It's hot - Whatcha drinkin?

Al and I were talking about the pod cast last week.   We've been experiencing a heat wave here in Northern California.   Temps in the 90s+ during the day and 70s at night.  Our usual temps are in the low 90s for high and high 50s at night (gotta love that coastal fog!).   Needless to say we both said "Its hot!" followed by whatcha drinkin? 

When the weather turns hot I think of cold frosty carbonated things -namely beer!   For me lighter beers work well in the summers.   This summer my fridge has been stocked with Trumer Pilsner,  Lost Coast Great White, Sierra Nevada Summerfest, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat,  Rose from Modus Operandi Winery and Paradise Ridge Sauvignon Blanc.   I've also had some yummy Rose a friend of mine made.   All adding up to  a refreshing summer...   

In Sonoma County if you live in a home near the coast that was built before 1990 chances are that your home doesn't have central air conditioning.  Most people squelch the heat with ceiling fans, a trip to the movie theater, a drive to the coast and as Bill has offered a good quality cold beer gets the job done as well.  What type of wine do you drink on those hot summer days?  We'll share some of our current favorites.

Inama Vin Soave 2011 Soave Classico is the entry level Soave for Inama.  They make two others from single vineyard plots that are barrel fermented.  This wine is 100% Garganega from thirty plus year old vines and is raised in stainless steel from start to finish.  The wine is allowed to go through malolactic fermentation and is matured in steel for eight months prior to bottling.  This Soave has a golden straw color with apple, pear, lemon and spice on the nose.  The palate shows apple and pear fruit, medium body, with a rich creamy texture on the mid palate.  The finish is medium length, crisp and mineral.  Try it with bruschetta, roasted chicken, seafood and salads.  The moderate alcohol of 12 % and the round full flavors make this wine a real crowd pleaser and easy on the wallet at $12 to $15 a bottle.  importer: www.DallaTerra.com

We've been firing up the grill on a regular basis and our go to red has been Ca' De' Medici's Terra Calda Lambrusco.  With a slight chill this fizzy red is a perfect partner for bbq chicken, burgers, pizza and sausages.  To learn more about this wonderful wine and other Lambrusco's check out our pod cast and www.Lambruscoday.org.  Put Terra Calda on your wine buying list but be forewarned, you won't be able to keep enough in the house.  importer: Tosco Wines Inc.

Summer time equals lot of Riesling in our household and we've been popping corks and twisting caps on several German wines.  We first discovered Reinhold Haart's wines through the www.winerambler.net a blog primarily dedicated to German wines.  I'd seen Reinhold Haart wines on shopping trips but for some reason I had never purchased a bottle.  If you enjoy German wines you really only have to try one Reinhold's offering and you'll become hooked.  Don't let the long name scare you; Reinhold Haart's 2007 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett has become our house Riesling for the summer.  At twenty dollars a bottle our budget does not allow for us to open a bottle every night, but then that would be too much of a good thing.

When we first tasted this Piesporter we tried it along side a 2008 Weingut Pfeffingen Herrenberg Ungstein Riesling Trocken from the Pfalz region of Germany.  Besides an excellent lesson in how two wines made from the same grape can vary so differently in style because of terroir and wine making input, this excercise helped reinforce why so many people treasure rieslings from the Mosel.  Good quality Mosel riesling is all about powerful yet delicate aromatics, purity of fruit and a razor thin tightrope of tension between the fruit and acidity of the wine on your palate.  The bouquet of the Pfeffingen spoke loudly, however the Reinhold whispered softly yet had so much more to say.  This Piesporter barely shows its age with a light pale golden color.  The bouquet of slightly honeyed apricots and nectarines shows through on the palate as well.  Impeccably balanced with a long clean finish this wine drinks well above its retail price of $20.  While drinking well now this Reinhold will continue to develop complexity for several more years.  Buy some and cellar some if you have the discipline.  Undoubtedly one of the best bang for your buck Mosel Rieslings we've come across in some time.  importer: www.rudiwiest.com 

That's what we've been drinking.  How have you been beating the heat lately and what have been some of your beer and wine discoveries?