Summertime, with it's sweltering heat and heavy air, does something to a wine

drinker's palate. We no longer crave a tannic rich Cabernet, for example. They

tend to make us warm. During the hot months, wine drinkers tend to crave wines

high in acidity. These livlier wines tend to be more cleansing and refreshing.

So, put away your Merlots and Cabernets for the Summer, and join us for a tour

of some delightful summer substitutes.

No question about it, we Americans love our Champagne! We drank about 35 million

gallons of it in 2006. This figure represents about a 20% increase from 2001. We

would probably drink a lot more of it, but it's price has risen right along with

it's popularity. An excellent, economical substitute is a proseco from the

Veneto region of Italy. Proseco comes extra dry, or brut, which is drier still.

Heavy, creamy dishes such as fettucine Alfredo, complement the lively, dry

quality of proseco. Proseco tends to cut through the oiliness and richness of

Salmon or even an avacado. Proseco leaves us cleansed and refreshed, and eager

for the next bite!

Though sometimes a little too sweet, Spanish Cavas are a great, bubbly

alternative to champagne. Extremely affordable, most cavas are under 20 dollars.

Most Cavas are made west of Barcelona, in northeastern Spain. Cavas are

generally sparkling wines, however once in awhile youll run across a rose. With

aromas ranging from apple to lemon, Cavas are one of the main reasons that Spain

is rapidly ascending in prominence in the world of wines.

Although only slightly effervescent, Portugal's Vinho verde still qualifies as a

choice alternative to Champagne and an excellent summer wine. Featuring a

delicate lightness and a lower alchohol content, Vinho Verde is perfect for hot,

summer days when the tendancy is to consume your wine a little more quickly.

Perfect for many types of foods, Vinho Verde is usually quite fruity, with

citrus being the most common. Generally a young wine, Vinho Verde has earned the

nickname "green" wine.

Because it lacks the harsh tannins of a Cabernet, the full bodied spirit of a

Grenache is a good summer choice. Although most associate a Grenache from France

or Australia, Grenache is grown in abundance in the Priorat region of Spain.

Grenache typically conveys accents of dark fruits such as black plums or

rasberries. Californis, too has it's share of Grenache. Interesting enough,

Grenache complements a good old fashioned burger as well as anything else!

In finishing our round-up of great summer wines, we still have a few more that

deserve mention. Sauvignon blanc, particularly from New Zealand, is a great

summer choice. It features just the right amount of acidity combined with the

goodness of gooseberry and grapefruit. The ever popular pinot grigio, especially

from Italy is clean and wonderfully refreshing! A little less well known is a

Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Gruners are wonderfully crisp and thirst

quenching. They are bone dry and are frequently laced with green apple.

Needless to say, we have left out somebody's favorite summer wine. For that we

are sorry. Hopefully we have included some wines that will make this summer

perfect for disco