Plenty of Days Left to Chill with Summer Wine – White or Rosés

Even with Summer winding down and school upon the horizon, the weather won’t be cooling down anytime soon. What better way to beat the late-Summer heat than with a cold glass of wine?! Forty-nine to fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit to be exact. The best summer wine to chill in the refrigerator are whites and Rosés.

Summer White

A perfect Summer white is Sauvignon Blanc. The name Sauvignon Blanc means “wild white”and it is wild indeed with its green and herbaceous flavors. Its medium acidity and floral aromas makes Sauvignon Blanc a festive wine for the sizzling Summer months. Two of our favorite Sauvignon Blancs here at City Vineyard are Kim Crawford and Fire Road, which are both imported from New Zealand.

To give some history on the vineyards of New Zealand, the country’s first grapevines were planted in 1819 by an Anglican missionary named Samuel Marsden. It wasn’t until twenty years later that a separate gentleman by the name of James Bugsby successfully created the country’s first wines. Both Marsden and Bugsby had written of New Zealand’s promise as a wine producer because of the country’s climate and terrain that appeared exceptionally well suited to grapevines.

To this day, New Zealand continues to grow and prosper in terms of vineyards. The number of wineries nearly tripled in the decade between 1988 and 1998. In just the five years between 1993 and 1998, vineyard land grew by more than forty percent. Despite this vast expansion, New Zealand’s wine industry is still small. The country makes about one-twelfth as much wine as Australia. To put this into perspective, the United States produces about two and three quarters as much wine as Australia. Of the twenty or so grape varieties grown in New Zealand today, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most renowned and widely planted.

If you’re into summer wine, specifically white, you’ve got to come in and try this!

Summer Rosés

In addition to white wines, Rosés are a Summer wine staple. If you can get past the pink color, Rosés are actually deliciously dry wines that soothe the palate of any red wine drinker. Rosé wines are made with red grapes, but the skins are removed early enough so that the wine displays a beautiful pale pink color. The Fontsainte Gris de Gris (from Corbieres, France) has quickly become one of our favorites this Summer.

Stop in and grab a bottle of all of our favorite summer wine selections, or better yet have a glass in the lounge or on the patio!

Why join a wine club? This is one of the top questions we get asked here at City Vineyard. Accompanying that question is also: What is the best wine club? and Is wine club a good deal? Often in the wine world we find that a good price doesn’t necessarily mean a great deal. Let us walk you through why its a good idea (at least when its with us!).

Join a Wine Club and Benefit in 5 Ways

1. Have a regular supply of wine on hand.

Our Gold Club makes it extremely easy to start that wine cellar you have always wanted. Joining a wine club can be fun any time of year, but if you pick the right club, it could help trim your holiday spending. Between big family meals and holiday parties, you can never have too many bottles of wine around the house. If this isn’t a good “why join a wine club” reason, we don’t know what is!

2. Have your own personal wine concierge.

To have a knowledgeable buyer (often with more pricing power than you have) pick out interesting wines you wouldn’t or couldn’t buy yourself, especially when it comes to the limited-release allocations we often feature for Gold Club.

3. Receive awesome discounts and VIP offerings.

City Vineyard club members also receive 10% off in-store purchases when you pick up your club, half-off beer and wine tastings, plus special offers and items exclusive to club members.

4. No commitment required.

City Vineyard doesn’t require a long-term commitment. Try it for a month or a year. It’s totally up to you.

5. No shipping costs.

You pick up in store, so there are no extra costs tagged on; your monthly subscription cost goes directly to your high-quality wine.

Here is what our Gold Club members received this August:

2014 Morey-Saint-Denis En la Rue de Vergy

DOMAINE REGIS BOUVIER

Wine is like a religion to the people of Regis Bouvier. Fourth generation winemaking is just the beginning. They have 16 Hectares on about 60 vineyards displaying a beautiful and unique focus on sense of place. They use environmentally conscientious farming. The domaine is located in the Village of Marsannay-la-Côte which is part of the AOC village appellation of Marsannay. The only one in Burgundy allowed to produce White, Rosé and Red wines. The wines are part of the Côte de Nuits and stylistically similar to those of their neighbors Fixin and Gevrey Chambertin. Red wine grapes are allowed to ferment for about 20 days in temperature controlled tanks before aging in oak barrels for 12 months. 20 to 35% new oak is used depending on the cuvée. Wines undergo light filtration before bottling.

Régis Bouvier in Marsannay achieves a rare hat trick in Burgundy, the mastering of all three colors–Red, White and Rosé, through reasonable yields and high quality terroirs. Bouvier makes one of the best Burgundian Rosés according to critics, his Whites are delicious, with their own particular character completely unlike other Chardonnays from Burgundy, and his Reds are his crowning achievement, managing to be wild and exciting while refined and elegant at the same time. Bouvier’s vineyards in Marsannay are Premier-Cru quality (some may even get classified) and his lieu-dit Bourgogne Rouge En Montre Cul vineyard is of a quality well above most (cultivated on a steep slope, not flatland Bourgogne). Morey-St-Denis En la Rue de Vergy is a superb vineyard right above the Grand Cru Clos de Tart. This domaine represents terrific value for a number of reasons–a lesser-known appellation combined with quality vineyard holdings and a conscientious and talented wine grower.

This 2014 Burgundy is considered to be one of the most prized finds of the last 5 years. With a taut backbone, this offering gives juicy red berry fruits, a silky mouthfeel and a long, authentic finish. Drinkable now and over the next 3-7 years.

Still not convinced? Stop in or give us a call today and we’ll tell you why you should Join the Club!

Red wine is made from red wine grape varieties and gains its color from elongated contact with the grape’s dark skins during the fermentation process. Red wine often takes on the tannins from prolonged contact with the grapes skin. The tannin compounds found in the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes provides the structure and texture to create fuller bodied wines.

Famous Red Wine Grape Varieties

Ready to expand your palate and discover the world of red wines? Whether you are looking to enhance your wine knowledge or a newcomer to the world of wine – the list below offers you a number of famous red wine grape varieties and includes the primary flavors and colors of each variety, along with the description how each feels in your mouth.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is known as the king of the red wine. This grape variety is grown in almost every top wine producing region globally.

Dominant Flavors:

Cassis, mint, cedar

Color:

Purple with a tinge of sienna

Mouth-feel:

Generous, rich, full-bodied

You May Also Like: Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Tempranillo

Merlot

Merlot is the most common counterpart of Cabernet Sauvignon and a popular grape choice used for varietal wines

Dominant Flavors:

Raspberry, red plum, tea leaves

Color:

Raspberry

Mouth-feel:

Silky, medium to full body

You May Also Like: Grenache, Sangiovese, Dolcetto

Syrah/Shiraz

The name differs based on where it is planted. Syrah grape varieties are planted in the U.S. and Europe while Shiraz grape varieties are grown south of the Equator.

Dominant Flavors:

Berries, smoked meat, pepper and tar

Color:

Deep eggplant

Mouth-feel:

Plush and velvety

You May Also Like: Petite Syrah and red blends from the Rhone Valley of France

Pinot Noir

This grape is known as the most elegant of red wine grapes and known to produce some of the world’s finest wines. Primarily grown in cooler regions Pinot Noir is one of the most challenging grapes to cultivate and make wine from.

Dominant Flavors:

Red berries, earth, tobacco

Color:

Garnet

Mouth-feel:

Smooth, light to medium body

You May Also Like: Gamay, Nebbiolo, Mourvedre

Zinfandel

These grapes produce a robust, full flavored red wine. The warm California climate has proven to be idea for this the sweet and rich Zinfandel grape – one of the region’s oldest grapes.

Dominant Flavors:

Blackberry, raspberry, spicy

Color:

Inky raspberry

Mouth-feel:

Lush and jammy full body

You May Also Like: Shiraz, Carmenere

Sangiovese

Although Cabernet Sauvignon is noted the king of red wine, Sangiovese is know as the red wine king of Tuscany, Italy. This grape is the primary grape grown in central Italy. Commonly used to make the modern “Super Tuscan” wines.

Dominant Flavors:

Cherry, violet, warm earth

Color:

Brick red

Mouth-feel:

Smooth with a medium to full body

You May Also Like: Nebbiolo, Barbera

Grenache

This grape is easily a ‘Jack of all trades’ – most widely planted grape variety in the world and different region to region.

Dominant Flavors:

Bright cherry, raspberry

Color:

Bright ruby

Mouth-feel:

Flexible, silky smooth, to rich and luscious

You May Also Like: Pinot Noir, Gamay

Malbec

Originally introduced in France, this traditional Bordeaux blending grape made a huge comeback in Argentina and grown in the U.S in both California and Oregon still primarily as a blending grape.

Dominant Flavors:

Rich red berry

Color:

Electric purple

Mouth-feel:

Rich, powerful, full body often chewy in texture

You May Also Like: Shiraz, reds from the Priorat region of Spain

Nebbiolo

Grown in several regions in Northern Italy, this is the sole grape used to create Italy’s famous high-end Barolo and Barbaresco wines while also used to make some great, more affordable fine wines as well.

Dominant Flavors:

Candied cherry, violets, earth

Color:

Brick red with a sienna hue

Mouth-feel:

Soft and velvety, medium to full body

You May Also Like: Pinot Noir, Red Blends from the Rhone region of Franc

We would love to hear your favorites.

You are invited to visit our spacious wine bar where we always feature a variety of red and white wine options from various regions. Our experts will help you expand your palate and explore the world one glass of wine at a time.

Most commonly, you’ll hear the words “dry”, “sweet” , “light”, “fruity” or “refreshing” used to describe a white wine. White wine grape varieties are actually green, pink or even golden yellow. Oftentimes these wines spend less time fermenting with their skins on and therefore take on less of the skin’s color. There really is a distinctive difference in the flavor profile of white wines as opposed to reds.

The Most Well-Known White Wine Grape Varieties

Maybe you’re looking to branch out and expand your wine palate, or, a newcomer to the wine world looking to make sense of the many choices available to you — This list of the 8 most famous and common white wine grape varieties to give you a great place to start exploring your white wine palate.

Chardonnay

The Queen of white wines, produced from green-skinned grapes. Originally from the Burgundy region in Eastern France – now grown in nearly every wine region globally. Vinified in a variety of wine styles from sparkling wines to a smooth classic butter and oaky wine.

Dominant Flavors:

Butter (when oaked), mineral

Color:

Golden yellow

Mouth-feel:

Round full body

You May Also Like: White Sancerre, Verdejo

Sauvignon Blanc

From a similar region in Eastern France as Chardonnay, this too is a green-skinned grape variety. A very popular grape variety for modern white wine drinkers. This grape variety is currently grown in various climates, the thirst-quenching flavor of this grape varies depending on where the grapes are grown.

Dominant Flavors:

Racy acidity, grass, nettles, tropical fruits, elderflower

Color:

Lemongrass

Mouth-feel:

Crisp, prickly, light body

You May Also Like: Torrontes, Chenin Blanc

Riesling

The noble white grape originated in the cool climate of Germany and is a very aromatic variety. Used to make sweet, semi-sweet, dry and sparkling wines. Currently this grape variety can be found growing cooler climate wine regions globally.

Dominant Flavors:

Peach, orange blossom, mineral, wet stone

Color:

Pale straw to rich yellow

Mouth-feel:

Rich, glycerol, vibrant acidity

You May Also Like: Alsatian Muscat, Viognier

Pinot Gris

Gris meaning “grey” in French. This grape was named due to the pale gray appearance. Known to produce fuller-bodied, rich white wines. Originating in France and Italy – regions in Oregon and New Zealand currently focus on the full-body texture of Pinot Gris where other world wide wine regions tend to produce the lighter-bodied Pinot Grigio style wine from this same grape variety.

Dominant Flavors:

Apple, pit fruit

Color:

Golden apple/honeydew melon

Mouth-feel:

Round and soft, medium body

You May Also Like: Pinot Blanc, Torrontes

Gewürztraminer

The most distinctive of all white wine varietals. A white wine grape with a pink/red colored skin, primarily in cooler climates, originating in Germany and Austria. This grape variety produces some very aromatic wines.

Dominant Flavors:

Spice, lychee, orange blossom

Color:

Warm yellow

Mouth-feel:

Rich body, coats the palate

You May Also Like: Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Arneis

Viognier

Viognier is a red wine drinker’s white wine as this grape variety is often co-fermented with the red wine grape, Syrah. Naturally aromatic, wines produced with this grape variety are fuller-bodied. This grape produces wines with a complex nose that includes floral, spices, and fruits.

Dominant Flavors:

Melon, pears, white pepper, vanilla, floral

Color:

Canary yellow

Mouth-feel:

Full, generous, glycerol

You May Also Like: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris

Chenin Blanc

A grape capable of producing everything from dry to sweet dessert wines. Most widely planted grape in South Africa’s wine region. As such a versatile grape variety, this grape is planted in wine regions around the world, used in many white wine blends.

Dominant Flavors:

Honeysuckle, stone fruits, minerals

Color:

Pale straw

Mouth-feel:

Light, clean body

You May Also Like: Vouvray, Semillon

Torrontés

Appropriately described as “similar to Pinot Gris crossed with Sauvignon Blanc, with a touch of floral”. This is the signature grape of Argentina. This grape variety makes dry and zesty aromatic white wines with flavors that vary depending on the region the grapes are grown.

Dominant Flavors:

Citrus, lemon peel, floral

Color:

green apple

Mouth-feel: crisp, lively

You May Also Like: Vinho Verde, Albarino, Gruner Veltliner

The grape varieties listed above are just some of the most commonly encountered white grape varieties. You can find wines produced by these grapes on our shelves and poured at our wine bar. However, just like with red wines, there are hundreds of white wine grape varieties beyond this list, when you step inside our wine shop or visit our wine bar you’ll be invited to explore varieties beyond this list.

We want to hear from you, your favorite white wine grape varieties.