All right, it's summertime (at least to this Oregon native it is). When I open my car door and could fire pottery in the heat blast I'm met with, I know we've arrived.
I suppose oppressive heat and blistering sunshine are not the ideal conditions for drinking a big, earthy, tannic red wine (for some). Maybe at the end of the night red wine is an option, but it's certainly not meant for poolside. Poolside needs a light, crisp, refreshing, and thirst quenching beverage.
I prefer to relax poolside (or patio-side) with a chilled or iced glass of white or rose, an ice-cold beer, or more likely a bourbon or gin concoction. But I write about wine, so for all intents and purposes, I would never choose the beer or cocktail. Gross.
We've established that it's summertime, and that I passionately oppose anything outside of wine as a choice of beverage... That leaves us with a few options for a poolside wine choice: white, rose, sparkling, and sangria.
Here are some of my favorite choices for each and a few recipes for summertime sangria. Note that for the sangria, we're mixing wine with other ingredients (I'd pick an inexpensive wine to make these). Also note that these are delicious.
White: Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc Retail ~ $10 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier Retail ~ $12 Basa Blanco Verdejo + Viura + Sauvignon Blanc Retail ~ $12 Charles Smith 'Eve' Chardonnay Retail ~ $12 Berger Gruner Veltliner Retail ~ $15
Rose: Bieler Pere et Fils Rose Retail ~ $10 LIOCO 'Indica' Rose Retail ~ $18 Dos Cabezas 'Pink' Retail ~ $18 Ponzi Pinot Noir Rose Retail ~ $20 Domaine Tempier Rose Retail ~ $40
Sparkling: Belstar Prosecco Retail ~ $10 Gruet Blanc de Noirs Retail ~ $14 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Retail ~ $30 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Retail ~ $45 Ruinart Rose Retail ~ $80
Sangria: Ross's 'Summer Sangria' (from Ross Simon of Southern Wine and Spirits) 2 bottles Cabernet Sauvignon 1/4 cup white sugar 1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1 orange, sliced 1 lemon, sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 2 cups lemonade 1 cup orange juice 1 liter lemon lime soda Mint
In a pitcher mix all the ingredients together except for the lemon/lime soda. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, stir in the lemon/lime soda. Add a few fresh mint leaves just before serving.
'Spiked' White Sangria 3 bottles crisp white wine 2 peaches, sliced 2 nectarines, sliced 1 orange, cut in quarters 1 lime, cut in quarters 1/2 lb green grapes, off the stems 1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice some vodka (to taste)
Mix everything together, taste, add more vodka or juice to change sweetness/strength. Let sit overnight, serve over ice. If you'd like add soda water or lemon/lime soda when serving.
Want to enjoy some delicious sangria without having to make it yourself? Head to Barrio Queen, Gallo Blanco, or Citizen Public House's patio to soak in the sunshine and find some of the best sangria around town.
