Wines for Summer

By Franz Scheurer

 

Blue skies, sunshine, mezzes, anti-pasti, sports cars with the roof down, picnics, romance, a meadow and a rug and the right wine…

 

Bloodwood ‘Big Men in Tights’ 2004

A fabulous rosé made from Malbec, crisp, full of fruit without being heavy or overblown, this is one of my favourite pink wines. It costs $15 a bottle or $170 a case and it’s available from

Bloodwood Wines

Griffin Road

Orange

Tel.: 02 6362 5631

 

Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Rosé 2004

Made from ripe Shiraz grapes, tank pressed to minimize skin contact, this is a vibrantly pink wine with fresh red berry flavours and a hint of nutmeg and white pepper, with a delightfully crisp finish. Chill a bottle soon!

Available from all good bottle shops.

 

Primo Estate ‘la biondina’ Colombard Riesling Sauvignon Blanc 2004

What a wonderful nose! Full of bold, enchanting fruit aromas this is a fantastic food wine for summer. Pair it with simply barbecued seafood, or prosciutto and an Insalata Caprese; it will easily stand up and hold its own, whilst complementing the food. At $ 14.95 a bottle retail this is a steal! Available from good bottle shops or check out their website at http://www.primoestate.com.au

 

Windowrie The Mill Verdelho 2004 

Windowrie Estate’s cellar door is a renovated old Mill, the oldest structure in the Cowra region and they sell an excellent Verdelho, full of tropical fruit and a velvety, mouth-filling texture. Great value at $14 a bottle or $156 a case. Available from

The Mill

6 Vaux Street

Cowra

Tel.: 6341 4141

 

Brown Bros Sauvignon Blanc 2004 

From fruit grown in the Whitlands vineyard, which lies above the snowline in the Victorian Alps, this is an herbaceous and refreshing wine with Chinese gooseberry flavours and a stalky, dry finish. Drink it, well chilled, with freshly shucked oysters.

Available from good bottle shops at $ 17.40 per bottle

 

Looking for something a little more festive?

 

Joseph Sparkling Red, disgorged September 2003

Released only every two years to keep the average age of the base wine up. The base consists of 10 vintages of Shiraz combined with wines from the early 60s through to the early 80s. After fermentation in the bottle and resting on lees for a year, it is fortified with a mixture of old Australian ports, mainly from the 1970s. This is a wonderfully dark wine, both in appearance and flavour profile, with a fine bead and a creamy, lingering finish. This is a very good sparkling red!

Available from good bottle shops at $55 per bottle.