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PrintSummer thirst-quenchers
As the heat of Oklahoma summer slips in, cool down with a flavorful, high-acid white wine.
Nigl Gruner Veltliner 2008, Austria — $21.89
Summer solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere on June 21. The word “solstice” is a combination of Latin words translating to “sun” and “to stand still.” When summer days lengthen, the sun rises high in the sky until it reaches the point it appears to stand still. On this very long day — the first day of summer — you can bet I’ll be sipping a refreshing white wine and savoring this celestial occurrence.
White wine comes into great favor during hot summer days and nights. With higher acidity (think of squeezing a lemon into your mouth) than most red wines, white wines can quench your thirst and make great food partners.
Here’s one example: When eating salmon, what do many people add to the fish? A squeeze of lemon. It accentuates the delicious flavors and makes them pop. Pairing foods with a high-acid white wine has the same effect, particularly for fish, salads with vinaigrette or other dishes with citrus flavors.
Three of my favorite white wines to celebrate summer solstice are dry: German Riesling, Albarino from Spain and Gruner Veltliner from Austria.
Many people don’t know that German Riesling, or any Riesling for that matter, is made in a dry style. In German, the word “trocken” means “dry.” Look for that important word on German wine labels if you want your Riesling dry. Lovely fruit flavors of crisp apples, bosc pear, lemon zest and slate will fill your mouth.
Albarino is also delicious. It is dry with hints of minerality and summer flavors of ripe peaches, nectarines, pears, apples and lemon.
Gruner Veltliner, also called Groovy or GV, is dry with apple, pear and lemon flavors; hints of white pepper; and a green/herbaceous character. It has a beautiful chalky minerality on the palate.
Make this summer solstice a day to remember by sipping something worthy of a new season’s start.
SIPS AROUND TOWN
Stonehorse Café
For a terrific summertime thirst buster, bartender Liz Findeiss recommends the Tangent Albarino from Edna Valley, Calif. It is zesty, zingy and refreshing with lively peach, pear and baked apple flavors ($10/glass; $40/bottle).
1748 Utica Square, 712-7470
P.F. Chang’s
Bartender Gary Trammell says there is no better cure for Oklahoma’s summer heat than a glass of Pacific Rim Riesling from Columbia Valley. It is crisp and loaded with flavors of lemon, apple and ripe pears ($7/glass; $26/bottle). He also adores the Fillaboa Spanish Albarino ($8/glass; $28/bottle).
1978 Utica Square, 747-6555
SIPS AT HOME
Feelin’ groovy
Nigl Gruner Veltliner 2008, Austria — $21.89
Because GV is so hip to drink, especially in larger markets such as New York and Chicago, you’ll definitely be the cool kid on the block if you spring this on your friends. It’s crisp, light and refreshing. It is also delicious with many vegetable dishes because of its herbaceous character.
New kid on the block
Laxas Albarino 2008 Rias Baixas, Spain — $13.99
If you have grown tired of Chard, this will be your new best friend. In blind tastings, I always called this my “sweet and sour wine” because it starts out on the front palate with ripe and sweet peach flavors and then goes bone dry. It has beautiful limestone minerality and high acidity under all the ripe fruit.
Thirst buster
Schloss Vollrads 2008 Trocken (dry) Riesling, Rheingau, Germany — $19.29
Most master sommeliers I know adore German Riesling — dry or sweet. This has high acidity, a whiff of petrol on the nose and palate, and lovely flavors of baked apples, pears and lime zest. It’s zingy and hard to put down once you start drinking.
