Poll: Go-to hot weather wine

[David M. Bueker]

The hot weather has already started on the East Coast, but regardless of where you are the question is: what is your go-to hot weather wine? I could say Riesling, especially in drier (e.g. halbtrocken, feinherb) styles, but more often than not when it gets really hot I find myself going after the supply of rose in the cellar.

The poll is rather short on options (especially reds), but feel free to pick one of the "other" categories & tell us about your choice when Mother Nature delivers a scorcher.

[James Roscoe]

It's 50/50 rose or Riesling. I think I prefer Riesling so I picked it. No reason for the choice other than preference and it is a close call. Sometimes it is just water or iced tea.

[Carl Eppig]

Voted for drink what I want. Granted on a given day hot weather might affect what I cook and eat, and therefore the wine will follow.

[Salil]

Riesling (which should surprise nobody). Gruner Veltliner also works.

[Keith M]

Txakoli, vinho verde, verdejo, non-champagne sparklers, along with, of course, rosé.

And beer when it's hot. Or cold. Or rainy. Or slightly overcast. Or windy. Or hailing. Or . . .

[Bernard Roth]

Go-to means to me a wine that I would immediately consider for the circumstances of hot weather. I drink the panolpy of whites year round, so hot weather does not incur a change in white wine habits.

Thus, I selected rose, because the new vintage of rose becomes available in spring. Rose also is a good substitute for red as the cuisine lightens in summer.

I would augment my usual selection of all-year whites to include the varietals that most suggest summer - albarino/alvarinho, txakoli, torrontes, tocai friulano, and prosecco that I tend to look for in summer.

[John Treder]

I'm a "whatever" person. I'll happily drink Pinot Noir on a 100 degree day - maybe I'll keep it a bit cool. Or Chenin Blanc in February. Or beer any day.

John

[Rahsaan]

I drink wine all year round but I admit that under certain conditions it is not always the best idea. When it's really hot (and there is no AC to mimic cooler times of year) I have found that young fresh white wines are the best. Aged white wines can seem too tired and don't provide enough life to cut through the heat. But as I said, with sufficient AC none of this matters.

Unless someone wants to talk about the effects of humidity on wine?

[Wick White]

It's been raining for almost 2 months now here in Styria. Still drinking lots of reds

[Robin Garr]

I voted other just so I could add Prosecco, because I believe modest sparkling wines (Prosecco, Cremant, selected Cavas) make about as good a summer refresher as it gets. That said, I wouldn't turn down an artisanal beer or fresh quality import brew on a summer day, and like others have said, when it comes to dinner time, I'll generally go with whatever fits the fare, even if it's a substantial red.

[Dave Erickson]

If it's outdoors, and it's warm, it's gotta be a rosé. The whole point of it is that you look cool drinking it while sitting under a Cinzano umbrella.

[Rahsaan]

The whole point of it is that you look cool drinking it while sitting under a Cinzano umbrella.

Do you have one of these in your backyard?

[Matilda L]

A lean clean sauvignon blanc, or a pale riesling.

[Daniel Rogov]

I voted for other white wines but that might also include a few reds for easy quaffing on a summer's day:

Well chilled unoaked dry still whites (Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc being preferences)
Cava or Prosecco
Equally well chilled roses
Light fruity reds, somewhat chilled and if the mood is right, an ice cube droppe into the glass (e.g. Beaujolais Villages)
And, if feeling especially depressed (or especially good), Champagne.

Drink those all year 'round but those are the summer quaffers.

Best
Rogov

[JC (NC)]

I voted Sauvignon Blanc. I have about 12 bottles of white wines in a certain location to drink over the summer and the majority are S.B. from New Zealand or Sancerre, France. But there are also a couple Albarinos from Spain, one Saumur (dry Chenin Blanc) and maybe a California Pinot Gris. I also tend to drink more Riesling in the summer than at other times of year and look forward to some rose's, mainly from France or Spain. I will drink Pinot Noirs any season and usually have them slightly chilled. I may dip into some Zinfandels for broiled or grilled meats. But the go-to wine for me in hot weather is a Sauvignon Blanc. It also adapts well to salads with vinaigrette, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, fish and other things I might be eating in the summer.

[Mike Filigenzi]

For us, it's rosé, no question. Prosecco would probably come in a close second.

[Kelly Young]

I tend to drink a lot more beer in the hot weather (or as someone above said, in the cold weather, cool weather, warm weather, etc. etc.) but when the mercury rises I definitely go for Rieslings, Rose, or sparklers. Our neighbors have been bringing out the Vinho Verde and that goes down a treat. This is where I don't mind lower prices points and the acid being more than a bit front and center than normal. The reds that take to the chill, I'll do of an evening.

[Larry Dalton]

Riesling for me but Rose' would be a closer 2nd than it is if I bought more. I don't cellar any at all...I buy it in the summer and drink it. The temp here Monday was about 95 degrees.

[John S]

I voted rose, but riesling and a NZ sauvignon blanc would also be go to wines on a hot day. Moscato d'Asti as well!

[Lou Kessler]

(Bone Jolly, Heart of Gold, ESJ) Albarino Do Ferreiro, are my main go to wines plus some riesling, couple of other Roses.

[Jenise]

Sauv blanc and rose, possibly in that order. I just want it cold enough to frost the glass.

[Tom N.]

Hi David,

Definitely riesling for me Gewurztraminer second and Rose is a distant third.

[Mark S]

I really don't change my habits just because of the weather, unless the weather is very severe.
Just like my tea drinking, I might have something 'more appropriate' to the time, so an herbal tea for later at night when caffeine would keep me up, or a more delicate tea in the early evening instead of a breakfast tea. There is no A/C in my house, so unlike others here, you feel the weather, particularly in summer on 90-degree days. Yet, even on days like that, I'll reach for a grenache-based wine or an aglianico if it matches the food. To me, the food match is the most important part. If it doesn't match, the wine gets nixed, no matter the temperature outside/inside. That said, I'm more partial to drinking 'seaside whites' during this time, which might include muscadet or Ligurian pigatos or Bandol blancs. Riesling to me is a spring and fall wine, and roses I don't have much use for : it's like the 'no-opinion' option that pollsters have and equally as bland (neither red nor white, neither here nor there, kind of a suburban option for winedrinkers who cannot express their preference). I can see the use of higher acid, lighter, and lively reds for summertime fun, like Beaujolais, basque reds, lighter Loire's: these are the winedrinker's sodapop on hot days and go well with so much.

[Sue Courtney]

i love chilled, high sugar, high acid, low alcohol rieslings - so refreshing, delicious on their own without food and almost too drinkable.
I also love very chilled frizzante styled muscats - good Italians of course but some lovely drops coming out of Australia too.
And of course I have to put NZ Sauvignon Blanc in there. Anything that can taking chilling without losing what the wine is all about is perfect for hot weather IMO.