Refreshment Wines: Start Your Summer This Spring

Spring weather has caught up with us quickly. Already, you may be dreaming of the seasons to come: bright sun, outdoor barbecues, afternoons by the pool. If you like a cold glass of wine in the hot weather, you should consider making a batch of refreshment wines.

Refreshment wines are simply that: refreshing. Refreshment wines mix traditional varietals, like Merlot, Shiraz, or Cabernet Sauvignon, with the fresh flavors and sugars of natural fruits, like kiwi, pomegranate, and blackberry. Refreshment wines have subtle aromas of both their grape and fruit varieties, with bright color and clarity. They are best when served chilled, and can be enjoyed anywhere you can take your cooler.

By starting your batch of refreshment wine this spring, you’ll have a few cases of great tasting wine by the beginning of the summer. The wine making process takes just under two months, and refreshment wines don’t need to be aged. In fact, these wines are delicious, and best enjoyed, when young and their flavors are bright.

Though fantastic when sipped on their own, refreshment wines are also great with food. They seem perfectly matched for many of summer’s dishes: juicy burgers with ketchup, grilled chicken, and ribs with spicy barbecue sauce all have sweet notes that pair well with the sugars in refreshment wines. Even traditional summer desserts, like strawberry shortcake and blueberry pie, are easily enjoyed with a glass of Strawberry White Merlot or Blueberry Pinot Noir. The next time your neighbor brings over a peach cobbler to your backyard party, think of opening a bottle of Peach Apricot Chardonnay.