The perfect temperature for whites...

As summer continues to roll along, we're in the season of "whites".  Summer is a great time to explore crisp, refreshing whites that have been neglected during the cool winter months (at least in the Midwest).  The question gets asked, "which whites are you drinking this summer?"  External temperature (believe it or not) is a perfect gauge to answer that question.  The warmer the weather, the less inclined you are to drink heavier whites, right?  I read an article recently in Food & Wine magazine illustrating this concept, but decided to put my own spin on it:

65 degrees - Full-bodied Chardonnay (most likely from California), or Viognier

1. Clos du Bois Chardonnay (Cali)
2. Cline Viognier (Cali)

70 degrees - Unoaked, lighter Chardonnay

1. Louis Jadot Macon Village Chardonnay (France)
2. Chandon Unoaked Chardonnay (Cali)

75 degrees - Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre or California), US Riesling

1. Hannah Sauvignon Blanc (Cali)
2. Chateau St. Michelle Riesling (Washington State)

80 degrees - Sauvignon Blanc (Chile or New Zealand), or Prosecco

1. Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)
2. Lunetta Prosecco (Italy)

85 degrees - Pinot Grigio (Northern Italy), low alcohol German Riesling

1. Cavit Pinot Grigio (Italy)
2. S.A. Prum Essence (Germany)

90 degrees - Vinho Verde

1. Twin Vines Vihno Verde (Portugal)
2. Aveleda Vinho Verde (Port)

95 degrees - BEER (too hot to be drinking wine!)

When the weather is extremely hot, wine becomes less enjoyable.  One of wine's worst enemies can be temperature.  Temperature increases the presence of alcohol (hence drinking lower alcohol Vinho Verde is refreshing).  Once the wine glass starts sweating profusely, it's time to start thinking about an alternative beverages.  Maybe a crisp Aperol Spritz on the rocks??

More from Argentina....Torrontes.

What is the hottest country in the world exporting wine to the U.S. right now??  Argentina!  When we think of Argentina, we think of the success of their red grape, Malbec.  The "other" grape that is gaining tremendous popularity from Argentina is Torrontes.  Torrontes is a white grape that is grown in the northwest corner of the country (Salta, specifically).  Flavor profile:  it smells like Riesling, but finishes like Pinot Grigio.  That is to say it's got tremendous floral and citrus notes, but not as aggressive as Sauvignon Blanc  In many metropolitan cities, this has turned into classic "go to" for a patio pounder.  The best part is that they're generally pretty affordable!  The top 3 that I've tried have been:

1. Bogeda Colome - www.bodegacolome.com
2. Crios de Susana Balbo
3. Callia 

You'd be foolish not to buy a bottle of Torrontes this summer!

A couple statistics...

I subscribe to a blog called "Wine & Spirits Daily".  Topics range from wine related knowledge to industry trends.  We hear a lot about people's purchasing habits, and how they relate to the economy.  Below is a segment taken from one of W&SD most recent blogs, which I found very interesting:

CONSUMERS MORE CONFIDENT BUT STILL TRADING DOWN 

The average US consumer is still beleagured by consumer debt, which stands now at an incredible 95% of GDP (compared to 66% in 1997), but they are becoming a little more confident, according to a research report by the folks at Boston Consulting Group.  "Despite this hard truth about the magnitude of the recovery challenge in the United States, recession-weary consumers have been quick to embrace even the smallest signs of an improvement.  And how consumers in this critical market feel matters a lot given the past correlation between U.S. consumer confidence and spending," writes BCG.
For example: (1) Anxiety about the future is down 9% from the peak seen a year ago.  (2) 23% now feel insecure in their jobs, compared to 33% a year ago.  (3) 37% are concerned about their financial security, down from 53% last year.  (4) 46% of consumers said they intended to cut their spending, compared to 73% last year.
But consumers are still wary.  Nearly 50% claim to have been personally affected by the crisis. And their confidence in the recovery has experienced a setback from six months ago, when fewer consumers said they thought the economy would get worse in the coming year. They also expect improvement to take several years.  Plus, they are "still committed to the budget-stretching mechanisms they have been employing during the past 18 months."  The new normal is being cheap.
HOW IT APPLIES TO WINE & SPIRITS.  Although the intention to cut back on "nonessentials" is down from peak levels - 65% of consumers still claim they will cut back, down from 81% a year ago - plans to spend more time hunting for the best deals or to buy on promotion continue unabated. A total of 53% say they will trade down in spirits, while 17% said they will trade up.  With wine, 50% plan on trading down and 18% will trade up.