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Jun 19

Affordable wines choices to enjoy during the summer: Wine Press – newportri.com

Diets that Work Comments Off on Affordable wines choices to enjoy during the summer: Wine Press – newportri.com

Len Panaggio| Newport Daily News

Sunday is Fathers Day and a day to celebrate all those dads out there and of course, it is still not too late to grab a wine for the event.

For me, my choice would be a sparkling ros and as I always write here sparkling wines are not solely for celebrations, but for dining as well, however, I will say Father's Day is a reason to celebrate. And I have threechoices, at varying price points that I heartily endorse.

First, the economical one is N/V Domaine Ste. Michelle from Washington state, which is a true value sparkling ros for around $19. Moving up a notch or two I would suggest M/V Roederer Estate Brut Ros made in Mendocino, California by the famed French Champagne producer Louis Roederer. This should cost around $40 and is a stunning example of a great sparkler. Lastly, for a real celebration, I would urge all to try the N/V Laurent-Perrier Cuve Ros. I probably like this the most as it is made solely from pinot noir, so it exhibits many of the aromas of that wine. This should cost around $95 and is well worth it. Remember, sparkling wines pair with so many foods because they possess that all-important ingredient acidityand as summer approaches our food choices expand. Obviously, our local farms are selling their meat and produce, our fishermen are bringing in their catches and our oyster farmers are moving those gems right along.

So, summer officially begins Tuesday and I just wanted to plant the seeds of wine choices for your pairing pleasure. Before I start, to eliminate confusion, when dining whether at home or in a restaurant, do you choose the food first and then pair the wines, or do you choose the wines first and then choose the foods. Not trying to complicate the decision making process because at the end of the day, if you like what you have paired, that is fine. I always ask at the table in a restaurant, what are we choosing for food, then go from there. And, if invited to a friends home, I ask what is on the menu so as to take a bottle or two of what I think will work best.

So, for summer I think of threevarietals to choose from that for the most part will work with what is on our menus, aside from the aforementioned sparklers. First and foremost to me is that workhorse wine, pinot noir and its cousin, Gamay, more commonly referred to as Beaujolais. As our diets turn to lighter foods, pinot noir works so well with so many of those foods. It is also a lighter wine in body, very low in tannins and high in acidity. They are very flavorful and pair with a myriad of proteins that are lower in fat, including finfish sword, tuna and salmon come to mind immediately.

Burgundy, France is the benchmark by which all pinotnoir around the world is held to. But, buyers beware, they tend to be expensive which is why I mentioned Beaujolais, which is next to Burgundy, as a lower priced version of pinot noir, they are very similar. Another reason I like these wines is that they benefit greatly from a slight chilling which adds to their enjoyment. Without getting too geeky, look for wines made by Louis Jadot or Louis Latour. They both make great examples some at staggering prices, but many affordable ones, too many to mention here.

My next go to wine is Sauvignon Blanc. Again, the wines of the Loire Valley in France are the benchmark of the grape, most notably those made in the Sancerre region. This grape is grown all over the world and there are so many great ones grown in California and New Zealand specifically. Pascal Jolivet is a popular Sancerre for around $39, Cloudy Bay is an awesome New Zealand choice at $45and for Napa Valley, grab a Cakebread coming in at $35. All of these should be readily available in your favorite store and most will appear on restaurants with good lists.

Last, but not least is the wine that has finally taken hold in America, that being ros. Not to bore you, but Provence, France is also the standard bearer for these wines. With the explosion of the popularity of ross, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, and there are so many good ones to choose from, but for here, I will stick to Provence. Three come to mind. The one that has captivated the consumer is Whispering Anger produced by Chateau DEsclans, this checks all the boxes-price, $23, quality, pedigree and availability. Next is Chateau Miraval, which is owned by Brad Pitt, but is made by the Perrin Family of Rhne fame. It is a great bottle from a wonderful property, at about $25. Lastly, Domaine Ott which makes several levels of ros but the one to start with is Ott by Ott, coming in at again $26. As you can see, these wines wont break the bank, but will make your day. And contrary to popular belief, these wines work well with lighter foods, or, no foods, all year round.

So my message is to think about these wines, do some planning and try them all out, do some homework and enjoy them.

This months PSA. As you all are aware, the struggles continue for the hospitality industry. I am now seeing price increases as they just cant hold the line any longer. I do still consult for a few restaurants and I constantly remind them that pricing is not going to relax, that they have to raise prices. This is the reality we are dealing with now. Along with shortages and labor issues, it is not a fun time for operators. So, please support our wonderful restaurants, be patient, be kind and tip well!Happy Fathers Day and Happy summer!

Len Panaggio is a wine consultant and former corporate beverage director for Newport Harbor Corp. Send feedback and suggestions to lcp23223@gmail.com. The Wine Press runs each month in The Daily News and online at newportri.com.

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Affordable wines choices to enjoy during the summer: Wine Press - newportri.com

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