“Wine is drinkable sunlight. It’s the most glorious summer’s day imaginable, captured in a bottle.” Walter Moers knew what he was talking about when he described wine as a glorious summer day. With sandy Hamptons weekends coming into focus, it’s time to start thinking about summer.
Summer days go hand in hand with beaches, relaxing, and a great glass of wine. But don’t just settle for any old run-of-the-mill glass of wine. These wine hacks will move your wine to the ‘extra” column, and the best thing of all is you will be enjoying your favorite wine on a beautiful summer’s day.
Recapture your childhood with a red wine float
Along with throwing the frisbee in the yard, digging sandcastles at the beach, and watching the sunset, summer is known for ice cream. And there is no better way to enjoy the summer staple of ice cream than nestled inside a rootbeer float. Take it one step farther this summer, and create your very own red wine float. With your favorite vanilla ice cream, a few splashes of sparkling water, and our easy-on-the-palate Tuscan red Conte Guicciardini, you will create a summer treat that will satisfy you on even the hottest nights.
Freeze fruit and flowers to chill wine
We get it. In the summer’s heat you might find yourself in an emergency situation with a deep thirst but no chilled wine. Don’t make the mistake of plopping regular old ice cubes into the wine, or you risk diluting it. With a little forethought, you can make “ice cubes” that add to the taste and beauty of your wine. All sorts of fruit will work for this task, whether you buy frozen fruit or freeze fresh fruit yourself. Strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and raspberries will all add flavor to your favorite red. Try frozen peaches, mango, or even pineapple to chill your favorite whites. No matter what color your wine, chill edible flowers in ice cube trays for a delicate, beautiful surprise when you serve up your next glass.
Make a slushie
Up the ante on the snowcones of your youth by creating a grown-up frozen drink that will make you smile. Our pale salmon-hued Le Grand Cros smells of strawberries but deepens its flavor with notes of ginger and saffron once you taste it. Add frozen strawberries or raspberries to this wine, and blend away. The frozen drinks of your youth will pale in comparison to this big kid drink, but you will receive the same cooling benefits and relaxing feeling as when you were young.
Create a sangria popsicle
We’ve all enjoyed a flavorful glass of sangria, and that is certainly a wonderful way to raise the bar on an ordinary glass of red wine. But with a quick visit to a home store for a popsicle mold, you can create a frozen treat that is out of this world. Massi di Mandorlaia features a hint of espresso, along with dried sage, anise, and wild cherry notes, which definitely turns your frozen treat into a grown-up affair. Add your favorite deep-colored fruits such as blueberries, cherries, and raspberries, and your sangria popsicle is born. Freeze the popsicles for several hours and then enjoy!
Use a beach glass
If playing chemist is not for you, and you are more of a wine purist, pour yourself a glass of Les Buy, Sancerre for a hot summer day or night. This textured Sauvignon Blanc with a bright acidity and aroma of citrus fruits is sure to cool you off. Find yourself a beach glass with a long plastic stem that will sink into the sand to keep your drink close at hand. These beach glasses will also float, so whether you are on the beach or in a pool, your favorite wine will be nearby.
Chill your wines quickly
If it’s a hot day and it’s time for wine, then you need a surefire way to chill your wines fast. Wrap a damp tea towel around your favorite bottle and freeze it for 15 minutes. This is a fast-acting method to chill your wine! If you don’t have a freezer around because you are enjoying the beach, add salt, water, and ice to your ice bucket and stick your wine bottle in there. The salt lowers the freezing point of water so your wine will chill faster.
With summer just around the corner, take note of these wine hacks which will chill your wine and your temperature while you are chilling out in the summer heat. Cool treats of your younger days will morph into grown-up delicacies and you will certainly understand how your next glass of wine could be considered drinkable sunlight. Enjoy your summer in a bottle, and see how the livin’ is easy!