Summertime Fun: Daydreaming and Day Drinking

What is your Summer Fun Daydreaming about Day Drinking choice?

I was thinking about this post and thought it would be really cool if I could do a poll on WordPress   I really just want to know the answer to this question.  For refreshment on those hot summer days, what Virginia Wine do you turn to? What’s the “HOT” new thing this summer in Virginia Wine?

This summer is shaping up to be less hot than normal. At my age (and *ahem* weight), hot summer days are rough. Per the Capital Weather Gang:

Looking ahead to June through August, we anticipate plenty of heat and humidity. Still, we expect a summer fairly similar to the last two, which were not especially brutal. They were close to average, without the relentless heat that is the hallmark of our most memorably oppressive summers. Neither summer saw the mercury reach the century mark.

Assuming summer temperatures are close to normal, it’s worth noting that our “new normal” summer is hotter than it was a few decades ago. The area’s average high from July 6 to 27 is around 90 degrees, whereas it was previously in the upper 80s. Human-caused climate change has boosted average temperatures by over 1 degree in the past 30 years.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/05/30/dc-summer-weather-outlook-2023/

On days like this, a good glass of wine is refreshing on a hot day. Maybe you’ve done a long walk with the dog before the sun is high in the sky and come back for some yard work. Maybe you’re entertaining on the back deck or patio. Maybe you just want to relax on the weekend and sit outside under an umbrella to protect yourself. Whatever you’re up to, it’s hot and you need refreshment. Virginia Wine has just the refreshment for you. I’ll go through a few of my go-to summer sippers, and I’d love to learn about what you love.

Once upon a time, I actually used Virginia Wine to make my own sangria.  I took Chateau O’Brien Buddy’s Bistro Red (all cab franc), Apple Wine, ginger ale (diet, cause I’m watching my waistline) and frozen fruit (strawberries, blackberries, whatever else I could find), and mixed it all up in a gigantic pitcher.

This drink was such a summer habit for me for many years. It was refreshing, only slightly sweet, the fizz from the ginger ale made it fun, and man did it satisfy thirst and lighten the mood.  It was pretty popular in a friend group I traveled in during that time, (well, or they humored me and told me they liked it but…… I’m sticking with my story). I haven’t tried to make this in years, it’s most likely sweeter than I can handle right now. But during that time, I thought I had captured the essence of summer in a pitcher.

I have a few go-to white wines – of course Sauvignon Blanc from several Va producers – especially Walsh and Linden (I remain Shari’s #1 FanBoy), Glen Manor Dry Petit Manseng, Arterra Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, and now Gruner, and Walsh’s newest Albariño (and Walsh is really rocking the white wine lineup anyway with their Chenin too).  Any and all of these help me make it through a hot summer day avoiding yard work.

Rosé has also piqued my interest and quenched my thirst for the last several years.  My first ever Rosé of Tannat was also from Chateau O’Brien, and I loved the depth of flavor in that wine. It was like no other rosé I’d had with it’s dark berry flavor and not even a suggestion of sweet to it. Then came Arterra’s 2017 Rosé of Malbec and Petit Verdot and Greenhill’s Syrah Rose from 2017 which pretty much knocked my socks off. I think I actually cried when these went out of stock. Both wines were so different from any rosé I could find, again with dark and deep flavor and without any “tangy” sensation you might get from the high acid young fruit that made the wine. Nowadays I really love Walsh’s Rosé of Cabernet Franc and Ankida Ridge’s Rosé of Pinot Noir (club shipment coming soon — hurrah!).   Fun fact: my niece actually bought up Arterra’s remaining supply of the Arterra 2017 Rosé for her wedding in 2020, which ended up being delayed until 2022 (thanks, Covid). In April 2022, 4 years after release, that rosé was still stunning. I give all the credit to the Petit Verdot in it – PV is just a magical powerhouse grape that kept this wine incredible. Rumor has it she may still have a few….

Red wine is tough for me on a hot evening.  Red wine warms you up and comforts you like your favorite big sweater or sweatshirt. When it’s 85 degrees and 100%+ humidity (only in Virginia is this math possible), I’ve sat on the deck with a glass of Mt Alto’s Manteo Nason, an Arterra Tannat or Crooked Run if steak was for dinner, and any variety of assorted reds that was opened at dinner time and that bottle cannot sit on the counter overnight. A very light Cabernet Franc I can handle on a warm summer evening, and maybe even a lovely merlot, but a normal red is hard for me unless I’m drinking it in well-functioning air conditioning.

Lately Pet Nat has exploded in Virginia – So many wineries are making and pouring this sparkling burst of fun. I’ve tried both white and rosé pet nat, and have seen a handful of red sparkling wines out there too (I suspect 2018 red grapes that got too much rain ended up in many fun sparkling experiments like Arterra’s Malbec Spritz and Walsh’s Mezcla). I enjoy these most when they’re less on the sweet side – more dry and acidic and fizz. They drink so easy and get the party started. I’m seeing them made from so many grapes now – generally chardonnay and cabernet franc, but expanding to Viognier, chenin blanc and others. DuCard’s owner Scott called Pet Nat “Dirty champagne,” and I’m down for that – pet nat is not as serious as champagne but it has the same celebratory aspect. Fizz is fun, and this is a great way to jump into the sparkling trend. I think pet nat can be especially great in the afternoon before dinner, maybe with something small to nibble.

But I really want to know what you, reader, love to drink on a hot summer day or night to relax and refresh? On this hot summer weekend, what’s in your Glass of Virginia Wine?