Wine Wednesday: Choose your wine, like you choose your diamond

Which will you choose?

Is it hot enough for you? These beautiful wines served icy-cold will be a refreshing delight on days like today or throughout your special wedding events. While this may vary slightly, if you follow these 4 rules, you’re guaranteed to pick great wines every time.

The Bubbly:
See: For sparkling wines, look at the bubbles; they should be tiny rather than big and gassy. Remer this is champagne not ginger ale.
Sniff: Look for aromas of orange blossom, Asian pear, ripe peach and Bing cherries
Sip: The bubbles should feel creamy and rich in your mouth.
Summarize: Once you swallow, your mouth feels refreshed and happy. If not, then you’re possibly not drinking the best there is out there.

Chardonnay:
See: Look for a medium-golden color which indicates the intensely flavorful wine.
Sniff: Stone fruit aromas along with pear and tropical fruit are truly characteristic of Chardonnay.
Sip: This wine should fill your mouth with richness. Think buttery and full.
Summarize: The finish lasts and lasts, but the wine ultimately refreshes your palate thinks to it’s crisp acidity in it’s finish.

Pinot Noir
See: Pinot Noir is a more delicate red wine, so it won’t be super dark or opaque.
Sniff: Raspberry, cherry and plum are all found in Pinot, If you close your eyes, you’ll also smell hints or red, red roses.
Sip: This is much lighter in taste than a Chardonnay.
Summarize: Pinot is one of the lightest red wines, so the finish will be smooth and round instead of a big red.

Chardonnay and Riesling
See: The Chardonnay will be more golden while the Riesling more straw-yellow.
Sniff: While the Chardonnay will have peach, nectarine, and tropical fruit aromas, the Riesling will be more apple and floral.
Sip: Chardonnay – Big, Richer, think buttery! Riesling – Elegant more like a whisper.
Summarize: Both are bright with acidity but the Riesling will also have a touch of sweetness (to extreme sweetness) that will compliment spicy or sweet foods.

Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon
See: The more delicate (lighter) Pinot is almost the complete opposite of the Cabernet (King of the Reds)
Sniff: Bright red fruits like cherries and strawberries characterize Pinot. The Cab has darker fruits like blackberries, and black currant, along with hints of vanilla, toasted oak and spice.
Sip: Pinot is light-bodies, especially when compared to Cabernet.
Summarize: The Pinot’s finish will be smooth and round. The Cabernet will have more bite and leave more of an impression when you’re drinking it.

Just to give you an idea, these are a few I would recommend:

Champagne - Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Champagne NV
Chardonnay - Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Chardonnay
Pinot - Kenwood Pinot Noir Russian River
Cabernet - Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Indian Wells

San Rocco NYC continues to offer a specialty cocktail every Wednesday in July for my readers, along with their FREE aperitivo bar from 6:00-9:00pm. It's a beautiful day and too hot to cook, so eat, drink and be merry!

As always please remember to enjoy your cocktail BUT, be responsible in your consumption.