The complexities of wine are never-ending, and knowing how to decipher the unique traits of each vintage and varietal is a skill few people are able to truly master. Sarah Foote, sommelier at Castle Hot Springs, is one such individual. Foote has worked at the finest restaurants in the world, achieved her level 2 sommelier certification and is a self-proclaimed super fan of wine.
“I typically drink Old World [wines], but I’m not opposed to any wine; I love all wine,” she says. “I made wine in New Zealand in 2018, so I was able to see the blood, sweat, tears, time, energy and effort that goes into every ounce. I never speak negatively about wine, because I just don’t think that that’s my place.”
When it comes to selecting wines for the menu at Harvest Restaurant, Foote says it all comes down to its ability to complement the food. However, she also takes into consideration how well the wine can stand on its own merits. In choosing wines that pair best with the warmer weather of spring and summer, the Castle Hot Springs wine cellar has varieties and vintages that do both: pair beautifully with food and can be enjoyed solo.
All hailing from Old World wineries across Europe and ranging from dry and sparkling to smoky and complex, here are the top five wines to drink when warmer weather arrives.
Give Rosé a Chance
Light, bright and fresh with notes of strawberry, citrus and white florals, the 2018 Raventós i Blanc De Nit is a sparkling rosé from the Cava region of northeastern Spain
that’s worth popping open when temperatures rise.
The Raventós family is a world-renowned wine-growing dynasty and has cultivated their estate since 1497. Twenty-one generations later, they are still producing some of the finest wines in the world, specializing in sparkling varieties that feature an impressive mineral expression thanks to the vineyard’s calcareous soil.
The 2018 De Nit is bone dry and poured by the glass at Harvest, making it the perfect teaching opportunity for Foote to lead guests away from the misconception that all rosés are sweet or “not serious” wines.
“As a sommelier, your best friend is acid, which doesn’t sound sexy or cool or appetizing but it’s just the truth,” Foote says. “It’s your workhorse; it does everything for you. This wine has a nice amount of acid to it. It pairs extremely well with several of our dishes.”
A Suave White from Soave
“Part of my job is to take people one or two steps out of their normal comfort zone with wine without forcing them into some esoteric weird place where they end up not liking it,” says Foote. “The 2015 Pieropan La Rocca
is a really awesome wine to do that.”
Round, juicy and fragrant with notes of almond, orange blossom and melon, this white wine from Italy’s Soave region is produced with Garganega grapes all harvested from a single vineyard. Even though Garganega are an incredibly important and common grape variety in Italy, most people have never heard of them — but likely have tasted them at one point or another. It’s this combination of novelty and familiarity that Foote says makes this wine the ideal alternative for guests who typically would order a Chardonnay.
“It does not have any oak on it, but it does age on its lees a little so it’s got some roundness and juiciness and amazingness to it,” she says. “It’s pretty fragrant, but without being super heavy, like a heavily oaked Chardonnay. I use this wine a lot with our nightly, rotating five-course tasting menus.”
Everyone Loves a Riesling (They Just Might Not Know It)
Forget everything you thought you knew about Riesling, and give it another chance, says Foote.
“Riesling is one of the most highly occurring acidic varietals, but a lot of people put it in this box of, ‘This was the first wine I ever drank, and it was $8 and 9% alcohol and super sweet,'” she explains. “And then your palate evolves and you never really make it back [to Riesling] because it’s stuck in that zone in your brain.”
In reality, Rieslings offer a huge variance on the dry-to-sweet scale, and no bottle better exemplifies this than the 2016 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling. Rich, elegant and powerful with notes of candied lime, peach and pear, on first sip there is some sweetness, but paired with the right dish you’ll find balanced acidity and a dry finish.
“I often pour slightly off-dry Rieslings [like this one] with either a really rich and creamy soup or with a salad,” Foote says. “We have a butternut squash soup and a carrot soup that I like to pair it with. Both of those vegetables have inherent sweetness to them already, and when you take a bite and then sip a little bit of Riesling, the two fully mellow each other out.”
Not Your Average Barbecue Wine
Hailing from the Côte Rôtie region in France’s Rhone Valley, the 2017 Rêne Rostaing Ampodium Cote Rotie boasts all the complexities and flavors a good Syrah should boast. Ripe, deep and complex with notes of dark raspberries, smoke and pepper, the Ampodium pairs perfectly with grilled meats and vegetables, and is another ideal “teaching” wine for those who normally lean toward other earthy red varietals.
“Syrah is a great, rich, complex grape, and it’s well-known as like your ‘barbecue’ wine,” Foote says. “And I don’t mean that to lessen this wine; I mean flavor-wise. It’s got notes of smoke, earthiness, toasted pepper and an almost gamey richness. It’s a nice one that’s just a tick away from the Cabernet that people usually drink.”
A Pinot for Your Thoughts
Foote’s favorite red wine variety, pinot noir is notorious in the wine world for being a fussy grape, requiring more time and effort than other varietals. Pinots from Burgundy, such as the 2017 Lucien Boillot Volnay, are also known for imparting the flavors and layers of the climate and soil in which they are grown.
“French are big on terroir,” Foote explains. “You can really taste the earth of this wine.”
Unlike pinots from Oregon and California, which boast juicy, jammy and over-ripe notes, Old World pinots express characteristics that can best be described as under-ripe, sour cherry/cranberry and earth-driven.
The 2017 Lucien Boillot Volnay is from the Volnay region of Burgundy, in the Côte de Beaune area. There, the only red wine grapes allowed to grow are pinot noir, and the only white wine grapes allowed are chardonnay. It’s an interesting fact, but also a helpful one: If you’re ever looking for a French pinot, just look for Burgundy on the label.
Supple, balanced and youthful with notes of cherry, earth and red flowers, this pinot noir is ideal for warmer weather, Foote says. “It’s not going to bowl you over, plus Burgundy is also a really stunning food wine, because its acid is so high. This would be perfect paired with duck; duck and pinot are best friends forever.”