It’s garden season
Since 1990, consumers in the UK have shown a shifting preference from beer to wine, though consumption of beer still makes up the biggest share of sales (beer 35.8% vs wine 32.5%). Over the summer months, drinkers are naturally drawn to cooler, refreshing drinks such as beer, G&T or white and rose wines, but this doesn’t mean a wine list needs to be confined to the summer staples – Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, for example (although these will always be great sellers on sunny days).
We spoke to Mark Roberts at Lanchester Wines who shared their top tips for refreshing wines this summer: With the summer of sport already in full swing and the sun finally breaking through, beer garden season is truly upon us. However, ‘beer garden’ by name doesn’t need to mean ‘beer only’. Certain red wines are great when served a few degrees cooler. Precious few red wines are traditionally served colder than room temperature, but lighter reds work perfectly when served a little chilled. This goes back to the old adage – serve at room temperature – which dates back to the times of cold wine cellars. So, if you think about it, serving a red wine a little below modern, central heated room temperature makes sense.
Pinot Noir is perfect for chilling and we’d highly recommend McPherson Wines’ MWC Pinot Noir from Victoria in Australia or Vintrigue Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. Both are easy drinking with soft tannins and plenty of fruit, perfect when paired with light summer. foods.
Any visitors to Australia or USA over the last few years are likely to have seen our next summer wine prediction first hand – the Frozé (frozen rosé cocktail). Ridiculously refreshing and cooling, this offers the customer something a little different to the standard wine offering while also offering the venue good margins.
You’ll need a full-flavored, full-bodied, darker-coloured rosé for freezing as the end drink will lose some of its colour and will be a bit diluted after freezing and blending. Therefore, you want something that can hold its own, such as the Viña Oria Tempranillo Garnacha or the Vega Badenes Rosado Syrah.
The wine is then frozen (for around six hours) then sugar syrup, fruit (usually strawberries or raspberries) and lemon juice are added, but of course each outlet will have its own special twist to the recipe.
An ice bucket with chilled sparkling wine is great for toasting with friends in the summer and in terms of fizz, Prosecco still reigns supreme. But, for those wanting something a little different, or with less alcohol, Moscato is the ideal alternative.
Moscato wine is characterized by its sweet, fruity and sometimes floral aroma and taste. Many Moscato wines have a bit of effervescence to them, with the most well-known being Moscato d’Asti. Our top tip for this summer is The Princess Butterfly sparkling Moscato from Australia. Served chilled, this is strawberries and cream in a glass, and at only 7% ABV, it’s a lower alcohol alternative for drinkers trying to reduce their intake. Its presented in a stunning crown cap bottle and ideal when sold by the bottle for drinking on a sunny day.
If you would like to learn more about Lanchester Wines or any of the wines mentioned in this article, please visit www.Lanchesterwines.co.uk or call 0127 52 1234.
