Yesterday, we discussed navigating the less-expensive regions of restaurant wine lists. Today, let’s have a look that aren’t “less expensive” in my book, but are certainly a sweet spot for many. [level-members]
The New York Times most definitely does have a skewed sense of economic reality. Then again, that’s the New York City area in general. So it’s a bit of a shock to be talking about $20 bottles of wine for casual summer sipping. Still, We love that the article basically starts off by pointing out that summer wines don’t have to mean insipid whites. Pinks are, more than ever, a great option. And even reds work if they’re the right reds.
(The article notes that there are plenty of wines available at $15 or $10 a bottle. He doesn’t explicitly say they’re good, but there are plenty of good wines in those price ranges. As rule, though, aren’t as interesting as the wines you find once you hit $20. He points this out, as well.)
That makes this a discussion where alcohol content is most certainly appropriate. (It may always be appropriate, but that’s a different argument for a different time.) The goal is to be able to drink perhaps a little more of these wines as you’re basking in the late afternoon sun than you might drink to accompany dinner all bundled up in your dining room in December. Lower alcohol content makes that easier – and less painful the next morning.
We’re not offering these up as traditional food and wine pairings – no recipes involved. These are just wines worth considering for summertime fun.
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