 "Three wines that should always be in your fridge")
A Crisp, Aromatic White
As I write this, the temperature on my deck is 94 degrees and a light, crisp, refreshing white to beat the heat will be what I crave most at the end of the day (and even before). But trust me, this style of wine is appealing at any time of the year.
My go-to bottles? Zingy sauvignon blancs, especially those from New Zealand because just about every one of them packs a lot of flavour and aroma for the price. In my fridge right now is 2016 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc ($20).
Like so many sauv blancs from that country, it has bright floral-herbal aromas and juicy, citrusy, tangy notes that make it easy to sip without food, yet also pair well with goat cheese, cold takeout salads, grilled fish, Thai curry, and much more.
An Easy-Drinking Sparkling Wine
There’s always a reason to toast something—a sudden bonus, a friend’s promotion, a new beach house, leaving (or returning) from a trip—which is why one of my three bottles is always, always a bubbly.
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A glass of fizz makes just about everything better, even the latest political crisis. Bright, fruity examples also happen to be fantastic with salty fried chicken, Chinese takeout, and Sunday morning brunch when you’re still lazing about in that bathrobe you stole from a fancy hotel.
I pick wallet-friendly sparklers, like the fresh, lively nonvintage Roederer Estate Brut ($23), made in California’s cool, fog-bound Anderson Valley at the outpost of French Champagne house Louis Roederer. Another mainstay in my house is 2014 Raventos i Blanc L’Hereu Blanc de Blancs brut ($20), a cava I never get tired of drinking. A good prosecco or creamy crémant de Bourgogne is also a good choice.
And if you only drink Champagne, my favourite for the refrigerator is the vibrant, spicy, ever-reliable nonvintage Louis Roederer Brut Premier ($45).
A Bright, Savory-Fruity Provençal Rosé
Hey, it’s summer, so a chilled pink wine is a must to have on hand—for me and also for friends, who, not surprisingly, lap it up. Let’s face it, drinking rosé from Provence is a way to fantasise you’re on a yacht in Saint-Tropez. Demand for examples has reached insatiable thirst levels, with imports in 2016 up almost 50 percent over 2015. These are wines you can day-drink, pour with tapas, grilled vegetables, fish stews and salads, and barbecued chicken, and sip on a rooftop or deck as the stars come out.
I rotate my picks among several producers. Right now, it’s the dry, silky-textured, elegant-for-the-price 2016 Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel ($22). Ubiquitous in the Hamptons and on the Côte d’Azur, this wine is always delicious; the blend of grenache, cinsault, and rolle grapes gives it a tangy, mineral, strawberry-and-spice taste you don’t get tired of.
There are dozens of other great examples in the same mold: Mas de Cadenet ($20), Château Gassier ($19), and Commanderie de Peyrassol ($24).
A slightly cheaper alternative to Whispering Angel that will impress your friends and satisfy your cravings is the certified organic 2016 Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence ($18).
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