June 22nd, 2006 Summer Reds

It was a hot summer in France in 2003, and I was attending France's mega wine expo, VinExpo in Bordeaux. This wasn't the first time I'd seen heat in France in June, but this was pretty spectacular. And the French, God love 'em, hate air conditioning.

Back in the 1990s, the death of an attendee from heat stroke brought threats to move the show to Paris if authorities didn't install some air conditioning in this multi-football-field long hall, and its adjacent smaller siblings. They finally did, but the ducting is so narrow, only the perimeter sees very much. And as for keeping the hall's doors closed, well…

It could get so hot in there, corks would push out of bottles. Even French suppliers complained how the reds they were showing us are too warm. On the show's last day, one vintner from Rivesaltes gave us a rosé whose cork was out of the bottle by about 10%. Miraculously, it still tasted good at dinner that night. But this is no way to treat a good wine, and they know that.

Lunch under the big tents at VinExpo in this heat can be a melting experience. So what do the French do with their red wines in such conditions? They plop them right into ice buckets, that's what. One young man, seeing we didn't have an ice bucket although we were trying to figure out how to squirrel one up, brought over to our table a properly cooled bottle of red Burgundy. Way to go!!! Now, that's how diplomacy really ought to work.

Americans seem to be afraid to drink red wine at cooler temperatures, and that's such a shame. I was having dinner with family a few years ago at a well-known Atlanta restaurant, and ordered a Bardolino. (I happen to love Bardolino in warm weather, but it's hard to find good ones--see below.) I felt the bottle, and asked the waiter to bring an ice bucket.

"Oh," he exclaimed, "I absolutely agree with you. I'm not very sophisticated either, and I like my red wines slightly cooled."
(Here brother-in-law began laughing uproariously and continued through the balance of the evening. It was his birthday dinner, and he savored it fully.)

Beckoning to the waiter, I said: "C'mere, Son. We've got to talk." And then I told him that the truly sophisticated view was the one he held. And why…

Red wines always taste better when served at temperatures one might call cool to the touch because cooler temperatures suppress the sensation of alcohol and boost the fruit. I once ran into a couple of guy friends at MF Sushi Bar, where I rejected my first glass of Savannah-Chanelle Pinot Noir as it had just left the dishwasher. They thought I was being a bit picky. But both lads exclaimed in surprise when I had them taste the same wine from a glass that had been cooled briefly in ice. Ok, the process overshot the mark a mite, but it sure beat wine served in a dishwasher warm glass. And it only took a few minutes for the wine to warm up to an ideal temperature.

But it's tough to get Atlanta restaurants to serve reds at proper temperatures, mostly because customers don't understand the true correct temperature for them. So this summer, resolve to get a new grip on the subject.

For summer, we enjoy foods that typically aren't heavy enough to warrant serving big, bold, complex red wines anyway. So what better opportunity to turn to lighter reds, from Bardolino to Pinot Noir and many in between, as alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon? While I couldn't find one for this story, if you can latch on to Bourgueil and especially the lighter St.-Nicolas-de Bourgueil (Loire Valley), made from Cabernet Franc, that's another candidate for this sort of summertime red enjoyment. Also Beaujolais (coming up soon in a future story).

Throughout this summer's columns here, you'll find red wines from time to time that will benefit from a wee chill, and, who knows? You may even find yourself drinking them that way into cooler weather,


Jane Garvey

Food Pairings: Supply some spice against the sweetness: Spicy salamis; Asian meat dishes with exotic seasonings; barbacoa (Mexican style barbecue), meat dishes with Asian five spice seasoning; grilled sausages. Maybe also mole poblano.

Note: This is NOT for everybody. It's a definitely sweet red wine, and although spice tempers the sweetness, it still comes through, so bear that in mind. But as I often am asked to suggest sweet red dinner wines, I thought this one was reasonably well made and well priced.

Price: $10
Wholesaler: Empire Distributing

Food Pairings: Surprise guests with flutes of Lambrusco and fried chicken. Also nice with ribs and a spicy tomato-based sauce (but not too piquant), smoked liverwurst (Patak's); smoked breast of lamb; smoked chicken, roast duck. Finish with chocolate-covered cherries.

Price: $10
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits

Food Pairings: Smoked liverwurst or chicken liver paté; muffaletta or Cuban sandwiches; burgers; pizza; grilled sausages; pasta with good garlickly creamy sauce; Sicilian-style lasagna with sausage; fajitas with beef, pork, chicken or veggies; braciola (stuffed and rolled round steak cooked in tomato sauce)

Price: $9
Wholesaler: Georgia Crown

Food Pairings: Classic pimento cheese, really good; fried chicken, ricotta-filled manicotti with fresh tomato sauce, grilled quail (winery suggests cherry sauce--could be); grilled lamb on greans with a low-acid red wine vinaigrette; sautéed mushrooms; greens with a red wine vinegar vinaigrette. Winery also suggests grilled fish.

Price: $10
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits

Lenoti Bardolino Classico 2003
Bardolino, The Veneto, Italy

Score: 90 Points

Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied dry red wine; translucent medium dark cherry red. Aromas of raisings and dark fruits, with flavors suggesting dried cherries, raisins and cranberries. Easy tannins. Modearte alcohol (12%). Grapes: Corvina (for body and structure), Rondinella (fairly neutral), Molinara (for acidity). Bardolino designated "Classico" is from the original delimited zone. A classic Renaissance town, Bardolino is a delight for walking. Serve cool, about 65 degrees.

Food Pairings: Amazing food companion: Smoked liverwurst (Patak's); pasta salads with light mayonnaise or olive oil/garlic dressing; pasta dishes with fresh tomato sauce, such as lasagne with sausage and manicotti filled with ricotta and covered with a light tomato sauce; muffaletta; Cuban sandwiches; a good all-beef grilled hot dog (no kiddin'!), smoked breast of lamb, grilled chicken, Vidalia onion wrapped with butter or olive oil in foil and grilled.

Price: $13
Wholesaler: Bacco Fine Wine

Food Pairings: Smoked liverwurst, Rose de Lyon salami, grilled sausages or ham steak, roast duck, grilled or roasted Cornish hen, grilled portobello mushrooms, smoked breast of lamb, ham-and-cheese sandwiches (grilled); Cuban sandwiches; sautйed mushrooms, mild soft cheeses.

Price: $12
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits