2 Summer Wines During a Heat Advisory

Well the highs have been 110+ degrees over the past two days here. Among other things, the instructions of local the heat advisory were to stay out of the sun and drink a lot of non-alcoholic beverages.... I played over an hour of tennis today (barely survived) and shared a couple wines last night. I liked the wines more than the tennis.

The first was the Benton Lane Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley, Oregon (pictured below). It showed gooseberry, ripe cantaloupe and flowers on the nose and palate. It started like a New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc (NZSB) until the flowers appeared. And it had more body than a NZ SB. Although it wasn't as refreshing as Rondolino that I recently tried (my white wine of the moment), overall it was a better wine. Rating = 88. You can pick it up on sale at the Wine Warehouse for $18 and change.
The second wine was a bargain sparkler: La Marca Prosecco (NV) from Veneto Italy (pictured below). What was most impressive about this prosecco was its body and balance, which resembled a $30-$40 Champagne. Now it didn't have nearly the complexity of Champagne, but it overall it was a very good Prosecco. Rating = 87. This Prosecco can be found at Market Square Liquor (Timberlane) for the amazing price of $12.

Both of these are great summer wines and can be found up and down the east coast. If you live locally just remember to drink them safely indoors. Cheers!

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