Blog: Dog Days Wine Guide 1/2 | Expertise

"Whether in a restaurant, at your home, or on vacation, special attention must be paid to wine selection during the summer months. Because nothing is more annoying on the dog days, than wrong tempered or simply unsuitable wine. The recommendation of the Sommerlier should always fit the hot season and be particularly suitable for warm days due to their typology, origin, structure and maturation. We summarize the most important tips for you, whether you are vacationing on Elba or on the balcony.'

What is summer wine?
Perfect for the dog days are generally white wines and rosé, as well as sparkling wines and occasionally light reds of the latest vintage, which come on the market at the end of early spring. Dry or sweet, still or sparkling wines that already a few months after production have a balanced taste with an intense, fragrant and pleasant bouquet of floral and fruity scents are suitable. It is not advisable to use wines that are basically intended to be stored for a long time in the bottle or that need to be aerated in a cumbersome way. Even a relatively low serving temperature does not change the organloeptic properties of these products.

Finding such wines is not difficult: specialized retailers, mail-order companies and producers alike take care of delivery to consumers, restaurants and hotels. Be it in the local area or along the Ligurian Rivera or Adriatic Sea, on the Costa Smeralda or in the various tourist areas in the mountains. Far more important are some criteria that you should consider when choosing wine, it does not matter whether you choose from your own stocks or consult the wine list of a restaurant.

Italian wine at the top
In no other wine-growing country in the world is there such a wide selection of wines that, due to their typology and variety, are suitable for the hot season. Nothing new, but after a careful examination of Italian versus international products, a very similar situation has emerged to that of a few years ago, when the 'Mediterranean' cuisine was rediscovered in comparison to the 'imported' one. Of course, such wines are not capable of aging, but should still be drunk during their year of production. They please because of their characteristics: they are fresh and fragrant, unique and inimitable.

Wine from the previous year
For a prudent choice, adapted to our needs in relation to the 'outside temperature', to other eating habits and tastes, an expert should be consulted. In fact, in addition to the wide range of vintage wines, there are just as many wines of the previous year with a slower but more complete evolution, as they also go well with dishes of the warm season. These wines are more structured, balanced and persistent in taste, have a more multifaceted bouquet with hints of ripe fruit, flowers, herbs and sometimes spices. For their full enjoyment, they should be served chilled, but not cold, so as not to affect the balance of flavors and aromas.

Sparkling and semi-sparkling wines
Spumanti, fermented by the classic method of slow fermentation in the bottle, are also suitable for summer. The still widespread belief that these wines are reserved only for special occasions must be discarded. No other wine can surpass such a product for its fresh flavors and aromas, even if consumers sometimes still misjudge its true value. Spumante is a 'complete' drink for several reasons, especially in the warm months. Served cold, it favors to the maximum the formation of perlage, but also underlines the fresh, slightly acid taste, making the spumante a thirst quencher. Not to be forgotten is the versatility of this sparkling wine, which goes well with countless summer dishes. - Gerardo [TS05/23]