When you think of summer wine, the natural instinct is to drift to rosé. There's just something beautiful about the crisp acidity and vaguely sweet floral tint of those wines that simply epitomizes wine when the thermometer creeps north of 80 degrees.
And unless I miss my guess, those of you who drink wine regularly have probably been indulging in rosé since Memorial Day, at least more than you do the rest of the year, and more than you've indulged in most other types of wine. I'd be lying if I said that weren't the case for me as well.
But as the summer draws to a close, I encourage you to expand your horizons a touch and toast the waning seasons with a few wines you might not have considered, but which you definitely should try while it's still hot out. You'll note that there is not a rosé among them, but two whites and a red.
For an added bit of intrigue, I've chosen three wines from Austria, an outstanding wine-producing nation which is tragically underappreciated; I've seen countless people walk into a wine shop and immediately go straight to the California/France/Italy sections, strolling right past excellent Austrian wines, not even knowing what they're missing. I'm guilty of this myself. But I have seen the light, and come now to share the good news.
First, the 2020 Loimer Lois Grüner Veltliner.
This organic Grüner Veltliner from the Kamptal DAC is young and loud. Bright acidity brings the tart, vegetal character of this brisk wine to the fore. This wine is juicy and clean, with notes of green apple, honey, and flint. Almost no tannin structure, light body, and relatively low alcohol (12%) make this a thoroughly drinkable wine. Drink it cold and young. I got this bottle for less than $20 in Manhattan; I'm sure you can find it for less than I did elsewhere. Imported by Winebow, Inc.
Second, the 2018 Domäne Wachau Riesling.
Bone-dry and yeasty, this Riesling was an explosion of fruit without the sweetness that turns many people away from this varietal. I got citrus and jasmine on the nose, with peach, pear, green mango, fresh herbs, and crushed gravel on the palate. In a way, it reminded me of some Cru Beaujolais and big Loire gamays: jammy without being cloying. As with the Grüner Veltliner before, very little tannin structure and low alcohol (12.5%) make this an eminently drinkable expression of this varietal, tighter and more herbaceous than its German cousins. I paid $22 for this one in Manhattan. Drink it cold. Imported by Gonzalez Byass USA.
Finally, the 2020 Pfaffl Zweigelt vom Haus.
This mouthy red screams red fruit and spice. A touch more tannin that the other two and a slightly higher alcohol content (13%) bring some body to this compelling summer option. I found this to be jammy but not oversweet, with lots of cherry, raspberry, and plum up front, balanced out by black pepper and licorice. I even got a hint of chocolate on the nose. I recommend drinking this one with a slight chill, but not cold. There's just enough mouth-watering acidity to keep you coming back to the bottle. I paid $15 for this one in Manhattan.
Imported by Taub Family Selections.
There you have it, folks: a trio of Austrian wines which can bring a little variety to your Labor Day Weekend celebrations. Let me know what you think of these if you try them, or if you have any other off-the-beaten-path wines you can suggest for the end of summer, put them in the comments. Enjoy!
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