The sweet sips of summer

We’re well into the long, hot days of summer now and I’ve been starting to have a good think about what wines to drink to match the lighter, fresher cuisines of the summer months. Summer’s a time when we all start to lean towards salads, barbecues and seafood, but what are the best wines to be picking this season to really make these meals sing? So often it’s easy to lean towards our old faithful wines rather than branching out into some new and interesting styles and varietals.

Here’s my advice for freshening things up this season:

1) It’s not just about the white! Summer’s the traditional time when people make the switch from red to white wines. But what many don’t know is that there are some great Australian red wines available from Wine Selectors that match perfectly with the traditional Australian barbecue.
My pick for the barbecue season is the Brokenwood ‘Bentleys Boot’ Pinot Noir 2010 - this Hunter Valley varietal features red and black fruit flavours and a dry finish. Kangaroo fillets seared on the barbecue would be suited to this earthy and spicy Pinot Noir.

2) Celebrate with a great bubbly – The festive season wouldn’t be complete without a drop of top Australian bubbly to match our celebratory foods. This summer I’m looking forward to serving up plates of seafood-based canapés with some Petersons Sparkling White NV. Petersons have been producing wine for 30 years in Australia so they certainly know their stuff. This Semillon Chardonnay blend smells of citrus and melon fruit and is great with seafood.

3) Zest it up – The tang of citrus is a classic summer flavour. You’re bound to be spicing up your summer meals with the tang of limes and lemons. To really make your meals sing, watch for these flavours in your wines as well.
I’ve stocked my cellar up with the Lions Den Babylon Block Riesling 2010. Its distinctive lime juice flavours with a touch of straw and honey add complexity to this soft wine. Lions Den is an exclusive Wine Selectors label from Dandelion, a unique fusion of vineyards between the Lindner, Rey and Brooks families. It’s great paired with fresh pan fried scallops with lime and ginger.

4) Support your local producers – All too often we look overseas for great tasting wine, but there’s so much to be had right on our very doorstep. As well as supporting your local producers you’ll cut down on your food miles and find some exciting tastes and styles. Wine Selectors supports around 400 largely small and independent producers across Australia so jump online to www.wineselectors.com.au to explore some great local flavours like the Jackson’s Hill Under Block Semillon 2011. This unique drop is from a vineyard situated at the highest point of the Hunter, and would work well with your favourite seafood dish – fried whitebait, salt and pepper squid, or garlic prawns. And while Semillon is an old favourite in NSW, it’s underrated in the rest of the country, that’s just not fair!

5) Have fun and experiment - enjoying wine is all about exploring and sampling different – and you don’t have to spend a fortune! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having an affordable bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with your grilled chicken and salad on a Monday night. As a guide, almost any summery dish works with great un-wooded whites like Sauv Blanc and Pinot Grigio. They both work with a wide range of summer foods, from seafood to mild cheeses, and their light and fresh characters match nicely with simple salads, but are also enjoyable by themselves.

My wine picks for the season are all available from Wine Selectors at www.wineselectors.com.au