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By Manos Angelakis
The temperatures are in the 90s… the humidity is in the high 80s… we are having miserable weather!
To compensate, Mother Nature has also made this the time that white peaches are in season. White peaches are sweet, very aromatic, and the base for one of my favorite summer libations, the Bellini. The Bellini is a cocktail made with white peach pulp and Prosecco, the sparkling wine that Venice is famous for. In some versions, Peach Schnapps or Vodka or both are sometimes added to the mixture, but the original recipe only calls for fresh, ripe white peach pulp and the Prosecco. There are two brands of Prosecco that I like, and use, depending on what the local liquor stores carry. Canella Prosecco, the sparkler that Harry’s Bar originally used for their Bellini is sometimes locally available, and Mascio del Cavalieri, which is much more readily available in the Hackensack wine stores. Both are excellent, really topnotch Proseccos. I chill the very ripe peaches overnight in the refrigerator; then pulp them in the blender.
Another hot weather libation I like is Vinho Verde, a light, sometimes slightly effervescent white wine from Portugal. Vinho Verde is a wine that should be drunk as soon as possible after it is bottled. The Jose Maria da Fonseca winery makes a very credible version called 2007 Twin Vines, which comes in a numbered and dated bottle. This wine, like all vinho verde, has medium alcohol and medium-high acidity, and pairs well with lighter summer dishes and some of the more elaborate summer salads. It is also very good with ceviche or grilled fish.
A third summer wine that I really love is Brachetto d’Acqui, an effervescent sparkler from the Piedmont’s area near Alba. It is a pity more importers don’t bring in Brachetto. It is bright red, highly aromatic, medium sweet, with strawberries, lychee, cloves, and rose-petals on the nose and palate and when properly chilled, a delight. At the recent Fancy Food Show in New York City, we found a producer of charcuterie called Aux Délices des Bois that has dried and fresh sausages, black and white truffle butter, and other charcuterie. We had a lovely charcuterie dinner and opened a bottle of 2006 Rosa Regale, a Brachetto from Banfi. Pure pleasure!
The fourth summer wine that I like is a still white wine from Mendoza, the 2007 Torrontés Trivento, the Argentinean venture of Chile’s Concha y Toro. The vineyards are on high altitude in the best viticultural segment of Mendoza. Dry with crisp apple and grapefruit flavors and highly aromatic with a jasmine, citrus and honeysuckle nose. When chilled, this is another wine that pairs well with fish and seafood, even chicken and is very good with multi-ingredient salads.
Finally, the 2005 Casa Valduga Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva from Brazil. It is a lighter body red that is almost ready to drink and very refreshing. It is a very interesting wine, perfect for summer.
À santé!
© August 2008 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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