of my top-ten favorite wines for any season, but it’s best enjoyed with the summer sun on your on your face.

A little more information on this last wine: Vin Gris is the name used in Burgundy, France, for a delicate, refreshing pink wine made from Pinot Noir. This is a vin gris saigné, a wine made from juice “bled” from Pinot Noir tanks before fermentations begin. Cranberries, red raspberries, strawberries and pomegranate permeate the nose and palate, with a subtle expression of spicy nasturtium weaved throughout. The label, a Van Gogh-style pastel of the vineyard circa summer 1889, set against its dark cherry juice makes it one of the prettiest screw-cap bottles on the market.

Sip, share and savor these summer wines, whether you are vacationing on land or sea.

Derek M. LaVallee, certified wine buff, can be reached at dereklavallee@hotmail.com.