Summer Drinking with Article: Wine!
Much like outdoor furniture, drinking is seasonal. A nutty eggnog in July; a fruit cooler by a roaring fire; al fresco appetizers in a blizzard … it just doesn’t work. Summer is about simplicity. Easy dinners on the patio. Salads you care about eating. And of course, wine. You likely have a seasonal standby that you can’t wait to uncork and swill all summer long, but variety is fun. We picked a few of our uncommon favorites to share, plus the ideal scenario to drink them in. Drop by your local wine shop and scan for these grapes. If there’s a friendly attendant, ask them to suggest their favorite.
Pairing: Petillant Naturel and the Teaka Natural Teak lounger
Champagne’s baby, frivolous sister, pet-nat likes to party. Petillant Natural is a sparkling wine that gets capped before it has finished fermenting, leaving it to get funky (and lightly bubbly) in the bottle. It can be made with any grape (taste the rainbow!), and is almost always unfiltered. Tart, lively; like kombucha but better, for obvious reasons.
To drink: You’re pretty, you’re flirty, but you’re also sophisticated. Pop the cap off your pet-nat and pour yourself a glass to enjoy alongside cold mezze, ordered in. Your friends are on their way over; someone suggested dancing. Adjust the straps on your easy wrap dress and lean back on your Teaka lounger. One more generous pour before your friends arrive: pet-nat is too good.
Pairing: Albariño and the Mira dining armchair
Hailing from Spain, Albariño is a white with bite. Bone dry, super light, and with pretty low alcohol levels, it tastes like a citrus orchard in bloom on a coastal cliff with a little hit of lime zest. Mineral-forward wines always leave hints of their rocky origins in their color. Volcano and granite rock are dark and wild. Limestone, chalk, and clay are lighter and more refined. Match your bottle to your mood.
To drink: If you can find a rooftop, go there. This is a wine that calls for gritty-chic. Dusk approaches, and it’s finally cool enough to sit outside. Pull your Mira chairs into a circle and keep your Albarino on ice. Throw some whitefish on the barbecue, plus a few cut limes (they’re not “burnt,” they’re “caramelized”). Whoever arrives last brings the watermelon.
Pairing: Cabernet Franc Rosé and the Svelti Lily Pink dining armchair
Refreshing and dry, a Cabernet-Franc Rosé is like a Campari-soda for wine people. It’s a fresh and grassy opportunity to appear breezy while keeping your serious soul. Brings to mind a day at the beach, where your lunch is salty feta and cucumber with a pita. Except it’s actually just a bottle of this.
To drink: Grab your book and your Lily Pink Svelti armchair. This is a thinking-person’s wine: solo and introspective, but cheeky too. Enjoy the sun on your face and the herbal notes in each sip. Not all rosé is for partying, but it’s good for keeping it light.
Pairing: Muscadet and the Teaka lounge chair
Made from the aptly-named Melon de Bourgogne grape, Muscadet is known for being salty and acidic — a great match for oysters. For a walk on the wild side, look for a variety that’s been aged in the “sur lie” style. That means that the wine is left to feed on expired yeast cells, imparting a creamier texture. Imagine a cantaloupe creamsicle sprinkled with maldon salt and you’ve more or less arrived at a perfectly fermented bottle.
To drink: Bring a bottle to your hip friend’s house and let it chill during dinner. Their rental has a pool, and they are really into collecting original mid-century artwork. You don’t know too many people at the party, but everyone is awesome. Post-dinner, everyone sits on the deck and you manage to snag one of the Teaka chairs. You can’t see the stars (you’re in the city, after all) but you can feel them. Uncork the muscadet and pass the bottle around. In ten minutes everyone will be in the pool.
Pairing: Skin-Contact Pinot Gris and the Malou dining chair
Don’t call it “orange” wine. Skin-contact brings the perky energy of pinot gris but infuses it with a little more funk. A white wine made in the style of a red, skin-contact white wines have characteristics reminiscent of a red wine — think high-tannins and fuller bodies — but are still summer-fresh and wholly crushable. All the fruity-goodness of your pear/apple/citrus pinot gris, but punchy. Less Real Housewife, more Marion Cotillard.
To drink: Listen. It’s summer, and you don’t want to be serious! You’re forgoing shoes entirely. You’re eating your lunch in the park. You’re shopping at the farmer’s market and buying $13 heirloom melons. You’re also redecorating. Throw on some music, pull your Malou dining chairs up to the table, and festoon them with a Lanna throw. It’s nouveaux boho, baby.