Cider for Summer

As picnic season get into full swing bypass the commonplace and opt for a cool, hard cider. We’re not talking mass-produced candied cider a’la Woodchuck. We’re talking natural, earthy, thought-provoking ciders from Normandy and the Basque region of Spain. Take one of our picks to your next picnic. Where your friends may bring some tasty bottles, yours will truly be the hipster of the lot.

Cyril Zangs, Sparkling Cider, Normandy, 2008

This is a light-hearted, earthy, slightly sweet cider that’s loaded with rich, honeyed apple notes. There’s a hit of nuttiness toward the end that makes for a very interesting finish. This is a good cider to pair with the many different foods that can dress the picnic table. We recommend this for a picnic or a BBQ. It’s got the muscle to hold up to hearty dishes and the hit of sweetness makes it very food friendly.

(Available at UVA Wines and Spirits in Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Isastegi Sagardo Naturala, Tolosa, Basque, Spain, 2008

This has got to be one of the coolest ciders available to the American market. Apples are pressed in stainless steel tanks and large oak casks. It undergoes all natural fermentation, as God intended, and is bottled unfiltered. This results in an extremely cloudy cider that is incredibly dry and mouth-puckering. Mild carbonation and that great Basque acidity make it pleasantly invigorating. This is a wild bottle that will get you ready for the next round of wiffle ball.

(Available at Thirst Wine Merchants in Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Julien Frémont, “Greniers” Cidre, Brut par Nature, Normandy, 2008

Picture it: Acres upon acres of centuries old lush, green orchards in Normandy’s Calvados region. You have likely tasted the deliciousness that is Calvados brandy made from the region’s famed apples. Frémont presses his apples in the same press his ancestors built in 1765. You can almost taste the tradition. It undergoes a slow fermentation in both vat and bottle and yields a very smooth and full body with a soft mousse and mild sweetness. This is a classy cider for a more sophisticated and relaxed picnic. Sit and sip under sprawling trees.

(Available at Astor Wine and Spirits in Manhattan)

Midwest Wines Worth the Risk Taking

One of the toughest things about wine is not knowing what you're going to get, whether or not you're going to like it and still having to fork over (sometimes a lot of) your money for it. It's the reason we're less likely to buy wine from a region or grape foreign to us. This is also the beauty of drinking wine. Consider the Midwestern wines below (from my SwirlSavvy wine column for the Chicago Sun-Times) a little adventure for your palate.

Eating locally or regionally sourced food, be it cheese, milk, fruits and vegetables or meat, has become an incredibly popular movement for good reason. Fewer chemicals are used, produce is fresher, the carbon footprint is reduced and local farmers are supported. Plus, locally grown products just taste better.

Those same reasons should apply to drinking locally — and by this, I don’t mean increasing your frequency at the neighborhood pub.

While drinking locally sound like an achievable and enjoyable goal for beer drinkers given the plethora of top-notch microbrews coming out of Illinois and Wisconsin, drinking local wine if you live near Chicago may seem unlikely.

When we think of wine from the United States, California wine usually springs to mind, followed by Washington, Oregon and maybe New York.

But did you know that wine is commercially produced in each of the 50 states (although Alaskan wine is made from local berries, not grapes)? Wine from Arkansas or Idaho? Yep, they have you covered. We all can drink locally, after all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all of the wine is fantastic, or even palatable. But for Chicagoans, the good news is that wineries within reasonable driving distance don’t produce merely OK wines, they produce some great wines.

Look for Chambourcin, a relatively new, late-ripening grape perfect for Midwest temperatures, and Vignoles, also a lesser known grape that expresses itself well here in a range of dry to sweet styles.

Support your local winery and try some of my favorites below — as if you needed another reason to drink more good wine.


Prairie State Winery
Located in Genoa, about one hour northwest of Chicago. The winery has several of its wines available for purchase at local retailers. For my recommendations below, contact the winery or, better yet, take a day trip out to their tasting room.

Prairie State is run by Rick Mamoser, a former high school chemistry teacher. The winery specializes in Illinois-grown grapes and is making strides toward sustainable farming.

Some to try:

Vin Rouge ($19). A full-bodied, robust blend of Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin and Norton. Give this wine time to breathe and see how wonderfully it evolves over an evening.

Chambourcin Reserve ($16). A beautiful example of this regional grape. The oak aging gives the wine a toasted vanilla note and a soft, smooth finish.


Fenn Valley Vineyards
Located roughly two and a half hours from Chicago, in Fennville, Mich. Fenn Valley’s proximity to Lake Michigan and the resulting temperature-moderating effect give it what most great viticulture sites have in common.

The winery recently gained national notoriety. Its ice wine was served at the White House Governors Ball in February. If it’s good enough for the President and international dignitaries, it’s certainly good enough for me. Order directly from the vineyard by calling (800) 432-6265.

Some to try:

Edelzwicker 2009 ($12). The Traminette and Riesling blend is a touch off-dry, with soft floral aromas and a refreshing, not cloyingly sweet finish.

Lakeshore Demi-Sec ($8). A “best buy” semi-dry blend of Vidal, Vignoles and Riesling that screams fun and fruity; perfect for all those summer bridal events.

Meritage 2008 ($18). Rich and brooding with black pepper and dark cherry flavors, this traditional “Bordeaux blend” is less than 12 percent alcohol, a welcome change from similar-tasting Napa Cabs that hit over 16 percent.


Blue Sky Vineyard
Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda opened in 2005 and is a leisurely five-and-a-half hour drive south from Chicago. It is part of the Shawnee Hills wine trail of 12 wineries in southern Illinois, which make the trip worth taking as a weekend getaway; you can stay at or near the winery’s Tuscan-inspired inn.

Try the estate wines below for a showing of the winery’s best efforts. Order wines online at blueskyvineyard.com or by calling (618) 995-9463.

Some to try:

Cabernet Franc ($19). The seductive smokiness of this wine makes it a perfect pair for coal-fired oven pizzas.

Chambourcin Reserve 2006 ($12). A bargain price for a wine of this depth. Get your hands on several bottles before word spreads.

Vignoles 2009 ($18). If you enjoy Chardonnay from the warmer regions of Australia, try this full-bodied white bursting with tropical fruit flavors.


Chateau Grand Traverse
Not all Midwestern wineries are small, nor are they all new. Started in 1974, Chateau Grand Traverse is one of the oldest and most well-known commercial wineries in the Midwest, producing more than 85,000 cases of wine annually.

The winery is on a mission to turn the area’s “up-and-coming” label into a respected, well-known wine region.

Due to its location in the Old Mission Peninsula of Michigan, Riesling is the grape best suited to the often frigid local climate. It’s the winery’s stand-out grape, whether in a blend or on its own.

Some to try:

2008 Dry Riesling ($13). A great example of how Riesling shines in this region. You’ll find aromas of green apple and grapefruit and a crisp finish.

2008 Ship of Fools ($14). A charming, easy-drinking off-dry blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

Roses for the Anti-Rose Fan

By this point, you’ve heard the merits of rose wine ad nauseum, whether from your friendly neighborhood wine writer, wine shop worker or pastor. And although I’m an advocate for drinking rose, even year-round, it’s especially worth a refresher now since summer has (finally) defrosted the last of the ice off my parka and I’m braving the occasional skirt.

Underlying the case for rose is how incredibly food-friendly it is. This also is the reason I could be the spokesperson for adding rose to your drinking repertoire regardless of the season.

Generally, rose has the “light” crispness of a white wine. It could be as dry as a saltlick or off-dry. And it has the flavor kick of a red, making it an easy palate pleaser. If you haven’t gotten over the “this-must-be-sickly-sweet-because-it’s-pink-and-furthermore-I-don’t-drink-pink-wine-because-it’s-frou-frou” attitude, then please, get over it. Soon. Don’t make me bring my full 100 pounds of intimidation over there and make you try it.

This isn’t the commercially manufactured pink-colored blend of red and white plonk. I’m talking about rose made either through the “saignee” or bleeding method, wherein some of the pink juice of a wine is run off early and then fermented, or by an abbreviated red wine production.

Ultimately, the best argument for drinking rose is that it’s simply pleasant. It’s the kind of wine that puts a smile on your face as you drink it. Maybe there isn’t a cause-and-effect relationship between rose and good spirits, but there is a correlation in that we tend to drink rose in the merriest of circumstances: picnics, barbecues, parties, sunny sidewalk cafes.

Regardless of where you drink it and whether or not you’re a fellow rose diehard, try one of my new favorites below. Maybe you’ll even stash a few bottles for autumn.


2009 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, South Africa. The taste of homemade strawberry preserves is unmistakable and adds to the soft and lingering finish.


2008 Bonterra Rose, Mendocino County, Calif. Almost fizzy on the first sip. A surprising note of crisp green apple is followed by a lovely strawberry shortcake-like finish.


2009 Torbreck Saignee Rose, Barossa Valley, Australia. A pleasantly different style of rose with a slightly creamy palate due to the six months spent in oak. It doesn’t fall into the super juicy and fruity category, but instead is almost savory.


2009 Cline Mourvedre Rose, Contra Costa County, Calif. Refreshing with a depth uncommon in most roses. Layers of spice complement dark plum flavors that yield a rose red-wine-only drinkers will eat up.


2009 Montes Cherub Rose of Syrah, Colchagua Valley, Chile. This picnic-perfect rose bursts with juicy berry and orange peel flavors.