Wine Guy: Seasonal wine selections for summer

Let’s reflect on a selection of seasonally savvy bottles, wines that have gone well with summer meals

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There’s no grand theme for this week’s column. As the calendar clicks into mid-August it’s simply time to reflect on a selection of seasonally savvy bottles — wines that have gone well with summer meals and will continue to pair nicely with gatherings as the month plays out and thoughts turn more frequently to September’s pending return of routines.

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Kono 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($18.99, #58032)

To be fair, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc may not hit tables with the same hype these days. Remember when everyone was showing up to patios with the latest great find from Marlborough? However, like white pants and jean cutoffs, there will always be a place for zesty, fruit-forward Sauv Blanc. Showcasing classic traits of citrus, cut grass and underlying tropical fruit, this crisp and zesty white walks the enticing line between vibrant yet textured and fulsome. Pop a bottle in a chill bucket on the back deck and watch it effortlessly evaporate alongside friends and conversation.

Bottom line: A-, Perennial patio partner.

Matilda Nieves 2020 Mencía, Spain ($24.99, #442106)

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This feisty red has certainly been a go-to bottle this summer. Its dullish garnet colour in the glass belies the wine’s engaging elegance. This is a great representative of the Mencía grape, broadly found across the western Iberian peninsula (the cultivar is known as Jaen in Portugal). In this case it’s Mencía from the craggy hillsides of Ribeira Sacra in Galicia. The wine brings an abundance of aromatics — red fruit, flowers, herbs, a touch of earth — with a juicy entry and great mid-weight texture overall. It’s a fun red that is fresh, elegant and complex, and without any tannins comes across smooth.

Bottom line: A, Killer BBQ red.

Donnafugata 2021 Dolce & Gabbana Rosa, Italy ($69.99, available at select private wine stores)

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Finally, this is the bottle for the splashiest of summers. Admittedly, $70 for rosé is a stretch. But then so are plus-$1,000 pants, and well both sport the Dolce & Gabbana name! This precious pink will appeal to both fashion and wine cognoscenti thanks to the collaboration with Donnafugata, one of Sicily’s premier wineries. Pouring a bright salmon pink, this Sicilian Rosato is made from local Nerello Mascalese and Nocera grapes. The wine is both bracing and engaging, its tart entry building to a robust yet crisp style overall, with a melange of orchard fruit, citrus and floral tones.

Bottom line: B+, Pour poolside.


The Swirl: Picnic and Bubbles fundraiser

Speaking of great collaborations, Les Dames B.C. is partnering with a number of fantastic Vancouver, Penticton and Kelowna restaurants for their upcoming Picnic and Bubbles summer fundraiser. Each picnic for two includes a main dish, two sides, dessert and a bottle of bubbles and must be ordered in advance for pick-up between 3 and -5 p.m. on August 21. Picnics cost $150, with proceeds supporting women in hospitality and Food Banks B.C. For a list of participating restaurants, menus, suggested picnic spots and to purchase a picnic, go to lesdames.ca/picnic-and-bubbles/


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