We asked local wine experts to recommend and comment on some of their favorite bottles for summer drinking (prices listed are representative; check stores for
exact prices).
• Asher White, co-owner and wine buyer of Dolce Vita Wines, 9 N. J St., Lake Worth, 561-493-3330.
Thomas Henry Sonoma County Chardonnay, $13 (Slight oak, good fruit and crisp acid help this wine stand up to food)
Banear Prosecco, $18 (It’s extra dry with tropical fruit flavors that go over well.)
Odfjell Cabernet from Armador, $16 (This wine is fantastic. It’s good with food or for sipping. It’s not so heavy that it will make you hot. It’s a medium- to
full-body cabernet that you should chill for serving.)
Pindar wines of Long Island made from cabernet franc, $17 (It’s on the light side with full fruit; offers plum and black cherry flavors.)
• Bob Leone, manager and wine director of Crown Wine & Spirits, 532 SE 15th Ave., Boynton Beach, 561-734-9463.
Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley, $28 (Prototypical cut grass and sweet pea aromas; higher acidity makes it refreshing; melon, apricot, grapefruit flavors
vary with vintage.)
Bernkasteler Doktor Kabinett, $30 (You get the sense of fruit such as apricot, peaches and nectarines; you pick up the slate and mineral flavors; being a kabinett, this
wine is made from grapes that are picked early so they have higher acidity and
are refreshing; serve with trout or grilled grouper.)
Layer Cake Shiraz, $15 (From southeastern Australia, this wine is made in a big, ripe style with a lot of dark fruit such as black plums and berries. They use oak to
age it so the wine tastes of vanilla.)
Kaesler “The Bogan,” $63 (From the Barossa Valley of south Australia, this wine is similar to the Layer Cake Shiraz, but on a bigger scale with more elegance; can
be aged 10 years.)
Earthworks Shiraz, $12 (Lighter than the Layer Cake wine but not as big and robust; however it costs less, too. Not as outgoing a personality.)
• David Spitzer, owner Old Vines Wine & Spirits, 900 E. Atlantic, Suite 3, Delray Beach, 561-276-2076.
Ferraton Pere & Fils Cotes du Rhone Villages, $16 (Great with food or for sipping)
Si Soave, $10 (Made with the garganega grape rounded out with trebbiano, wines from Soave, which is near Verona, Italy, have less acid and taste smoother than
pinot grigio with apple citrus and tropical fruit flavors)
Lamura Bianco de Sicilia $10 (Made from the Sicilian grape catarratto, this is a fresh white with floral and tropical aromas.)
Clayhouse Adobe Red, $16 (A blend of zinfandel, petite-sirah, syrah, malbec, grenache and mourvedre, this wine is bright and fruity with hints of anise and spice.)
Z’ivo Quartet, $23 (From the Willamette Valley of Oregon, this wine is a blend of pinot blanc, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and melon de Bourgogne.)
Bridgeview Blue Moon Pinot Noir, $19 (Fresh ripe fruit flavors of black cherry and raspberry, nicely structured, rich body with a lasting finish.)
— Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley
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