Get Your Cellar Summer Ready

Spring is here, summer is around the corner and this month’s long weekend is the official opening of Cottage Season!

While you’re busy getting your cottage warm weather ready, don’t forget about your summer cellar.  Nothing kills lazy days lounging on the dock faster than having to take a run to the local LCBO — and if we know anything about cottage country liquor stores on summer weekends, it’s that there ain’t going to be much to pick from.

We have a client who heads up north for the season, so we sent her packing with enough cases of summer worthy wines to help her make it through to the dog days without missing a drop.

Our client loves to cook for a crowd and entertains frequently, so she’s likely to go through a number of bottles in a day.  To make sure she makes it through the summer, we recommend 1-2 bottles a day, as guests will likely bring a bottle as a hostess gift, plus there are days when she will be invited to a friend’s cottage, and other days when she’s not entertaining or drinking.

Here’s what we recommended for her, while you may adjust the number of bottles to your own needs, the balance should be the same.

Crisp, refreshing whites: This is a no-brainer.  From dock side dining to lawn chair lounging, you will need fresh, chilled whites to help beat the heat.
2 cases
We recommend: 13th Street “Old Vines” Riesling, VQA Creek Shores, Ontario 2008, $23.95

Rosé: Last month we extolled the virtues of blush wines, so we know that horse has been kicked and it’s good and dead.  But seriously, no summer cellar is complete without pink.  There’s a reason it’s the drink of choice is the hot beachy climes of the South of France: it’s delicious, food friendly like white with the body of red.  Brilliant with fresh seafood, BBQ chicken and grilled vegetables.
1 case
We recommend: Malivoire “Lady Bug” Rosé, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 2010 $15.95

Fuller bodied whites: Bigger whites like chardonnays are needed not only for the NBC crowd you may be hosting (Nothing But Chardonnay), but they’re nice matches for seafood and chicken which tend to dominate summer meals, like BBQ salmon, roast chicken, or even crab and avocado salad.
1/2 case
We recommend: Fielding Estate Winery, Chardonnay, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 2010 $23.15

Tempranillo: Spain’s native grape is a brilliant summer red.  Low tannins mean it’s not too heavy for hot nights, and its great colour and upfront fruit make it a fun pairing for summer fare like spicy sausage and grilled red meat.
1 case
We recommend: Beronia “Elaboración Especial” Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain, 2008 $17.95

Merlot: Soft & fruity, this is summer in a bottle.  Again, when the mercury starts to push past 30, the last thing you want is a heavy, tannic Shiraz.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the wine, but time & place, and the cottage in July is not it.  Smooth & silky with fruit flavours ranging from strawberry to red cherry to plum, this red offers easy drinking on its own, but its subtle spicy complexity makes it a nice match with grilled cornish hen, pork tenderloin or simple burgers.
1 case
We recommend: Featherstone “Red Tail” Merlot, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario, 2010 $19.95

Sparkling wine: Summer is a time for celebration: Father’s Day, birthdays, weddings, long weekend brunches are all reason to toast one occasion or another and for that you need bubbles.
1/2 case
We recommend: Roederer Estate Brut Sparkling, Mendocino, California $28.95