Five Great Wines for Summer You Can Start Enjoying Now

As we move from spring into the hot summer months, it is time to put away those heavy cabernet sauvignons and start picking up those gorgeous wines of summer. Here are 5 great summer wines for every palate and budget!

1. Sauvignon Blanc - There are so many great Sauvignon Blancs to choose from! With a pasta salad, green salad or grilled marinated chicken, grab a sauvignon blanc in the $10 range from Chile or in the $15 range from New Zealand from your local wine shop. In those price ranges you will find crisp acidity, fresh lime aromas and grapefruit, and a nice grassy flavor. Go any lower in price and you may get herbal or green pepper flavors which might drive away your guests! If you can go to the $20+ range, please try a Sancerre from the Loire Valley of France. Super sophisticated and elegant, it will blow you away! Look for the Riffault, Hippolyte, and Crochet family wines from Sancerre!

2. Torrontes- a great Sauvignon Blanc Alternative, this wine is floral rather than citrusy. Torrontes is mostly grown in Argentina, and ranges from $10-20 a bottle. Look for a vintage within the last 2 years. (For the purposes of this article, that would be 2007-2008) Older vintages may still taste fine but may have lost some of their zing. If the bottles has Cafayate as the region on it, so much the better! The growing area of Cafayate is known for producing very high quality, consistent Torrontes. Serve your Torrontes chilled, on its own or with Fruit Salad, Ambrosia, carrot salad, or grilled fish.

3. Gruner Veltliner- It goes without saying that Gruner Veltliner is sorely underappreciated in the United States. The most popular grape varietal grown in Austria, it is crisp, fresh, slightly creamy and has a nose of meyer lemon, sweet hay and sometimes fresh cut grass. It is also notoriously food-friendly and pairs with the oh so difficult vegetable Asparagus. Choose a recent vintage Gruner if the price is under $15, if it is over $15 you should feel confident in purchasing an older vintage. Purchasing a one liter bottle of Gruner Veltliner with a beer-top is a sure way to make an impression at a party!

4. Cava from Spain- you can't write an article about summer wines without mentioning at least one bubbly! Made from Macabeo, Xarel-ho, Parellada and sometimes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a bracingly dry (Look for Brut or Extra Brut) Cava served ice cold refreshes like no other. You will taste a hint of citrus, minerals and of course, the bubbles! There are so many great affordable Cavas on the market right now, you shouldn't need to spend more than $12 unless it is a special occasion! (and if you do, it is worth it!)

5. Rose Wine from anywhere! Think Pink! Try a beautiful Rose from France, South Africa, Italy, California or Australia! There are wonderful Roses made from Shiraz, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and more. Again, chose a young vintage unless you are picking up a famous Tavel from Provence, France. Your local wine shop will have favorites, for sure! Roses are great for BBQ meats, burgers, Chicken Caesar Salad and more!

Have you thought of a #6 wine of summer? If so, post it in the comments section!