Check out these quality imported wines
But if you come across the 2017 Capensis “Silene” Chardonnay, from a high-altitude vineyard, don’t hesitate to enjoy its juicy citrus, pineapple and creamy notes.

A welcome wonderful vintage from this excellent producer in Australia’s Yarra Valley. The cooler climate of the region makes for deliciously floral, refined Pinot Noir with plenty of ripe, smooth dark fruits.

It’s fair to say this wine is a crowd-pleaser: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay is America’s No. 1 selling Chardonnay for 30 years and counting. Perfect for summer, it’s fruit-forward with flavors of pineapple, mango and papaya – coupled with aromas of vanilla and honey – and you may notice toasted oak and butter in the mix, too. Follow the principle of pairing white cheese colors with white wine colors. Here, this oaked Chardonnay is a blissful mouthful with creamy cow and sheep milk cheese. We especially love this Chardonnay when paired with cheese, dried fruit and dark chocolate as a post-dinner course.

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2020 delivers consistent quality and value for a mass-produced wine. The cool climate Sonoma Coast with its Monterey Bay influence helps in acidity and extended growing season for intensity of chardonnay flavors. Oak and malolactic certainly are present, but in a controlled and appropriate way for this style of high-production California chard. Pair with pork; poultry, roast chicken; butternut squash risotto; rich fish; crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops in buttery, creamy sauce vegetarian fare. Can work at dessert with key lime pie. Cheese—gruyère, cheddar, bleu cheese, camembert, sheep’s milk cheese.

La Crema always brings the rosé vibe to life. Soft, serious and structured, this California pink can bring grilled barbecue shrimp into new dimensions.

From sandy, loamy soils in Sta. Rita Hills, Brewer Clifton Machado Pinot Noir highlights the structure, density, and balance of Pinot Noir wines from the area highlighting a mineral-rich, earthy quality. Crafted utilizing whole cluster fermentation, utilizing neutral oak, highlighting the gifts Mother Nature gives to the fruit of the area, creating a wine with mineral-rich earthiness, melding with layers of strawberry and rhubarb, black tea, blackberry, and crushed stone. Elegant and elevated, a beauty to enjoy now but with the capability of being aged up to a decade, maintaining freshness and elegant appeal.

Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills 2011 Chardonnay shines with soft herbal notes, candied pineapple, caramelized lemon peel, lime leaf, and orange blossom, with layers of golden apple, pear, and creamy honey. Medium-bodied, with a welcoming, balanced palate that finishes with just a touch of briny saline.
And, though it is not an inexpensive option, it is only $55, which for a ten-year-old Chardonnay that is completely delicious, is a bargain. Available by calling the winery. The nice element of the aged selection is that every year the winery crafts the wine in the exact same manner, from the same fruit, aged the same way, leading you to believe that the current release and each release going forward can also potentially age for upwards of ten years, likely more.

A deeper lemon-gold colour. Medium intensity nose of rich, ripe pineapple plus butterscotch and a touch of toast. Medium body, dryish, soft and round mouthfeel. Light acidity. Rich ripe pineapple and butterscotch flavours. Medium-plus length finishing with tropical fruit, butterscotch and a touch of tannins.

A lighter, clear orange-salmon colour. Dry, medium-plus body, soft with a thicker mouthfeel. Medium acidity with decanting. Mainly red fruit flavours with a touch of grape stem. Medium length with light pepperiness, tart red fruit and strawberries, along with a touch of tannins.

The Freemark Abbey Viognier possesses floral and tropical fruit aromas, with some surprising banana and pineapple notes. On the palate, more traditional flavors of white peach are present, with lots of texture and body.

Summertime…and the Sippin' is Easy
…while the La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé 2021 from California offers a more "serious" style, with cherry, strawberry and red apple aromas and forward strawberry/herbal flavours.

Often found in blends but at times underappreciated on its own, a great Merlot has a fruit-forward nature that’s a natural pick for summer grilling. This one’s nose is delightfully nuanced with layers of blueberry, pomegranate, and bit of freshly cut wood, while that woodsy quality carries forward into the palate to mingle with flavours of black cherry and hazelnut. It’s pleasantly layered and complex, which would lead it to pair well with some smoked pork ribs or even a wood-fired pizza with strongly flavoured toppings such as salty prosciutto and peppery arugula.

A traditional Chardonnay is a beautiful thing in the summertime, and this one is about as traditional as they come. Float your nose over its straw yellow colour and you’ll breathe in full aromas of pineapple and toasted coconut with a hint of minerality. On the palate, this Chard is full-flavoured but mellow and lightly astringent with flavours of ripe pear mingling alongside vanilla and buttery toast. If you’d like to try this with something different, go for a Christmas in July vibe and grill some simply seasoned turkey breast to serve with a seasonal berry compote.

Best Buy Wines OVER $35
A compelling mix of grenache blanc, roussanne, clairette, piquepoul and bourboulenc grown biodynamically. A fully textural white that lavishes skin contact (some ferments remains on skins for months) to create one of the most compelling Rhône-inspired blends seen in recent times. Wildly aromatic with stone fruits dusted heavily with exotic spice and floral things, the palate is sheathed in fine tannin and coursing with flinty minerality. Detailed and delicious.

On the other hand, there is something decadently delicious about pouring a “Boujee” Pinot Noir while the coals cook down. Really, if you’re dining in why not splurge a tad on a bottle of wine? Pinot Noir is generally a great grilling partner thanks to its exuberant fruit and suave disposition. Case in point is La Crema’s Sonoma Coast bottling, which pours a bright ruby and presents vibrant as all get up: ripe berry meets vanilla and tobacco, silky smooth with robust fruit and a kiss of a balanced, fruity finish. This bottle is totally food versatile, bring on the grilled pork chops, eggplant, and/or salmon.
Bottom line: B, Easy elegance

Nestled in the “Deep End” of the Anderson Valley is Maggy Hawk, which specializes in ultra-premium pinot noir and chardonnay, varieties that thrive in its misty, redwood-tinged terroir. Only 484 cases of the “Stormin’” pinot were made in 2019 and enthusiasts typically must join the winery wait-list to receive allocations, although wines can be purchased at the tasting room with advance reservations. Join on the second Sunday in summer months for woodfired pizzas and a chance to snag some of these extraordinary wines.

Slightly darker hued than a Provencal style, this has a bit of an off-dry profile, like cotton candy, but also hems in blood orange, watermelon and finishes like a tangy fruit bowl. Good with Asian food or maybe a Korean BBQ to offset the off-dry profile.

A very serviceable and enjoyable quaff from a mega producer. Tart strawberry and a tinge of raspberry. Clean, direct and well made – doesn’t try to be anything it’s not and I appreciate that.

Fresh raspberries and strawberries and joined with lots of jumping pink grapefruit pith in this tart, fresh and lively wine. Pretty and pleasant and a bit earthy and savory, so you’ll want to pair it up.

Warm Weather Wines
Rosé is the best of all wine worlds, which may explain why it’s thought to be among one of the first types. Rosé is known for being particularly sweet but this one is subtly so without being overbearing and also acidic without being too dry, a fruity wine that goes down easily and pairs well with most summer dishes.

Absolutely textbook. Salted pineapple, nutmeg, a tenuous tug of texture, some salted caramel and ripe pear. Enough oak for an oak lover to be satisfied, but well-integrated and not overt.