It’s Too Darn Hot: Wines to Cool You Off

All this hot weather has most of us grabbing for something cold and refreshing. Right now, we need light, dry, and thirst-quenching wines just right for quaffing. Spain, southern France, and Italy get their fair share of hot weather with stark sunshine and the occasional sirocco, so they figured out how to create refreshing wine long ago.

Americans have a love affair going on with Pinot Grigio. Alois Lageder’s Riff Pinot Grigio ($10) is a delicious wine that has all of Pinot Grigio’s benefits but with a touch more oomph than usual. The Spanish along the Bay of Biscay are big fans of a Basque wine called Txakoli. This wine has three main benefits: good acidity to match up with the local shellfish, just the tiniest frizz to clean the palate, and a price that runs $5-10 a bottle. The wine costs more in the U.S., but the brand Xarmant Txakoli often shows up for around $12. Finally, wines from around the French town of Tavel are always a treat. Imagine grinding a light dusting of white pepper over some fresh raspberries, and you have a good idea of what it’s like to sniff Château d’Aqueria’s Tavel Rosé ($17). Drink all of them cold!

Alois Lageder’s Riff Pinot Grigio is available at the Austin Wine Merchant, the Xarmant Txakoli is on hand at Spec’s, while Central Market North and several Spec’s carry the Château d’Aqueria Tavel Rosé.


This article appears in August 7 • 2009.

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Wes Marshall is the author of What's a Wine Lover To Do? (Artisan) and The Wine Roads of Texas (Maverick), as well as the Executive Producer of the PBS television series of the same name. Wes has written for The Austin Chronicle since 1999, covering wine, cocktails, food, and travel.