Super Sippable Solstice Selections

Summer arrived in Pagosa this week and with that, my ability to enjoy red wines departed. I have what's called a Pitta constitution in the Ayurvedic tradition of medicine: I run hot. ("Pitta people do not tolerate sunlight, heat or hard work well. Pitta constitutions will be upset by alcohol and cigarettes, as well as by overwork, overexertion, and overheating. When under stress, Pittas become irritated and angry." Moi?) While chatting about wines last winter with fellow grape heads Karl and James, I tried to keep the incredulity out of my voice when asking: "Do you guys drink reds all summer long?" The fastest way for me to overheat in the warm months is to drink red wine and it is certainly the most enjoyable way to warm up in the winter.

I disclose this metabolic, constitutional flaw to prepare you for a four-month-long primary focus on the anti-reds; pinks and whites. It's the time of year to actively seek value-driven and acidicly refreshing white wines and rosés. (You will probably not find mention of oaky/buttery Chardonnays very often in this column. If ever.)

Here's a starter four-pack to kick off the season. Surely at least a couple of my Take-to-the-Lake-and-Flake Wines will please:

Yellow Tail Riesling 2005 ($8) - I am not making this up. Last month I walked into a liquor store and noticed, in my peripheral vision, a Yellow Tail label in a color that I did not recognize. How irritating that I can spot this new release way down the aisle atop a shelf from the doorway, yet have to grab my reading glasses to deduce the alcohol level (12.5%). I was thrilled to see one of my favorite value Australian producers take on a Riesling since their quality is consistently high. The wine presented dusty, musty, citrus aromas followed by a burst of lemondrop up front with a lime peel finish. Don't overchill this one -- let it warm and open up a bit in the glass before you pass any "it's too simple" judgements. The wine was not as sweet as I expected but was light and refreshing -- a pleasantly uncomplicated lemondrop for the money.

Far more interesting and complex is the Hogue Riesling 2005 from Washington's Columbia Valley ($9.50). The nose was so quiet that the explosive flavors took me by surprise. Fizzy candy fruit, and I mean that in the best way. The crisp acids perfectly framed the slightly sweet (but not a bit cloying) fruits: candied lime peel, lemon zest, tangerine. I found neither petroleum nor sweet stone fruits like apricot jam or peach, characteristics typical of Rieslings from other regions. Mineral notes kick in as it leaves the throat with far more body and a richer mouthfeel than the Yellow Tail. The alcohol is perfect at 12.7%. Hard to believe it could get any better than this for under $10. This is the wine for a summer Sunday afternoon offering up an ultra-refreshing, tightly-wound acid structure with abundant sweet fruit flavors.

Francis Coppola's Bianco Pinot Grigio 2004 ($10) - Coppola turns out some great value wines and this was my first experience with his Pinot Grigio. A burst of exuberant, crackling fruit acids whacked me across the lips followed quickly by honeydew melon flavors and subdued earth tones. Extremely crisp with a zippy 13% alcohol level. A great picnic/barbecue wine for all manner of fish, poultry and pork offerings and would pair nicely with sushi and teriyaki chicken. The remaining wine lost all flavor and signs of life after a night in the fridge so drink up soon after opening.

One of the most beautifully balanced white wines for my money and palate is the Montevina Pinot Grigio 2004 ($11). What an amazing delight. The nose is chock-full of sharp lime and tropical fruits offering one of the most promising sniffs and swirls in a long time. The wine bursts into the mouth with all the promise of the aromas. There is so much going on in this multi-layered gem, and all in the right places. Think warm tropics: mango, papaya and guava with sleek citrus flavors that stand up and take charge, peeling through layer after layer of fruit salad. The alcohol level is relatively high at 13.5% but it just works here; the wine never comes across as hot. A perfectly crafted wine!

People who love wine enjoy the evaluating and naming of components nearly as much as the drinking. It's not out of a pretentious effort to appear snobbish or smarter than anyone. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's a learning and discovering experience as the wine unfolds and reveals itself to you, sip by sip, layer by layer. How and where a wine grape is grown (and then processed) have much to do with the end product but each wine grape will display distinctly identifiable components specific to the variety. When enjoying a Riesling, you can expect to smell and taste: apricot, peach and pear; lemon, lime and orange peel; green apple, pineapple and tropical fruits; florals, minerals, honey, toast and kerosene -- what I call petroleum.

Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris) grapes are very similar in flavor profile but skew more toward acidic fruits than the sweet stone fruits so abundant in Rieslings. Look for: lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, pear, minerals, hay and honeysuckle.

Inherent in appreciating wine is acknowledging and honoring the art forms of winemaking and grape growing. Heck yeah the buzz is great, but so is taking a moment to cozy up to the wine -- an ever-transforming, living creature that many hands helped birth. To quote Jancis Robinson: "Every glass of wine we drink represents a whole year of vineyard cultivation and perhaps several years of effort in the winery...Yet most of us throw it away, straight down our throats, without even trying to 'read' it."

Go grab one of these bottles and have yourself a good read!