Pink and White, Summer Delight?

Saucyman's wine contributor, still unnamed and anonymous, offers a few thoughts on red wines in the summertime.

Summer Reds?

The rule that red wine goes with meat and white with fish has been set aside for a better, though less sure set of guidelines. Likewise, opinion has changed on the subject of temperature and wines. (New York Times, The Pour: Reds on Ice? It's Not Heresy).

My governing rule for wine is drink what you like, for me this means enjoying reds no matter what the calendar or the temperature has to say. Big flavor and aroma can be even more intense when the temperature rises. In the States, reds are serious business, stemmed glasses and vintages but across the Mediterranean, red wine isn’t all dress up and fancy pants. Spain, which is both hot and home to a red wine culture, has a few different ideas on what to do with red wine in the warm weather.

Spain combats the heat with sweet and cold. There are red wine based drinks like vino de verano, calimocho, and Sangría. Sangría is the most familiar of the group. Sangría at its most basic, is wine, brandy, juice, and fruit. Sugar, soda, various liqueurs, any wine, and every conceivable fruit are used in popular recipes in Spain, Portugal and Mexico. Based on my fieldwork - the key to this drink is time. A freshly prepared Sangría made only minutes before consumption misses; the drink improves as the fruit macerates: The alcohol extracts additional flavors & aromas from the fruit, the fruit soaks in the flavor of wine, and it is truly a virtuous circle. Start early when making this at home and if traveling - Look for a large jar or punch bowl at the bar.

If Sangria seems like a waste of good, well, okay wine, then Calimocho, or Rioja libre will seem sacrilegious. Not that Spaniards think poorly of the Northern Europeans who travel south to soak up their sun, but a lesser-known moniker for this drink is “Blonde’s Death”. The drink is made of red wine and cola in equal amounts, really. This drink is common throughout Spain, possibly originating from Basque revelers needing something to do with their off tasting wine. The cola has such an overpowering flavor and super high sugar I would encourage you to use it with wine under $5 (per bottle) in its preparation.

A more approachable but equally simple beverage is vino de verano or tinto de verano. This combination of red wine and club soda or lemonade poured over ice is available throughout Spain and variations are common. Be careful when ordering or you can end up with a combination of wine with Fanta and no, Fanta I don’t wanta! Tinto de verano con limón was intended to be an order for red wine, soda water and a lemon slice. Sherry wine, sugar, strawberries, orangeade - other additions or substitutes are used in localized versions of this drink.

My advice for summertime reds… begin with a wine you could drink by itself then mix it with something. Add fruit. Add soda. Add ice. Any or all of these suggestions will help red wines pair well with sunshine. It is a great way to eat fresh fruit and enhance the flavor of many wines. It is easy, no bartending classes needed. Go get your corkscrew and a pairing knife.


The summer doldrums are over - Saucyman will be updating with a vengeance - Watermelon, the new Belgiumweiser, Iced Tea and a few other surprises before July closes out.