12 Summer Wines To Freshen Up Any Occasion

For these 12 summer wines, you’ve never heard of, but should almost certainly try! A lot of wine-lovers these days tend to walk into a shop, or buy online what they already know, so that’s where we come in – our job is to help you navigate through the maze of sustainable wine, and trust me even I get lost looking! The main reason I created Pull The Cork – was to create a user-friendly platform for wine-lovers (like you) to easily navigate through. I spend most of my life skimming through social media and magazines to see what people are drinking, the usual suspects are Pinot Grigio, Provence Rosè, Malbec…

These below are the 12 summer wines that I really think you need to try. I love each and every one of them, so your risk has been substantially mitigated. You can take my word for it, each one of these is amazing. So go for it. Branch out a little.

Best summer white wines to taste now

A bottle that takes you to Greece beaches

A bit of a mouthful to say this one, but the Douloufakis Dafnios Vidiano is highly rated and very accessible. This wine is medium – to full-bodied, with an acidity that is remarkably fresh, given the warm, humid climate on Crete. The aromas and flavours present a broad spectrum of fruit flavours – such as lime, quince, peach and even mango. Being specific here – and being a wine from Greece It goes well with smoked sardines with cherry tomatoes and thyme, squid stuffed with sautéed celery, tomato and onions or barbecued chicken wings.

Douloufakis Dafnios Vidiano 2017

Explore also Chardonnay food pairing and make the feast out of any meal! 

The pure elegance of a summer drink

Austria is interesting to me, they make wines that are so colourful in flavour, wines where you can stick your nose in the glass, and they just keep on giving – these wines really make you salivate, and are the perfect wine for getting your summer BBQ started! This wine I discovered at a tasting not so long ago, it is simply outstanding!! The style is one of elegance and freshness, with superb intensity and grip married to bright fruit on the palate. The Ebner Ebenauer Grüner has purity with an intensity of spice and attractive aromas of ripe pear. Juicy apple fruit flavours come through on the palate, with white pepper and subtle mineral notes with crunchy fruit and vibrant acidity.

Ebner Ebenauer Grüner Veltliner 2017

Or if you aim for more sparkling elegance, my recommendation is Jacques Bruére Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc 2011. It is a drink that reminds of Prosecco, but still something unique enough to delight any special guest. This elegant summer white sparkling wine is full of summer flavours where citrus notes dominate, surrounded by dry and crisp touches.

Take over the flavours of summer in Spain 

This wine is a blend from Portugal which consists of Avesso, Alvarinho, and Arinto, these grapes are all grown in the vineyard of the Quinta dos Espinhosos estate which is located in the subregion of Baião. This wine is created following strict Organic Principles which really are really quite obvious when you pour yourself a glass! A pale yellow-tone blend of Avesso, Alvarinho, and Arinto with lime leaf and orange blossom aromas. Bright, juicy greengage plums, apricot and citrus flavours make for a crisp and vibrant. This fantastic wine really goes well with any white fish or meat – it’s really very versatile!

Quinta Espinhosos Arrabalde 2016

Explore our selection of other splendid white wines.

The ultimate summer BBQ wines!

Most of us tend to go for the pale rosé or a crisp dry Sauvignon, but here at Pull The Cork we like to offer something a little different, we have such a large selection of natural wines – so it would be rude not to! I would highly recommend trying one of our fabulous Organic viognier’s from Chile – on the price you literally cannot get much better, on quality, it’s just a stormer – and flavour, it’s loaded with delicate tropical fruits which just make your mouth water – which when having big juicy salads, and flavoursome meats is just what you want. This is a fine example of the perfect BBQ wine – Emiliana Orgánico Adobe Viognier @ ONLY £10.50 per bottle!

Emiliana Orgánico Adobe Viognier

Let us present you with one more option. You won’t regret it if you add to your summer picnics and barbecues a delicious Tokaji Furmint Pajzos Szaraz 2018. It is truly a bottle of freshness and coolness, a fine touch of summer fruits. 

Freshen up your summer dinners

In terms of a white for the rich creamy truffle pasta, I would go with the safe option of a wine that holds a good strong acidity like our DOCG La Raia Gavi, it really helps break down those rich flavours – which delivers a crisp, greengage and lime flavoured wine with an uplifting, slightly savoury finish. 

DOCG La Raia Gavi

Summer red wines

Summer red wine for any occasion

This beautiful AOC Certified Organic Beaujolais is an amazing summer light red wine and is full of morello cherry, blackcurrants and raspberry fruit on the palate. It’s medium-bodied and smooth, with a slightly rustic finish. There is more red berry fruit than what you’d usually get from say a Pinot Noir and you can drink it refrigerated, or even at room temperature. It’s the perfect summer park wine, and unlike a lot of reds we buy these days, this one is drinkable immediately!!

Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais, AOC 2016

Clos Henri Pinot Noir 2016 is also a summer red wine I would recommend anytime. It has a perfect summer combination of flavours, from cherry to plum and raspberry with finishing spicy touches. Still, enough soft and drinkable for any hot summer party. 

Try out something else from our selection of red wines. Find your favourite and buy red wine anytime you like. 

A summer night in with a loved one

Ok, so now we are talking a night in with a loved one, or a movie night with a friend, so you’ve pre-made the homemade ragu or the delicious truffle pasta – and you’re stuck for ideas on what to balance the flavours out with? For the rich ragu sauce, I would nearly always recommend something native – in this instance; Italian…probably a barbera, or a Barbaresco.

The Barbera Alessandrino, Valli Unite is that summer red wine that you just need a few bottles of for this occasion, it has lovely fragrances of smoke and stone with a hint of ripe cherries. There is a great concentration of juicy fruit on the palate.

Barbera Alessandrino, Valli Unite

Our second option will also bring you joy. A bottle of Richard Rottiers Moulin-à-Vent 2019 has a tender flavour of cherries in a combination with fresh violets. If you are planning a smooth appetizer, this summer red wine will be a perfect choice. Fresh tannins and a lightly dry finish help break down that rich sauce! There are no added sulphites in wine and it is also suitable for vegetarians & vegans and Certified Organic!!

Summer wine rose 

Drinks for any party by the pool or in the garden 

When I say a perfect summer drink, then my thoughts go on to this summer dry rose wine. Mas de Cadenet, ‘Nuit Blanche’ Rosé Jeroboam 2019 is completely refreshing and gloriously fruity rose wine. It has so many delicate scents of flowers, yet a pleasant freshness that stays in your mouth after each sip. Be sure to serve it chilled! 

You may have also seen me recently blurting about this wine on Social Media – it’s one of those summer wines that you just cannot forget! This wine is very very refreshing – it has a super long finish, which makes it the perfect food wine, it’s also incredibly easy to consume! The Lectores Vini Pomagrana is a fresh and mineral wine. Aromas of tart raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruit… almost a deep rosé. Serve chilled alongside cheese, charcuterie, fish, and any spicy dishes including Thai or Vietnamese food. Oh, and by the way, this wine fully supports the Pull The Cork Ethos, by being Certified Organic, Biodynamic, Natural and suitable for Vegans! It’s got everything!!

Lectores Vini Pomagrana 2017

Explore our selection of natural wines.

Mix it up a little! Get more summer wines

If you still can’t pick one of these fantastic options – we have a category called “Summer is Coming” here you can pick out all our summer wines, and we even have our new addition to the site – the Sampler Cases. We have selected these three bottle sampler cases for you to try, test and sample. The idea of trying a wine taster case with a selection of organic wines has always been popular with wine lovers. You can choose a varied selection of our 3 bottle wine cases. And if you want to try more stunning wines that are delivered straight to your doorstep, make sure to check out our monthly wine subscription. We are sure that you will love our special deliveries!

Enjoy!