Red Before Labor Day: Summer’s New Rules

THE weather won’t matter. Dry and bright would be ideal for stoking the grill, but even muggy heat or dispiriting drizzle won’t stanch the joyous sense of letting go that arrives with Memorial Day weekend.
Aside from the holiday’s ceremonial importance — honoring the men and women who have died serving in the armed forces — the weekend means one thing to most: the unofficial start of summer. As with fashion and food, drinking assumes a more casual, easygoing tone.
Yet the old rules no longer hold. Toss aside the stodgy, outmoded dogma of summer as white-wine season, for one thing. Bourbon need not be consigned to the recesses of the closet in favor of rum and vodka.
For too long, seasonal drinking has been considered a matter of color: reds for the cold; rosés and whites for the heat. Similar rules hold with beer. Friends may gasp as I drink a pint of Guinness in my shorts and sunglasses. They assume dark beers are heavy. But I just smile. Little do they know that Irish stout is crisp, dry and low in alcohol.
It’s not color that guides the choice of warm-weather beverages, but weight. Just as woolens give way to cottons and linens, so do heavier wines, beers and spirits yield to beverages with less ballast. What seems robust and warming in the bleak cold now feels ponderous and unwieldy. By contrast, what felt insubstantial back then is now refreshing and energizing.
Punch, for instance, is often associated with fall and winter holidays. Yet it can be made seasonal with the delicate spring sweetness of strawberries, and summery with the tropical tang of limes. Sure, you could settle for a bland base of vodka, but bourbon adds the perfect backbone of vanilla richness.
Red wines have their place, too. Why would anybody assume that in the heat of summer the desire to drink them simply evaporates? You’re not planning to serve a Sancerre with that porterhouse sizzling on the grill, are you? Of course not. A hefty zinfandel or full-bodied cabernet sauvignon would be too much, but a good Chianti, of medium weight with refreshing acidity is just the thing, especially if you chill it ever so lightly.
Commercially, Memorial Day heralds rosé season, a custom I cannot abide because I like rosé year-round. Great rosés — like those from Château Pradeaux and Domaine Tempier in Bandol; Château Simone in Palette; Valentini in Montepulciano; and my current obsession, Domaine Ilarria in Irouléguy — are as fulfilling in the depths of January as in July’s dank heat.
Not all rosés are as versatile, however. Does anybody really want a heavy rosé in the midday heat or while tending the coals before dinner? I don’t think so. In most rosés, a heavy dose of alcohol or a clumsy level of sweetness will unbalance the wine. The rosés to look for are crisp, textured and refreshing.
From Provence, rosé’s spiritual home, I like Château de Roquefort, Domaine du Jas d’Esclans and Peyrassol. But good rosés come from all over, like Spain, including Campos de Enanzo in Navarra and Los Bermejos in the Canary Islands; Shinn Estate on Long Island; and Arnot-Roberts in California, which makes an unusual but delicious rosé from touriga nacional, a leading port grape growing in Lake County.
They make rosé in Champagne, too, many good ones. But nothing is particularly summery about them, and they are often heavier than the usual bruts.
If you want a great summer bubbly, may I suggest Cerdon du Bugey from Renardat-Fâche? This light-bodied pink sparkling wine has noticeable sweetness, but is beautifully balanced and stimulating as an aperitif or refreshing after dinner.
I mentioned a bourbon, strawberry and lime punch earlier. Made with elderberry tea and Angostura bitters, it is wonderful for a crowd: refreshing, tangy and celebratory. But if you don’t plan a big gathering, simply diminish the proportions in the recipe here. It’s offered occasionally at Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, where it was developed by Damon W. Boelte, bar director for the Frankies group of restaurants, who calls it Too Hot to Hoot and describes it as summer in a bowl.
“Bourbon and lime is a rare combination,” he said. “It usually goes with lemon, but with all the other ingredients, they really play well together.”
More often than not, this weekend calls out for a beer or a few. I love the dry, snappy bitterness of a pilsner. Excellent versions are made in New York by Sixpoint and Brooklyn Breweries. Other good pilsners include those from Victory, Lakefront, Tröegs and Pilsner Urquell.
I can’t help but reiterate my love of Kölsch, the crisp, slightly bitter golden ale from Cologne, Germany, which I find so brisk and energizing. The three brands seen regularly are Gaffel, Reissdorf and Sünner, and I find a lot to like about each.
Stout is not the only dark beer appropriate for summer. I especially like porter, too. But thoughts of summer beer would not be complete without a nod to Belgian and Bavarian wheat beers — fresh, spicy and intrinsically refreshing. Look for Belgian styles from Allagash, Hoegaarden, Southampton Publick House and Jolly Pumpkin; among the many producers of Bavarian-style hefeweizen, look for Franziskaner, Schneider Weisse, Brooklyn and Ayinger.
After rosés, most wine drinkers reach reflexively at Memorial Day for whites, as if they’re the equivalent of white belts and shoes: enjoyed for the summer and stowed after Labor Day. I hate to say it, but that thinking is as dated as instant coffee; sure, you’ll have something in your glass, but why deprive yourself of so much pleasure?
I especially like reds that are lightly chilled, not to refrigerator temperature, but just enough to feel cool in the glass. Beaujolais, of course, but also Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the lovely, enticing light red from Sicily. Valle dell’Acate, COS and Occhipinti all make excellent versions. Look also for frappato, one of the constituent grapes of Cerasuolo di Vittoria.
Many other Italian reds go beautifully with a light chill, whether Chianti, barbera, dolcetto, Valpolicella or lesser-known grapes like teroldego from Trentino or cornalin from the Valle d’Aoste. And if you need a full-on refrigerator blast, how about an icy cold Lambrusco from a top producer like Lini, Medici Ermete or Vittorio Graziano?
Or perhaps one of the more restrained pinot noirs from the Sonoma Coast of California? Ross Cobb of Cobb Wines makes excellent pinot noirs that are delightful lightly chilled, particularly those from the Emmaline and Coastlands vineyards. From Spain, try the reds from Ribeira Sacra, a stunning site in eastern Galicia. I especially like D. Ventura and Guímaro wines.
Now, just because I’m touting reds doesn’t mean I’m immune to the charms of summer whites. Far from it. I love a crisp Sancerre, especially those that show the terroir rather than simply the fruitiness of the sauvignon grape. Look for producers like Gérard Boulay, Lucien Crochet, Domaine Vacheron and Thomas-Labaille. Rieslings can be superbly refreshing, whether the light off-dry style of a kabinett riesling from the Mosel; the spätlese-style late-harvest riesling of Hermann J. Wiemer in the Finger Lakes; or the dry mineral flavors of Ravines, a Finger Lakes riesling of a totally different style.
For many people, chardonnay remains synonymous with white wine. Summer or winter, I’ll never say no to Chablis, the most distinctive chardonnay in the world, and out in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, Rajat Parr, the Bay Area sommelier, sells deliciously balanced chardonnays under the Sandhi label.
What, you’ve graduated to pinot grigio? Well, I have nothing against good pinot grigio. (Relegate the insipid ones to the mediocre restaurants of the world.) For good ones, producers like Elena Walch and Alois Lageder of Alto Adige have much to offer.
You know, I’m really just getting started. With any luck, it’ll be a long, hot summer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/dining/red-wine-before-labor-day-the-new-rules-of-summer.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Tourists and residents of Manila travel out of town to the north on a short getaway look for the best place in Clark to buy some fine vintage wine to bring home after their holidays and vacations. Many find a top rated wine shop called Clark Wine Center to be an exciting place to do some shopping in Clark Pampanga. This famous wine shop is highly recommended for visitors going to Clark Pampanga to drink good wine, relax and unwind with friends and families. Clark Wine Center is also lauded by wine and food lovers from Manila and tourists from abroad as the best place to buy wine in Pampanga.

This frequently visited wine shop outside Manila is known by tourist and visitors to Pampanga, Angeles city, Subic and Clark Philippines as a cool place to hang out in Clark. Many attend the regular wine tasting held either outdoor on the roof deck or in indoor on the second floor above the wine shop. The place has good atmosphere for a private wine tasting party or a small night out gatherings for business or social event. Clark Wine Center is lauded by food and wine lovers in Manila, Subic and Pampanga as the best wine shop outside Manila as well as a good place to buy wine in Pampanga.

Tourists and visitors staying in Angeles City, Tarlac, Baguio, Subic and Pampanga sometimes wonder what are the things to do in Clark Philippines and Pampanga? Frequent visitors to Pampanga discover that it is fun to do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars, leading supplier of fine wines in Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation. This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila. Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

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ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wine Catering is a unique product of Yats Wine Cellars, created back in 2005 in response to a growing demand for private wine parties in Manila, Cebu, Subic, Angeles Clark Philippines.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

Yats Wine Cellars can be reached at their Clark Wine Center Philippines wine shop located on the main highway M A Roxas of Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone or their sales office in Ortigas Centre, Metro Manila. Here is the contact information:

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center

Yats Leisure Philippines

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

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While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Buy wine in Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines at good wine shops and boutique wine stores that offer good selection of good vintage wines at all price points.
Wine lovers in Philippines can find good red wines in wine shops in Manila and Pampanga. Among the good selections of French red wines from Bordeaux are Chateau Gloria, Chateau Lafite, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Petrus, Chateau Lynch Bages, Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau Ausone, Chateau le Pin, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Pontet Canet, Chateau Carruades de Lafite, Chateau les Forts de Latour, Chateau Pichon Lalande. This makes it easy and convenient for wine lovers to buy wine in Manila. They are also great wines to include in wine gift baskets for delivery in the Philippines. If you are thinking of buying wines to give as gift in the Philippines, then contact Yats Wine Cellars now because they offer special vintage wines suitable as gift at all price points. Since most of these wines are not available in Manila, these wine gifts are excellent choices for corporate gifts as well as wine gifts for personal and social purposes. These can be wines or wine baskets.