Wine Dinners: RIP?

Before they became so commonplace, food and wine pairing dinners were some of the most exquisite and memorable experiences a diner could have. Chefs would spend weeks imagining, testing and refining their menus, working with a winemaker or sommelier to create singularly satisfying dishes that paired with different wine experiences, course to course. The chosen wines would pay homage to the layers of flavors and textures in the food and the artful dishes would highlight the characteristics and personalities of the wines. Harmonic excellence was the goal, the wine making the food taste even better and the food, in turn, elevating the wine experience.

As their popularity grew, wine-food pairing events extended far beyond the traditional venues of fine dining establishments. Pairing events became the rage at neighborhood eateries far removed from the chic downtown centers of the country’s hippest cities, at prices ranging from the ridiculously affordable to the once-in-a-lifetime extravagance.

Yet today, the choreographed beauty and balance of the wine dinner is under threat. The culprits are not volatile, overworked chefs or snooty, out-of-touch sommeliers. Rather, the threat comes from the diners themselves, who, it need be stressed, have elected to attend a wine-food pairing event.

In choosing to attend, these diners generally understand that the focus of the evening will be a series of courses and wine pairings that have been designed to create culinary magic that is focused and specific, therein providing the value and raison d’être for these special gastronomic-oenophilic experiences.

Notwithstanding this prior knowledge, however, diners now present laundry lists to chefs and proprietors listing their food sensitivities, intolerances, allergies or mere distaste for certain ingredients that mustn’t be used at the wine dinner. Sometimes, these guests inform the culinary team of their exceptions in advance of the event – and sometimes not, seemingly unaware that dining establishments are not also grocery stores with pools of unbusy skilled laborers.

Here is a recent list of exceptions given to a small establishment:

Multiple guests:

Shellfish allergies

Gluten intolerant

Vegan

Paleo

At least one guest:

No red meat

No fish of any kind

No nuts

No dairy

No green onions

No shallots

No red onions

No mold (no mushrooms, no blue cheese)

No cheese

No celery or lettuce

No dairy

No pineapple

No crab

No clarified butter

No mango

No melons of any kind

No garlic

In fairness, about 1% of the population can be expected to have a true gluten allergy. However, many gluten-related and other claimed food sensitivities are often self-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, overdiagnosed or are more a matter of personal preference or belief than a true medical exigency.

Altogether, up to 3 or 4% of the US population has a food allergy, although 15% – four times as many people – believe they have a food allergy. Cranking that small establishment’s numbers, the tally would appear to hover north of 50%.

Miraculously, one guest’s food allergy was reported to vanish at a wine dinner once the aromatic, allergenic plate of a tablemate appeared, causing the food-allergic guest to about-face and to request the unmodified, original dish instead, the one containing the previously objectionable ingredient.

Because the hospitality industry aims to accommodate and please the guest, chefs and sommeliers have attempted to extend themselves, including guests with food issues to these special wining and dining experiences. But at what cost? Does a modification of a dish that was originally crafted to marry seamlessly with a certain wine now deliver the intended food-wine experience after certain key ingredients have been left out or substituted, too often at last-minute? Moreover, how many alternate, highly specific non-this/non-that dishes can a chef and his/her kitchen staff reasonably be expected to prepare in the frenzy of a food and wine pairing dinner, which usually is a boundaries-pushing version of that dining establishment’s usual fare and often includes exotic ingredients, precise timing, innovative preparations and meticulous plating and presentation?

In hospitality terms, a wine dinner is similar to a banquet planned for a group of guests. That is, there is a set menu that has been previously been vetted and agreed to that will be served to everyone. Sometimes a meat or fish or vegetarian option is offered, sometimes not. Compare that to a personal preference or a la carte dining experience in which each diner is free to choose from a menu of offerings, some of which may include vegan, gluten-free, healthy choice or other options.

Whereas wine dinners are planned and executed more like banquets, today’s diners have come to view wine dinners as personal preference opportunities, regardless of the consequences for the chef or for their fellow diners. In a sense, the food exceptionalists are akin to the anti-vaxers of the elite dining experience, it being the exceptionalists' personal (and often nonscientific) issues that govern the consequences for the majority.

Sadly, the restaurant, hospitality and food and beverage businesses can expect to encounter more food and drink exceptionalists. It might also be expected that imaginary toxicities, overpersonalization and overinterpretation of maladies will spread to affect wine service. The wine exceptionalists' list might begin as follows:

No sulfites

No additives

No non-native yeast

No non-organic wines

No imports

No synthetic corks

Now doesn’t that sound like a fun wine event?

Perhaps, as one chef ruefully suggested, we should just serve cereal at the next wine dinner. Organic, non-GMO, vegan, dairy- and gluten-free, of course. Oh, and hold the cereal.

Tempranillo is Tops

According to a massive body of research just released by Australia’s University of Adelaide, Tempranillo tops the list of wine grapes whose worldwide plantings have risen the most in the past decade.

The groundbreaking report, 670 pages in all, gives a first-ever account of the world’s wine grapes and regions using statistics compiled from the 44 countries that account for 99% of global wine production.

This news may not come as a surprise to the many winemakers across the United States who have taken a shine to Tempranillo. Since Clos du Bois first bottled Tempranillo as a varietal wine in California in 1990, plantings have spread to states with radically different soil types and climate, from Napa, Arizona, Washington, Texas, Oregon, and Paso Robles to Virginia, Santa Barbara, Idaho and the Sierra Foothills. And that’s not to mention a rising tide of Tempranillo coming from Mendoza, South Africa and Australia's Barossa, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Hunter Valley.  

Since 2006, Tempranillo has also had its own non-profit trade organization, the Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society known as TAPAS. The society now represents more than 100 wineries, growers and, as the name winsomely implies, amigos. Together, they aim to promote not only Tempranillo but also other native Iberian grape varieties and the wines produced from them in North America.

And just last month, Wine Spectator magazine gave a grand toast to Tempranillo, awarding the 2004 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva as its 2013 top wine of the year.

So why Tempranillo?

An early ripener – “temprano” means “early” in Spanish – Tempranillo doesn’t require long, warm and sunny growing conditions that Cabernet and other warm-climate grapes prefer. In its native Spain, Tempranillo grows in diverse terroir where it not only gives rise to many stellar wines – from Cune, Vega-Sicilia, Marques de Murrieta, Muga and Pesquera, among others – but also delivers some of the top red wine values.

Tempranillo is no stranger to Spain’s neighbor, Portugal, where Tempranillo goes by the names of Aragonês and Tinta Roriz (in the Dão and Douro regions) and adds backbone to a variety of Portuguese table reds, as well as to Port.

Tempranillo grows well in sandy or clay loam soils, where vines can produce large crops up to 12 tons per acre, although such yields generally produce low-acid wines that lack concentration, flavor and color. Whereas a chilly springtime can put other red grape crops at risk, particularly during the critical bud-break period, Tempranillo is more tolerant of colder temperatures. As the grapes mature, Tempranillo also proves its mettle with its tough skin and tenacity on the vine. And while Tempranillo is susceptible to both major forms of mildew that can affect grapes, it resists rot. To vintners, Tempranillo is like the well-behaved child who doesn’t require a lot of parenting.

In the glass, Tempranillo often shows aromas and flavor that are more savory and earth-driven than fruit-dominant. Although flavors such as ripe plum, blackberry and, in some cases, bright red fruit shine through, much of Tempranillo’s appeal rests with its tobacco, leather and even cocoa notes. When these flavors are complexed by a beam of savory herbs, this umami-rich profile is known as balsamico. Combined with an underpinning of minerality and food-friendly acidity, Tempranillo delivers mouthwatering, satisfying pleasure.

Trend-spotters have attributed Tempranillo’s rising star to the growing popularity of tapas and Spanish-style cuisine. While Tempranillo pairs beautifully with tapas that feature ham, sausage, pork and savory elements, the wine is also versatile enough to enjoy with a variety of cheeses, stews, braised meats, pasta, pizza and vegetable dishes. Lighter-bodied versions can also accompany fish.

  Chef Dave Schy's chicken mole was a perfect pairing for this Tempranillo at last night's food-and-wine fundraising event for the Palm Springs Art Museum at Cooking with Class.

Among U.S. producers, look for Tempranillo wines from Oregon’s pioneering Abacela, California’s Kenneth Volk and Truchard (Napa), and Washington’s Gramercy Cellars and K Vintners. Oregon’s Stoller Family Estate makes a luscious Tempranillo rose from Dundee Hills fruit. Altocedro (Argentina) and Running with Bulls (Barossa) are also solid Tempranillo producers.

Cabernet Sauvignon may have claimed the #1 spot as the world’s most widely planted grape in the Aussie study, but Tempranillo has outrun many other up-and-coming wine grapes in vineyard volume over the past decade, including bigs such as Syrah and Chardonnay.

Let us know about Tempranillo you’ve found and enjoyed (or not) in the comments. We’ll be serving it at another Cooking with Class food and wine dinner soon, and you’re sure to find it next door at our small-plates restaurant, Cork & Fork, too.   

Red Wine With Fish

You don’t need a wine expert to rattle off white wines that go swimmingly with fish. Chablis and Chardonnay are high up on the list, with unoaked versions matching up to a greater variety of seafoods. Oakier styles are better suited to richer dishes made with scallops or lobster and buttery or creamy sauces. White and flaky or simply prepared fish topped with fresh chopped herbs and a squirt of lemon or a drizzle of olive oil call for Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre or an Italian white such as Soave or Pinot Grigio. Wine adventurists might seek out Muscadet or Cava for raw shellfish or sushi while the aromatically inclined can satisfy their sniffers with Albariño or a white Rhone blend. And let’s not forget Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Prosecco, Champagne, Vermentino…well, you get the idea. There’s no shortage of white wine choices to pair with seafood.

Wines served at yesterday's Cooking with Class private wine dinner 

But red wine with fish? In summer? Yes, and yes – provided you choose the right one. To really nail the pairing, consider also how the fish is cooked and sauced.

For the fish course at last night’s Cooking with Class private client dinner, I chose the 2010 Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna del Mandorlo DOC by Elvio Cogno. Chef Dave Schy served a Mediterranean-style rockfish, a meaty fish sometimes called a poor man’s lobster. Chef broiled the fish with a dusting of fennel powder and leeks. For the sauce, he prepared a savory tomato concasse stewed with olives and olive oil, with chopped fennel fronds tossed atop the fish at the end.

Red wines are unexpectedly delightful with gentle fish preparations such as this. The lovely Cogno Dolcetto had softened tannins and just the right amount of acidity to marry with that of the tomatoes. Fruitiness was balanced by the wine’s savory qualities with anise and mineral on the palate.

When seeking to pair red wines with fish, look for reds whose acid and tannin levels are restrained. Heavy tannins can make fish taste metallic or just plain unpleasant. Also, steer clear of heavy oak, high alcohol levels and rambunctious fruit. Instead, opt for reds with an earthier, mineral or herbaceous profile.

Cooler climate and old world wines offer many options for seafood pairings. As with any type of wine, you’ll want to match the intensity of the wine to the intensity not only of the fish itself, but also its preparation style and any sauce.

Is the fish white and flaky or meaty and dark-fleshed? Are you poaching or baking, or do you prefer grilling and lots of smoke?

Chef’s Dave’s tomato concasse had intense flavors that matched up with the flavor profile and character of the Dolcetto. For its part, the Dolcetto had just enough age to yield a softer mouthfeel. Its herbaceous, mineral core harmonized with the fennel and olive overtones in the dish. Plus, the Dolcetto had the weight and structure to create a balanced pairing for a meatier choice of fish.

Other wines that can tackle seafood dishes include lighter Barberas, Italian Merlot, Bardolino or Lagrein, earthier versions of Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and Chinon (Cabernet Franc). For more adventurous seafood pairings, try Austrian St. Laurent, a relative of Pinot Noir, and Blaufränkisch, especially with salmon. Aged Riojas might cry out for lamb but younger red Riojas pair well with paella. Made from the Tempranillo grape, Riojas labeled joven or crianza sing with other seafoods, too.

Angle for one of these summer reds the next time you want to land a fish pairing that will leave guests or your tablemate surprised, yet satisfied. “White wine with fish” is an easy formula that works most of the time, but when you break the rule with the right red, you’ll come to enjoy another level of dining pleasure. 

Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers

Giving the gift of a bottle of wine to a wine lover can be tricky business. After all, wine aficionados have a reputation for being fussy about wines they like. Never mind that their taste in wine may fall outside your budget. Unless you're a wine geek yourself, there's also a good chance you might miss the mark on a wine they'll really enjoy. And good luck finding a winner they haven't already tasted.

For a different, yet sure-fire way to please a wine lover, give the gift of wine smarts. Wine lovers are a thirsty bunch – and their thirst for wine savvy extends to non-liquid forms, too. That's where these gift ideas come in.

The first of this two-part post presents wine books to thrill the wine lovers on your list. Later this week in Part 2, I'll cover magazine, online and mobile wine treasures, as well as wine toys and tools that really work.

The reading and reference picks below are updated from a resource list I've given out at Wine Essentials, a series of wine education classes at Cooking with Class in La Quinta. Because everyone learns differently, try to pick a format your wine-loving friend will find appealing. All gift ideas here are easy to find locally or order online. Best of all, most won't set you back more than the cost of a good bottle. Happy Holidays!

For the List Lover – Guides and Reviews

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2012

This slim, annual reference by a legendary British wine expert tackles grape varieties, vintage reports, major brands, food-pairing suggestions and hundreds of wines listed by country.

A Toast to Bargain Wines: How Innovators, Iconoclasts, and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks 

By George M. Taber (2011)

A chewy list of splurges, favorites and best buys by country, brands, wine styles and varietals. The first half of the book tells the stories of winemakers who are rattling the vines to create value and drive wine-drinking trends. To take in a remarkable piece of American wine history, pick up Taber's Judgment of Paris, too.

1,000 Great Everyday Wines From the World's Best Wineries

Jim Gordon, Editor-in-Chief

New in 2011, this expert-led hardback serves up wines by world regions with handy tips from reading wine labels to storage and serving. While some prices may not fall into what you consider everyday drinking, the producers and wines in this book are definitely worth seeking out, for budget-seekers and special occasions.

Wine Library Must-Haves

The New Wine Lover's Companion 

By Ron Herbst

The latest 2010 edition is a wine dictionary of sorts, with more than 4,000 entries that cover terms, varietals, techniques, regions, styles and much more. Concise and helpful appendices with tips on glassware, pronunciation, lots more. 

Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course (25th anniversary edition 2010) and Kevin Zraly’s Complete Wine Course (2011)

Region-by-region wine smarts and geography made easy by a straight-talking wine educator. The 2011 edition has smart phone tags to his videos.

Wine Style: Using Your Senses to Explore and Enjoy Wine 

By Mary Ewing-Mulligan & Ed McCarthy (2005)

By presenting wines in four basic styles of reds and whites, plus two each for rosés and sparklers, the authors offer an interesting approach to understanding your wine palate. Best suited for experienced tasters, or advanced beginners looking to learn more.

Grapes and Wines: A Comprehensive Guide to Varieties and Flavours 

By Oz Clarke (2010)

With the author's distinctive charm, this book lists more than 300 grape varieties in an A-to-Z format with pictures, maps and more. The new edition describes Old vs. New World styles, aging capacity and beyond.

Dummies and Idiot’s Guides

California Wine for Dummies 

By Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan (2009)

Straight talk from Wine Style authors with essential knowledge, maps, AVAs, wine travel tips, history and tips, tips, tips galore. Not to be pooh-poohed, these books are great stepping stones for friends who are just starting to get into wine. Also useful for those who are already into wine, but could use a compass on their wine journey.

Wine All-in-One for Dummies by Ed McCarthy, Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Maryann Egan (2009)

Includes Wine for Dummies (2006), French Wine For Dummies, Italian Wine for Dummies (2001), California Wine for Dummies (2009) and Australian and New Zealand Wine for Dummies. The 2010 mini-edition of Wine for Dummies available on Kindle.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine Basics 

By Tara Q. Thomas (2008)

Another great overview of wine with helpful bullets on “the least you need to know.”

For the Food-and-Wine Lovers

Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food

By Evan Goldstein, recipes by Joyce Goldstein (2006)

Much more than its subtitle, this treasure includes essential information on major red and white grapes, sparkling and dessert wines, recommended producers and glossary – a goldmine of useful information with awesome recipes by Evan's mom, the groundbreaking chef-creator of San Francisco's Square One.

Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines With Recipes From His Favorite Chefs

By Evan Goldstein (2010)

Evan tackles 36 grapes with pairing recipes by 36 top chefs, including Suzanne Goin, Philippe Jeanty and Cindy Pawlcyn. There's also a review of concepts introduced in his first book, tips on shopping for wine and an at-a-glance table that summarizes wine styles by varietal. Both books are go-to resources to use over and over again.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine 

By Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg

Heavy with tips and comments from master chefs and sommeliers, this duo's latest (2011) book is a one-stop resource for pairing wines with food. Easy-to-use quick lists and timelines make learning about wine fun and provocative. From the authors of What To Drink With What You Eat, another must-have favorite.

For Wine-Loving Men

Swallow This: The Progressive Approach to Wine 

By Mark Phillips

Not for everyone, this humorous guide to wines was written by an iconoclast with a knack for explaining wine and wine concepts in plain English. Big on silliness and fueled by testosterone, but also practical.

Coming later this week in Part 2: Magazines, Online and Mobile for Wine Lovers, plus Wine Toys and Tools That Really Work

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays! 

A Holiday Sparkler from Argentina

Party planners have bubbles on the brain this time of year. Do you splurge for Champagne or go with a domestic sparkling wine? How much should you spend? What should you serve? And of course, how do you open that pressurized bottle without making a mess or unleashing a cork missile?

We uncorked last week's food and wine tasting dinner at Cooking with Class with an Argentine sparkler that's sure to jazz up your holiday get-together – Spirit of the Andes. Made by Tapiz, a winery owned by former nephrologist Patricia Ortiz, Spirit is a sparkling wine made from the Torrontés grape. Although Argentina's Torrontés was once believed related to a grape from Spain's Galicia that goes by the same name, genetic studies indicate that the desirable Torrontés riojano variant or cultivar represents a cross between the pink-skinned Criolla chica (Mission) grape and Muscat of Alexandria. It is this Muscat parentage that gives Torrontés its captivating perfumy aromas.  

Winemaker Fabian Valenzuela follows the traditional or champenoise method used in Champagne to make Spirit. At an average vineyard elevation of 3,000 feet, sustainably farmed grapes ripen in high-altitude sun while cool Andean nights allow grapes to retain their essential acidity. Hand-harvested fruit is first stainless-steel tank-fermented and made into a still wine. Once clarified, the wine is bottled and liqueur tirage, a combination of sugar dissolved in wine plus yeast, is added to kick off second-fermentation fizzes. Next, the wine rests on its lees, or spent yeast for 12 months, after which bottles are turned or tilted to funnel sediment in the neck. To finish the process, the temporary crown cap is released, sediment is disgorged and a small amount of extra brut dosage is added – a fudge factor of sweet wine that the winemaker adds to adjust the wine to its final desirable profile. The bottle is immediately sealed with a natural cork and wire muzzle.

Ah, that nerve-racking muzzle. One tip for safely opening a sparkler under pressure is to use a folded dish towel the entire time you handle the bottle. Find a sturdy surface and an area where an errant cork won't cause any damage. Sandwich the towel between your firm hand and the top of the wire cage. Keep gentle downward pressure with the towel hand as you untwist the cage. Now, still holding firm downward pressure with your towel hand, slowly twist the bottle while keeping your towel hand steady. As you feel the cork begin to emerge, be sure you have control over the cork end with your toweled hand. Control your slow twist on the bottle until you feel the cork pop into your toweled hand. If executed gently and properly, you should have total control of the cork and little, if any, spillage. Voilà, you're a pro!

In the glass, Spirit sends up delicate, white flower aromas with sweet nectarine and honeysuckle on the palate. Bubbles are persistent, as is the finish, all crisp, clean and utterly delightful. The barely perceptible sweetness is balanced by lively acidity, a combination that makes Spirit a worthy choice as an aperitif or with lighter first courses.

Chef Andie Hubka served a grilled radicchio salad with applewood-smoked bacon, Rogue River blue cheese, scallions, grapes and a drizzle of cactus honey. The salad's sweet notes played off the sparkler's tropical fruit basket flavors while the wine's acidity handled the creamy Rogue blue with finesse.

If holiday bubbles have you bemused, give this southern hemi sparkler a pop. At about $20 at Cooking with Class, Spirit of the Andes Sparkling Torrontés will turn your occasion into a celebration in no time. And if you're curious to learn more about the many different types of sparkling wines from around the world, catch some New Year's cheer at this month's wine essentials class on sparkling wines Thursday, December 29 at 6 PM. Sign up here, or call the school at 760.777.1161. Cin-cin!

White Wine Essentials

Last week's White Wine Essentials guided tasting was the first in our new wine education series, Wine Essentials at Cooking with Class. The sellout group of wine-curious attendees tasted their way through the three top-selling varietal wines in the country: Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

By tasting two wines styles or expressions of each grape, the group was able to pick out what made the two wines smell, taste and feel different by harnessing their senses in a more focused way. Tasting the two styles side-by-side helped each person better understand their own wine palate and discover which style they preferred − and why.

Each taster received a complete tasting sheet that described the wine's scents, tastes, style, food pairings, alcohol content and region. They also learned about each winery and were given ideas for other types of wines they might like if they enjoyed that particular style of wine. Surprise giveaways were awarded to those whose questions or comments heightened everyone's wine appreciation.

The fun continues at Red Wine Essentials at 6 PM on Thursday, November 17 and again with Sparkling Wine Essentials during the holiday week on Thursday, December 28. Sign up online or by calling Jane at 760.777.1161 as seats as going fast. All sessions are independent and open to all levels of wine enthusiasts. Whether you're new to wine or an experienced taster, you'll learn more about your palate in a way that will broaden and deepen your wine enjoyment for years to come. 

The six wines we tasted at White Wine Essentials are given below. All are available at Cooking with Class or can be ordered for you to pick up. Together, they beautifully demonstrate stylistic variations that make wine tasting a constant challenge and a thrill:

Pinot Grigio

Vigneti Pittaro, 2009 (Friuli, Italy) and Montinore Estate 2009 Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Sauvignon Blanc

Spy Valley 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) and Cannonball 2010 (Sonoma County, California)

Chardonnay

Los Vascos 2010 (Colchagua Valley, Chile) and Samantha Starr 2008 (Monterey County, California)

For those of you who want the complete food- and wine-pairing experience, our next Food & Wine Tasting dinner at Cooking with Class in on Friday, October 28 and next month on November 11 at 6:30 PM. We'll feature two whites and two reds with four exciting dishes paired to perfection and created by Chef Andie and her talented crew, plus a special dessert.

See you soon!

Get Fresh with Barbera

Who doesn't want fresh? Just-picked, farm-to-fork and catch-of-the-day freshness are easily understood when used to describe produce, eggs or the local fish catch. But freshness also applies to wine, despite being bottled and aged. For wine, as with food, fresh is the ultimate compliment.

Say fresh to describe a white or pink wine to a wine lover and their mental switchboard lights up with sensory images. Fresh may conjure a racy, kiwi-scented Sauvignon Blanc or a watermelon-cool rosé that rouses the palate with waves of pure, clean flavor. Another might recall the ripe peach perfume pops from a frizzante Moscato d'Asti or a blast of sea salt in a sip of Muscadet.

So does freshness also come in red? It sure does, and it's a quality to seek out and appreciate in warmer weather.  

To this taster, fresh flavors in red wines are vibrant, pure and focused. A fresh-tasting Syrah unfurls berry-licious flavors seasoned by exotic perfumes that waft from a juicy basketful, plucked at the height of season. While a more developed Syrah may show a more nuanced berry profile, perhaps with aromas and tastes that recall a favorite aunt's fresh-baked pie, fruity freshness remains its calling card.   

Pinot Noir is known for fresh flavors of bright red or dark cherry fruit. Even when layered by mushroomy notes or floral aromatics, Pinot's energetic red fruits dance across the palate with vigor, sending out a wake-up call that has us smacking, sniffing and coming back for more.    

Italian Barbera is another fresh red wine with flavor traction worthy of more than just a summer fling.  Bright red cherry flavors streaked with clean minerality unleash a flavor-burst that not only satisfies the senses but also leaves the palate primed for another savory sip.  Despite 14% alcohol, the 2008 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne retains its muscular vitality. With a scent of earth after a sun-shower, the wine shows dimension that pairs well with grilled ahi tuna topped by a barely cooked sauce of chopped ripe tomatoes and black olives. Nearly raw, fresh—and gone.

More often than not, fresh-tasting notes shine brighter in wines that are lighter in oak, higher in acidity and lower in tannin and alcohol. These wines tend to feel more angular than round in the mouth. They're not the brooding wines we so enjoy in cooler weather, nor are they the heavily extracted fruit bombs that assert their place at the table and in the cellar, too.

With hotter-than-July August around the corner, give your palate a blast of freshness in the color of your choice, at least for a few more weeks.