As the warmer weather approaches (fingers crossed), it is time to switch to lighter wines. Wines with lower alcohol taste fresher. They tend to have vibrant, thirst-quenching fruit that matches the lighter foods we enjoy over the summer months. Whites and rosés have a zesty citrus note; red wines usually have lower alcohol and lighter tannins too.
Lighter white wines are perfect served well chilled alongside summery salads, white meats and all kinds of seafood, or to sip in the shade on a hot, sunny day. Try to match the wine with whatever food you are serving. Salmon and tuna have more texture and flavour, and are best paired with richer white wines, rosés and light red wines. Pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc are the most popular summer whites, but albariño, unoaked chardonnay, verdicchio and assyrtiko are all good alternatives.
This is the time of year that rosé wines come into their own. Of course, they make perfect beach and poolside wines but they are also great wines to drink alongside all kinds of dishes, from salads to white meats. Provence rosé is the most popular, but virtually every country offers a good alternative.
Red wines with lower alcohol can provide a very enjoyable refreshing note, especially alongside mixed cheeses and cold meats. Serve lighter red wines lightly chilled. Pinot noir and gamay make great summer wines, and I feature a few in this selection, but there are plenty of other options too.
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ROSÉ WINES
Specially Selected Organcio Costa Toscano Rosé 2023
Light plums and red cherries with good cleansing acidity and a dry finish. 12.5%, €8.99, from: Aldi.
Gai’a 4-6 Agiorgitiko 2022, IGP Peleponnese, Greece
Pale in colour with delicate floral aromas and light strawberry and redcurrant fruits. 12.5%, €13.95 down from €16.95, from O’Briens.
Domaine St Blaise 2023, Pays d’Oc, Laurent Miquel, Organic
Light pink hues with freshly crushed raspberries and strawberries. Summer in a glass. 12.5%, €15, from Tesco.
Integrale Pét-Nat Rosé Frizzante NV Organic
A delicious, lightly sparkling, slightly cloudy rosé with crunchy raspberry and peach fruits, finishing dry. Perfect summer drinking. 10.5%, €19.95, From Mitchell & Son, Sandycove, IFSC and Avoca outlets.
Minuty Prestige 2022, Côtes de Provence Rosé
Nicely scented with citrus peel and red summer fruits. Stylish and so summery. 12.5%, €28, from Bradleys, Cork; Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown; Higgins Clonskeagh; Basil, Cork; O’Driscoll’s; Cork; Malt House, Trim.
WHITE WINES
Chateau de L’Auberdiere Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Sur Lie 2022
Light refreshing green apple fruits with lively lemon zest. Great by itself or with seafood. 12.5%, €9.32 until June 3, From Dunnes Stores.
Aldi Specially Selected Picpoul de Pinet 2023
Light fresh apple fruits, with good intensity and a lip-smacking dry finish. 12.5%, €9.99, from Aldi.
Côte 238 Albariño, Pech Gentile Albarino 2023, pays d’Oc, Laurent Miquel
Lively, with a crisp mineral acidity and mouth-watering peach and lemon zest. Outstanding value for money. 12.5%, €12.80, From Dunnes Stores.
Cantina di Gambellare Monopolio Gambellara Classico 2022
Made from the garganega grape, a joyful fresh light wine with plump stone fruits and a fine crisp edge. 13%, €16.99, from Redmonds, D6; Barnhill Stores, Dalkey; 64 Wine, Glasthule; Martins, D3; Red Island Wine, Skerries; Red Nose Wine, Clonmel; Clontarf Wines.
Caü-ha-Pé L’Eclipse 2020 Vin de France Sec
Luscious exotic pineapples, nectarines and honey with lovely acidity and a dry finish. 14%, €19.95, from Red Island Wine, Skerries; Clontarf Wines; McHugh’s, D5.
Olivier Merlin Mâcon La Roche Vineuse 2021
A very superior Mâcon with seductive, rich, textured orchard fruits and peaches balanced perfectly by a firm mineral element. 13.5%, €31, from Baggot Street Wines; Deveneys, D14.
Steigler Furmint 2022, Sopron, Hungary
Full-bodied with intense stone fruits, orange peel, a steely backbone of acidity and great length. An excellent wine. 14%, €35, from Barnhill Stores, Dalkey; Blackrock Cellar; The Corkscrew, D2; Leonard’s Fine Wines, Trim; Pete’s, D5; Pinto Wines, D9.
RED WINES
Téofilo Reyes Ribera del Duero 2022, Spain.
Medium to fill-bodied with ripe spicy plum fruits, this is one to enjoy with barbecued white and red meats or roast Mediterranean vegetables. 14%, €13, from Dunnes Stores.
Delpaula Monastrell 2022, Manchuela, Spain
This charming wine is brimming with fresh rounded ripe dark fruits and spice. Great value for money, and a perfect all-purpose summer wine. 12.5%, €17, From Green Man Wines, D6W; Sweeney’s, D3; A Taste of Spain, D2; Martin’s, D3; MacCurtain’s, Cork; Baggot Street Wines.
Sempar 2019, Niepoort, DOC Alentejo
Fresh, smooth and moreish with pure strawberry and raspberry fruits and a tannin-free finish. 13.5%, €19.95, From Redmonds, D6; The Fumbally, D8; Bradleys, Cork; Neighbourhood Wine; Mortons, D6; Lilith, D7; Martins, D3; Barnhill Stores, Dalkey.
Saumur-Champigny 2021 Domaine Langlois-Chateau, Organic
Smooth light ripe blackcurrants and cassis with a springlike freshness. 13%, €19.95, from O’Briens.
Giannitessari Pinot Noir Veneto Rosso, 2022
From Italy, a glass full of delightful dark cherry fruits with a summery freshness and real finesse. 13.5%, €22, from Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown.
Szekszárd Kékfrankos 2021, Heimann & Sons, Hungary
Engaging, crunchy pure dark fruits that soothe and refresh. A sophisticated wine that draws you back to the glass. 12.5%, €29.50, from Blackrock Cellar; Clontarf Wines; The Corkscrew, D2; The Lamplight; Martin’s, D3; Pinto Wines, D8; Worldwide Wines, Waterford.
Blaufränkisch aus der alten Lage Klum, 2022, Heidi Schrock & Sohne
A very gluggable summery, light-bodied red wine with juicy dark fruits. 13.5%, €28.95, from Blackrock Cellar; The Corkscrew, D2; Gibneys, Malahide; WineOnline.ie.
Côtes de Brouilly 2021, Alex Foillard
Elegant, seductive plum and red cherry fruits with a velvety texture. Serve lightly chilled. 13%, €34.50, from Greenman Wines, D6W; Le Caveau, Kilkenny; Matson’s, Cork.
