CORKSCREW CHRONICLES: Wine picks for summer 2025 patio sipping

The heat spiking into the high 80s and beyond has encouraged most consumers to adapt their consumption to light, crisp sparklers, mouthwatering whites and roses and gentle reds. Indeed, the consumption patterns shift to predominantly wines served with a chill as the mercury rises. Patio sippers are defined as wines that you can enjoy on the porch/patio in the summer's heat, during leisure time or at a gathering of friends and family. They don't have to be inexpensive, but reasonable price points is one of their attributes. These enjoyable wines should be lighter in alcohol, mellow or refreshing and appropriate for an outdoor setting. Pick up some stainless steel-encased beverage chillers/ice cubes to keep these wines cooler for a longer time in your glass without dilution. Simply keep them in the freezer and gently slide into your glass to help maintain the temperature of your beverage. Here are some picks for this summer's sipping. As always, discuss your purchase needs with a competent retailer/restaurateur/winemaker, since selections and availabilities vary so widely: Sparkling Col Dorado Extra Dry Prosecco (Italy) $15 — Light, softly dry and pleasant, a very enjoyable leisure-time sipper. Cava – Spanish Champagne-method sparklers. Crisp, softly-dry and earthy. Kosicek Vineyards "Rhapsody" (Grand River) $23 — Crisp cranberry/strawberry flavors with a delicate sweetness. Moscato – Numerous frothy, grapy, softly sweet examples are available. Whites Fino Sherry/Montilla (Spain) — Perfect pairings for all kinds of hors d'oeuvres, including wine-challenging foods such as those marinated in vinegar, oil and spices. Paper Moon "Lighthouse" Cayuga white (Lake Erie) $13 – Crisp ripe, honeyed pear and citrus. Medium-light bodied with mouthcoating texture and lingering finish. Buccia Agawam, (Conneaut) $14 — A local exclusive exhibiting herbal and lightly sweet flavors.Abbazia di Novacella pinot grigio (Italy) $25 — crisp, creamy, textured and complex. Moshofilero (Greece) — A bright and crisp white with mouthwatering acidity. Verdejo (Spain) — If sauvignon blanc's crisp, herbal nuances are appealing, try Verdejo from Spain's Rueda region. Domaine des Valanges Mâcon-Prissé "Le Clos" (Burgundy) $25 — pristine chardonnay without any oak contact. Citrusy, nervy, tinged with minerals. E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone blanc (Rhone) $20 — fresh and crisp with finely delineated aromas and flavors of citrus. Evolucio dry Furmint (Hungary) $14 — With a light hint of sweetness and a lingering, vibrant finish, this is a very enjoyable and unique choice. Gruner-Veltliner (Austria/Ohio) — a crisp white wine with delicate nuances. Refreshing, brisk and lingering. Various Italian light white wines — bone-dry and zippy without a lot of distinctive character. Perfect for warm-weather sipping and summer fare. Riesling (various origins) — produced in a wide variety of sweetness levels with balancing, mouth-watering acidity, Riesling is a perfect patio wine to fit a plethora of tastes. Rose — Serve chilled. Extremely food flexible. Plan a rose tasting! Reds J. Lohr "Wildflower" Valdiguie (Monterey) $13 — frothy and aromatic with pretty, supple red fruit. Beaujolais (France) — light reds with soft tannins that are lovely gulpers. Chill for 20 minutes in the fridge and pull the cork. VVV "Petit Roja" (Lake Erie) $18 — elegant, pretty and full of black raspberry aromas and flavors. Serve lightly chilled. Rodney strong red blend (Sonoma) $15/sale — round, textured and supple with rich, dark fruit. Sangria — Refreshing red (and white) wines infused with fruit and a light sweetness. We are within an hour and a half radius of some of the finest wineries in the state of Ohio. Most will ship direct to you. Enjoyable and informative visits are possible for tasting and purchasing. Quantity discounts are available, starting at six-bottle purchases, making visits a fun and financially prudent way to shop and support local products. Plan a trip and taste what they have to offer. Welcome summer! Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.