Chicago—The dog days of summer are high season for thirst-quenching white and rosé wines—but many Chicagoans remain loyal to reds year-round.
“In Chicago, no matter what the season or the temperature, people tend to drink really bold, high-alcohol reds,” says Tia Polite, a sommelier at Indienne, a fine-dining Indian restaurant in River North.
When it comes to wine, “Chicago is such a California, particularly Napa-based, city,” echoes Cassandra Sakai, corporate director of beverage operations at Gibsons Restaurant Group, which operates 12 Chicagoland restaurants. “If a customer wants to drink a 16% (alcohol by volume) Napa cab in August with oysters, we’re going to give them what they want,” Sakai says. But if they’re open to suggestions, she adds, “there are really so many options we can steer them toward.”
Indeed, whether you’re firing up the grill for burgers or nibbling salade Niçoise by the pool, there’s a fantastic spectrum of red wines to explore all summer long.
Lighter bodied, crisply balanced reds—everything from German trollinger to California valdiguié—can offer the refreshment and versatility typically associated with white and rosé wines. Gamay’s fresh acidity and pert red cherry and licorice notes make Beaujolais a classic. But briskly concentrated, herbal expressions of pinot noir and cabernet franc from the Loire also provide loads of glou-glou appeal.
For Sakai, wines made from Jura grapes such as poulsard or trousseau, both in France and increasingly in California, are especially ideal for summer drinking. Reminiscent of pinot noir, “but even lighter,” she says, “they’re fresh, aromatic wines with barely any tannins and lots of juicy red-fruit flavors.”
“They just go down so easily and taste great with a chill on them,” she adds.
Polite looks to coastal or island regions, whether the central coast of California, or Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain, for red wines that go naturally well with seafood and lighter summer fare. The growing seasons are quite hot in these regions, Polite says, which produces wines with ripe, concentrated fruit, but also acidity and alcohol levels kept in check by maritime shifts in climate. “Mencía from Galicia is so pure and elegant,” she says. “It’s wonderfully salty and mineral but so lifted and aromatic too.”
For those seeking more structured, tannic expressions of reds, light- to medium-bodied wines from Piedmont in northern Italy, such as nebbiolo from Langhe, dolcetto or barbera “have the acidity and tannin to stand up to a rib-eye, but could also pair well with heartier fish dishes or poultry,” Sakai says.
“But just because it’s hot outside, it doesn’t always mean that a lighter wine is the best option,” cautions Patrick Boomer, a purchaser at the bottle shop and restaurant Lush Wine and Spirits, which has locations in Evanston, West Town and Roscoe Village.
Lovers of big, bold reds—Napa cabs or Argentine malbec, for example—“usually stick with their preferences year round,” Boomer says. For summer months, Boomer may suggest blends of cabernet sauvignon and merlot from Bordeaux as an alternative. “They’re a little lighter,” he says, “but they’re also more nuanced, Old World-style wines that are just structured differently.”
For those who prefer powerfully ripe, luscious reds year-round, “an especially fun pairing for your summertime barbecue is zinfandel,” Polite says. Zinfandel offers an intensity of ripe, rich fruit “that plays along well with the sweetness of barbecue sauce,” Polite says, but with a softness of tannins that is approachable young.
Whether a cherry-stained Nero d’avola from Sicily or a powerhouse Grenache from the Columbia Valley, chilling red wine of any style to cellar temperature, typically around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, can make any red drink a bit more brightly in the summer months.
“Even full-bodied, tannic wines like Barolo or Barberesco can seem much less abrasive with a little chill on them,” Sakai says. “You can drink them a little bit younger even when it’s 90 or 95 degrees outside.” A quick 15 minutes in the freezer (or about two hours in the refrigerator) can bring red wines close to cellar temperatures, but Sakai also suggests simply resting bottles on ice throughout the meal for a slight chill.
Six Red Wines to Explore this Summer
COS Cerasulo di Vittoria Classico: At Gibsons Italia steakhouse, Sakai recommends Cerasuolo di Vittoria, which blends Nero d’avola and frappato grapes from Sicily, and is served at cellar temperature in the summer. “It has a peppery quality and earthiness, but also really vibrant, juicy fruit,” she says. “It’s drinks like something halfway between a deep rosé and a very light red.” $38. Superior Liquor, superiorliquor.bottlecaps.com
Vietti 2018 Perbacco Langhe: Perbacco is Vietti’s junior varsity bottling of nebbiolo, sourced mostly from vineyards in Barolo despite its Langhe designation. Less tannic and structured than a Barolo, it’s a deeply perfumed wine with loads of crisp red cherry and cranberry flavors to freshen even the muggiest of summer nights. $25. Sal’s Beverage World, 434 W. Lake St., Addison; 630-543-0440; 695 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst; 630-833-9800; 298A W. Roosevelt Road, Villa Park; 630-279-1990; salsbeverageworld.com
Marcel Lapierre 2021 Morgon Beaujolais: Morgon is among the most heralded of the cru appellations of Beaujolais, and this elevated expression of gamay balances juicy, upfront cherry and raspberry flavors with layers of earth, spice, licorice and rose petals. Moderate in alcohol and delicate in tannins, it’s hedonistic and approachable for summer but doesn’t sacrifice on complexity. $35. Sal’s Beverage World, 434 W. Lake St., Addison; 630-543-0440; 695 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst 630-833-9800; 298A W. Roosevelt Road, Villa Park; 630-279-1990; salsbeverageworld.com
Chacra 2021 Sin Azufre Patagonia Pinot Noir: “Chacra makes super cool-climate pinot noir in Patagonia” at the southern tip of Argentina, explains Sakai, “that’s so light and fresh in style, it’s just so, so good.” This bottling, made with no added sulfur, is produced from organic and biodynamic grapes fermented with indigenous yeast. $48. Verve, 2349 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-904-8536, vervewine.com
Bodegas Albamar Fusco Ribiera Sacra Mencía: “I love to recommend mencía for people who tend to drink pinot noir,” Polite says. It’s the kind of bright, pure-fruited coastal red you can enjoy chilled with lobster and other seafood. “Bodegas Albamar, perhaps better known for albariño, their white wine, is a favorite,” she says. $25. wine.com
Ridge 2021 East Bench Zinfandel: With the dazzling array of spices used at Indienne, Polite is mindful about not serving wines with overly high alcohol levels. For guests who prefer bigger, bolder reds, however, she finds “there are some great zinfandel with a bit more restraint but still have the fruitiness and ripeness you might enjoy in a Napa cab and without the higher tannins.” Ridge is one of Polite’s favorite zinfandel producers. $40. Binny’s, locations vary, binnys.com
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