Yacht Rock Wine
As we all sweat through our Hawaiian shirts and Breton tops in this record breaking heat, I am reminded that nothing pairs better with summer than the smooth sounds of yacht rock. And nothing pairs better with Steely Dan than breezy, light bodied wines with low alcohol and high acidity like Pearl Morissette’s 2021 Black Ball Riesling, Trail Estate’s 2022 Little Fluffy Clouds, and the always cheap and cheerful Aveleda Vinho Verde. And to match your sunset sails to your wine, there is Milan Nestarec’s Růž, a biodynamic rosé blend of Zweigelt, Saint Laurent, and Cab Sauv served in a crown-capped mini-magnum, or Proxies Sparkling Rosé, a non-alcoholic option made with Riesling grape juice, strawberry, pomegranate, lime peel, lavender, and more.
Soft Rock and Wine Pairings. In The Province's Best wines for summer tradition of yacht rock, James Nevison offers up his July wine picks paired with some soft rock classics. First up is Ruffino 2022 Aqua di Venus, a Pinot Grigio described as “fresh and delicate like the summer breeze that kisses the Friuli DOC Region of Italy,” paired with Kenny Loggins Heart to Heart. Nevison writes that “if there was a colour associated with yacht rock it would be rosé,” so his next pick is Sandhill 2022 Rosé, a mostly Merlot and Gamay blend, paired with Sailing by Christopher Cross. And lastly, Louis Jadot 2021 Combe aux Jacques Beaujolais-Villages, a Gamay that “like quintessential rock yacht . . . easily stands the test of time,” paired with a song that also stands the test of time: The Doobie Brothers’ What A Fool Believes.
Poolside Wines. In Vogue’s 8 Natural Wines You Should Be Drinking This Summer, Emily Wilson writes about The Waves, a new U.S. online natural wine service. Their mission is “to offer the world’s definitive selection of wines that are organically farmed, low-intervention, and delicious—and to empower people, wherever they live, to discover, understand, and experience them like never before.” The Wave’s Billy Smith and Rajat Parr told Wilson about a few of the wines they are most excited about in the categories of Poolside Wines (Claro Que Sí!, a sparkling Riesling produced in NY’s Finger Lakes under the label Barbichette), Apéro Hour (Piri Naturel and Divý Ryšák rosé), Dinner al Fresco (Trousseau Singulier), and lastly Barbecue (Milan Nestarec’s one-litre bottles of Růž, OKR, and Nach).
Vinho Verde. In The Washington Post's What to know about vinho verde, Dave McIntyre writes all about this light, refreshing, slightly fizzy wine from Northern Portugal. Vinho Verde is not a grape variety, it is a DOC, which is the system of protected designation of origin for the production of wine known as Denominação de Origem Controlada; it means “green wine,” but translates to “young wine” as they are released not long after they are harvested and without being aged. The majority of Vinho Verde wines are white, made from local grape varieties including Alvarinho, Arinto, Azal, Avesso, Loureiro, and Trajadura. McIntyre's article lists five things to know about the wine including its pronunciation, which is apparently VEEN-yo VER-da, “with the last syllable all but swallowed” (I definitely pronounce it the other way: VEE-no VERD-ee), and he goes on to explain more about Vinho Verde's name, the region, how it gets it spritz, and how it's evolving.
