Beat The Heat

Wedded to reds? These sophisticated alternatives promise delicious adventure amid the heat of summer.

- Sarah Heller MW

Although Asia’s wine drinkers tend to favour reds, many of us stretch our boundaries during summer to dabble with white, sparkling, and rosé. It’s also a season when wine lovers often go prospecting for still fresher vinous ground: orange wines or lightly fizzy reds the colour of watermelon juice. Come the first chill of autumn, many of us may be scurrying back to our Bordeaux and Burgundy collections. In the meantime, here are some alternative styles that you could slot into your ice bucket roster during your summer wanderings.

ROSÉ

Nothing spells summertime like a spectrum of pink glasses. Made primarily from red grapes, rosé is the result of a brief tryst between coloured grape skins and colourless grape juice, sometimes only a kiss as the grapes enter the press. Grapes for rosé are typically harvested earlier than those for red to preserve acidity and fresh fruit flavours, but ideally not excessive greenness.