I’ve been waiting all summer to start drinking rich reds again. While I’ve cheated a bit here and there, this is a group of wines that doesn’t get a lot of play when it’s warm out. The combination of high temperatures mixed with high tannins and high alcohol makes for an unpleasant experience, but there is hope for us all!
Stick with something medium-bodied with moderate alcohol and softer tannins and you’ll be set to pair these wines up with the great steaks of late summer and autumn. Truth be told, I don’t grill that much red meat in the summer, it’s just too hot for my gut to have to process all that intensity. When fall rolls around, look out! The steaks are hitting the barbie and along with them I’m breaking out some Carmenere. The slightly herbal-toned fruit flavors love grilled beef and at their best these are quintessential medium-bodied wines.
Two to Try:
2008 Oveja Negra Single Vineyard Carmenere
Oveja Negra is a great introduction to Carmenere for those looking for a more modern styled wine full of blue and black fruits.
2011 Apaltagua Reserva Carmenere Colchagua Valley
For a more classic example of Carmenere replete with herbal and vegetal accents to black and red fruits, check out this Apaltagua.
Comments
Red wines are terrific year round. Very few of my friends drink any white wine or at most very seldom. Perhaps it is because we all are over 50, when stronger flavors are appreciated more fully.
steve
Aug 29, 2012 at 6:00 PM
e
Interesting that you spoke of Terlan's (Terlano) red when their whites are what they are know for. Quarz - sauvignon is killer. People that don't find depth and character in whites aren't picking the right wines.
Aug 29, 2012 at 8:52 PM
e
My go to summer wine this year has been 2011 Muga Rosato.
Aug 29, 2012 at 8:54 PM
e
Steve, no offense, but there are some terrific whites from the Far West Sonoma Coast that are stunning, like the Peay Chardonnays which cellar very nicely, develop in the bottle, and are quite complex served at the right temperature. Not fruit bombs, but beautifully balanced - a real mouthful.
Aug 30, 2012 at 1:52 AM
pson
This dull piece and its red v white thread afterwards, illustrates perfectly, that what matters is what you like, and not what people suggest you like.
Aug 30, 2012 at 4:49 AM
Catboots. . . Ravenswood has a Vintner's Blend Zin for about $10-$12. A little step up, they offer a County Series Zin for about $18. Both are Great!
Aug 30, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Perhaps you should try some brut champagnes or sparkling wines to avoid the sweetness you claim you do not care for in sparking wines. Prosecco is not where I would go to avoid sweetness, just perhaps less fizzle. On the contrary, I find sparklers quite exciting due to their effervescence and their crispness and elegance.
Sep 04, 2012 at 7:27 PM
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