Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Summer Refreshing Wine Round-Up: Five to Open Right Now

Looking for some suggestions for summer sipping? We have rounded up a quintet of great wines sure to please your palate including a some tame and some offbeat.

LBD Rosé, Mendocino County, CA. This epic photo was taken during our camping trip to Jordan Lake in NC. Our tent felt more comfortable after we enjoyed this bottle during a perfect sunset and then around a campfire. The LBD rosé (aka Little Black Dress) is Zinfandel and Petite Syrah from California. Very nice chilled down on a steamy day like today. Strawberry and juicy watermelon. SRP – $11.99.

El Paso del Lazo 2015 Viura – Verdejo, Spain. This Spanish blend is 80% Viura and 20% Verdejo. Virura, also known as Macabeo, is the most widely cultivated white grape in northern Spain. Verdejo is added to give additional body. This fresh wine is finished in stainless steel and has citrus notes of lime and fresh pineapple. SRP – $12.99.

Carne Humana 2014 White Blend, Napa Valley, CA. This wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon plus a dash of Chardonnay. Pale yellow with tropical fruit flavors of guava and passion fruit. Napa has world class Chardonnay and it contributes pear and lemon flavors. This is a surprising and enjoyable white. SRP – $19.99.


Sterparo Greco, Basilicata, Italy. Greco is an ancient grape brought to Italy by the Greeks. We enjoyed this at a nice Italian wine dinner at Cellar 55. Basilicata is a region in southern Italy. Lemon yellow in color, this had notes of apple and minerality with a fresh round taste. This wine lets you chill out like ancient people did. A winner at a price of $15.99.
Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello, Puglia, Italy. We can’t leave red wine lovers hanging! We admit, we were first attracted to this wine because of the unusual squat bottle that caught our eye at Trader Joes. Susumaniello is a rare red grape grown in the Puglia (the heel of Italy’s boot) region. This is a fuller bodied wine than we expected with notes of leather, plum and dark chocolate. The label has the inscription, "va dove ti porta il vento" meaning “go where the wind takes you.” SRP is a tasty $10.99.

Full Disclosure: The LBD wine was received as a marketing sample.

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