Summer Sipping’s Final Fling

by Gamliel Kronemer
Special To The Jewish Week

There are, in this world, some thought-provoking questions that will probably never be satisfactorily answered: Is light a particle or a wave? In a matchup between the 1927 Yankees and the 1986 Mets, who would win? What sort of wine is best drunk in the summer?

Regarding this last question, there are two major schools of thought among wine drinkers: those who believe that any good wine can be enjoyed just as much in late August as in December, and those who believe that hot weather calls for white wine, just as cold weather calls for red. Not surprisingly, as the mercury hovers near 90 degrees, this age-old debate starts to heat up, and confusion abounds.
Thankfully, there is a class of red wine that should appeal to any wine drinker at this time of year — light Italian reds. Using native red grapes such as Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Barbera, Italian wine makers have long produced good, fruity, light-to-medium-bodied red wines that usually match well with popular summertime fare, such as barbecue, cold cuts and pasta with tomato-based sauces.

So for this month’s “Fruit of the Vine,” we tasted eight kosher Italian reds, all selling for under $20 per bottle, and almost all of which would be good choices for summer sipping.

One of the best wines in the tasting was Rashi’s Barbera d’Alba, 2006. Made from Barbera grapes grown near the town of Alba in northwestern Italy, this light garnet-colored, light-to-medium-bodied wine has flavors and aromas of cherries, red currents and blackberries, with hints of mocha and fennel. Well structured, with soft, velvety tannins, this wine is ready to drink now and should be consumed within the next year.

Another good summer red is Borgo Reale’s 2007 Chianti. This medium-bodied, dark ruby-to-light garnet-colored blend has a nose of cherries, cedar and spice and a whiff of wild herbs. Look for cherry and berry flavors and well-integrated tannins. Ready to drink now, this wine should be able to cellar until the end of next year.

Most light Italian red wines are intended for immediate consumption, so avoid bottles that are more than a few years past vintage. And wherever you fall out regarding the great summer drinking debate, please keep in mind that the most important thing about summertime wines, whether red, white or rosé, is that they should be fun and evocative of summer itself.

Signup for our weekly email newsletter here.

Check out the Jewish Week's Facebook page and become a fan! And follow the Jewish Week on Twitter: start here.

Westchester Jewish Conference

Westchester’s Jewish Community Relations Organization