Stay calm, stay cool, don't let the heat get you down! To further that cause, here are a few new wines to consider.
NEW WHITES:
Winzer Krems 2010 Gruner Veltliner @ $9.99
produced by Austria's major coop, a fresh white, lightly peppery, with a crisp apple texture
Fausti 2010 Passerina @ $11.99
from the Marche region of Italy, just a mile in from the Adriatic, an estate-grown Passerina that is fresh and inviting with citrus and apple notes, nice acidity and a persistent finish
(new vintage) Viore 2010 Rueda @ $11.99
100% Verdejo, of which, more than 80% comes from 100-year-old vines, well structured, with tropical and citrus fruit aromas and a long finish with fruit and balsamic notes
Wolffer Estate 2010 Classic White @ $11.99
summer in the Hamptons in a glass, a blend of Wolffer's own Chardonnay with Riesling and Gewurztraminer from the Finger Lakes, with zesty fruit up front, creaminess, fine acidity and minerality
(new vintage) Segrel 2010 Albarino Blue Label @ $12.99
fine and elegant on the palate with the perfect amount of acidity and a crisp, clean finish
Guigal 2010 Cotes du Rhone Blanc @ $14.99
from one of the world's best sources for excellent wine values, a Viognier-based blend, rich and unctuous on the palate
J. Lohr 2009 Sauvignon Blanc "Carol's Vineyard" @ $15.99
an elegant style of a delicately herbal and citrus-flavored Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard named for Lohr's late wife, $2 for every bottle sold donated to breast cancer-related causes
Mathur 2008 Montlouis Les Dionys @ $21.99
classic Chenin Blanc, with lush orchard fruit and plenty of bright acidity and minerality
Bagnol 2009 Cassis Blanc @ $23.99
from a stunning estate on the French Riviera, a bold white that blends Marsanne, Clairette and Ugni Blanc, unoaked but very full on the palate
Rijckaert 2009 Chardonnay @ $24.99
from the Arbois, a richly fruited Chardonnay with notes of honey and fresh flowers, lightly oaked, with a long finish
Billaud-Simon 2009 Chablis @ $25.99
a light, airy version of Chablis, with a palate that is a pleasant compromise between richness, freshness and elegance
(back) Alta Maria 2009 Chardonnay @ $27.99
a custardy, rich California Chardonnay with plenty of food-friendly acidity, sleek, clean and vibrant with mouth-watering vitality
Guigal 2009 Condrieu @ $53.99
from the original home of the Viognier vine and the source of one of the world's most exotic white wines, a totally dry white with exotic litchi, pineapple, peach and honeysuckle characteristics along with full-bodied fruit, good acidity and minerality, a luscious mouthfeel and heady alcohol
Winzer Krems 2010 Gruner Veltliner @ $9.99
produced by Austria's major coop, a fresh white, lightly peppery, with a crisp apple texture
Fausti 2010 Passerina @ $11.99
from the Marche region of Italy, just a mile in from the Adriatic, an estate-grown Passerina that is fresh and inviting with citrus and apple notes, nice acidity and a persistent finish
(new vintage) Viore 2010 Rueda @ $11.99
100% Verdejo, of which, more than 80% comes from 100-year-old vines, well structured, with tropical and citrus fruit aromas and a long finish with fruit and balsamic notes
Wolffer Estate 2010 Classic White @ $11.99
summer in the Hamptons in a glass, a blend of Wolffer's own Chardonnay with Riesling and Gewurztraminer from the Finger Lakes, with zesty fruit up front, creaminess, fine acidity and minerality
(new vintage) Segrel 2010 Albarino Blue Label @ $12.99
fine and elegant on the palate with the perfect amount of acidity and a crisp, clean finish
Guigal 2010 Cotes du Rhone Blanc @ $14.99
from one of the world's best sources for excellent wine values, a Viognier-based blend, rich and unctuous on the palate
J. Lohr 2009 Sauvignon Blanc "Carol's Vineyard" @ $15.99
an elegant style of a delicately herbal and citrus-flavored Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard named for Lohr's late wife, $2 for every bottle sold donated to breast cancer-related causes
Mathur 2008 Montlouis Les Dionys @ $21.99
classic Chenin Blanc, with lush orchard fruit and plenty of bright acidity and minerality
Bagnol 2009 Cassis Blanc @ $23.99
from a stunning estate on the French Riviera, a bold white that blends Marsanne, Clairette and Ugni Blanc, unoaked but very full on the palate
Rijckaert 2009 Chardonnay @ $24.99
from the Arbois, a richly fruited Chardonnay with notes of honey and fresh flowers, lightly oaked, with a long finish
Billaud-Simon 2009 Chablis @ $25.99
a light, airy version of Chablis, with a palate that is a pleasant compromise between richness, freshness and elegance
(back) Alta Maria 2009 Chardonnay @ $27.99
a custardy, rich California Chardonnay with plenty of food-friendly acidity, sleek, clean and vibrant with mouth-watering vitality
Guigal 2009 Condrieu @ $53.99
from the original home of the Viognier vine and the source of one of the world's most exotic white wines, a totally dry white with exotic litchi, pineapple, peach and honeysuckle characteristics along with full-bodied fruit, good acidity and minerality, a luscious mouthfeel and heady alcohol
NEW REDS
Root 1 2009 Cabernet @ $10.99
a new Chilean wine from some of the oldest rootstock in the world, rich with black currant, mocha and chocolate notes, full-bodied, with balanced acidity, soft tannins, and good structure
Guigal 2009 Cotes du Rhone @ $13.99
from one of the world's best sources for excellent wine values, a Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre blend aged in tank, silky smooth, a great buy
La Grange Tiphaine 2010 Ad Libitum @ $15.99
from a small, certified-organic producer in the Loire, a blend of Malbec, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, a fresh and lively red for summer drinking
Marcarini 2009 Nebbiolo Lasarin @ $17.99
an intensely flavored Nebbiolo with floral aromatics of faded rose petals, wild raspberries and ripe blackberries that flow into a firm but well balanced palate spiced with fresh aniseed
(new vintage) Au Bon Climat 2009 Pinot Noir @ $21.99
the new vintage from one of our favorite West Coast Pinot producers, with high-toned cherry and strawberry fruit and a clean, tight finish
Les Chais du Vieux Bourg 2009 Poulsard @ $29.99
from a tiny organic vineyard in Arlay in the Jura, naturally crisp with a delicate earthiness, another perfect summer red
Root 1 2009 Cabernet @ $10.99
a new Chilean wine from some of the oldest rootstock in the world, rich with black currant, mocha and chocolate notes, full-bodied, with balanced acidity, soft tannins, and good structure
Guigal 2009 Cotes du Rhone @ $13.99
from one of the world's best sources for excellent wine values, a Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre blend aged in tank, silky smooth, a great buy
La Grange Tiphaine 2010 Ad Libitum @ $15.99
from a small, certified-organic producer in the Loire, a blend of Malbec, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, a fresh and lively red for summer drinking
Marcarini 2009 Nebbiolo Lasarin @ $17.99
an intensely flavored Nebbiolo with floral aromatics of faded rose petals, wild raspberries and ripe blackberries that flow into a firm but well balanced palate spiced with fresh aniseed
(new vintage) Au Bon Climat 2009 Pinot Noir @ $21.99
the new vintage from one of our favorite West Coast Pinot producers, with high-toned cherry and strawberry fruit and a clean, tight finish
Les Chais du Vieux Bourg 2009 Poulsard @ $29.99
from a tiny organic vineyard in Arlay in the Jura, naturally crisp with a delicate earthiness, another perfect summer red