The Wines Of Summer 2021, According To Wine Professionals

Everything you should be drinking, from rosé and Txakolina to Australian Riesling and makgeolli.

Recently, we asked a bunch of sommeliers and wine professions what they thought would (or should) be the wine of summer 2021. And, by its nature, this was a very silly question. Everyone has different tastes, and it’s not like any of us are trying to start a new monolithic wine trend here. Think of this list as an antidote to that, with a bunch of different paths to choose from. If you’re stuck in a rut, drinking the same sauvignon blanc or funky natural wine every weekend afternoon because it’s easy and you feel like that’s what you’re supposed to do, here’s how to branch out. (Although to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with sauvignon blanc or funky natural wine.)

When we talked to our group of wine professionals, we didn’t know what to expect. Well, except when it came to Ariel Arce. Ariel likes Champagne. We know this, and we’re grateful for it. But she wasn’t the only one who suggested some bubbles. In fact, sparkling rosé came up at least twice, as did co-fermented wines. If you aren’t yet familiar with those, you’ll find not one, but two brief explanations below, along with some specific producers currently making that style of wine. A Korean rice wine also made the list, and Ashley Santoro, proprietor of L’Itos and Leisir Wine, has a recommendation that involves dumping wine directly from the bottle into your mouth.

You obviously can’t go wrong with any of these picks, so keep scrolling for a brief dive into these wine professionals’ minds as they make their cases for what you should be drinking while it’s still warm out.

Coly Den Haan

“I think after this last year or so of isolation, we’re going to be all about the co-mingling of friends and family, and also co-fermentation wines! In particular, I’m loving that style imagined not just with different grapes but other fruits or botanicals. Basically, during the fermentation process, the winemaker can combine apples, pears, flowers, herbs, or any other delicious and fermentable option with wine grapes. The most common expression is somewhat of a wine/cider hybrid. I love my co-fermented wines dry, but they still tend to have a lot of really exciting aromatics and rich flavor profiles.”

Shop Coly’s Picks:

Solminer Pét-Nat Most Sparkling ($21) →

Ashanta Brutal!!! Elderberry Pét-Nat ($39) →

Art and Science Symbiosis ($24) →

Click here to read the complete original post.