Summer Sipping – Let's Wine About It Sister

Summer is finally here! Whether grilling at home or sitting poolside at our parents, we find ourselves gravitating towards the same warm-weather favorites. Rosé and white wine taste best in the sunshine and our Dad, our family’s wine expert, makes sure he has all of our favorites lined up. This summer definitely doesn’t look the same but it’s still time to get outside and have some fun so we linked our favorite warm-weather wines for you below.

(1) Villa Maria Bubbly Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and sparkly and my idea of the perfect summer wine (if you are on a bit of a budget you can also give this less expensive Contadino Sparkling Pinot Grigio from Trader Joe’s a try; it was my go to in graduate school)

(2) Tranche Rose is the lightest, tastiest and prettiest pink rose I ever did see (or our go to budget rose – Mr Pink)

(3) Kim Crawford Sauvingon Blanc or any Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, is the perfect glass of wine for a warm day or something to mix into spritzer (Oyster Bay is another good budget buy)

(4) Lets wine about it sister Frosé! We have been on a search for the perfect summer Frosé recipe! And our definition of “perfect” is a Frosé recipe that tastes delicious, but you don’t have to freeze the night before you want to serve. Because unless you are planning a party, who really knows when a Frosé craving is going to hit you? But despite lots of searching and taste-testing (poor us!), we were unable to come up with recipe we deemed “perfect” so we came up with our own. Using only five simple ingredients (I mean, who doesn’t keep frozen strawberries in their freezer for ~~cocktails~~ smoothies?!?!) plus ice, you can have delicious Frosé in your own home in just a minute or two. I mean, Mr. West Café’s Frosé in Seattle’s University Village is fantastic (we highly recommend it!), but right now on their To Go menu, 32oz of Frosé costs $32. So for less than ¼ of the price, you can get approximately twice the amount of Frosé if you make our recipe at home.

LETS WINE ABOUT IT SISTER FROSÉ

INGREDIENTS

1/4 to ½ cup frozen strawberries (fresh strawberries work too, but more ice may be needed to get your desired Frosé consistency)
1 cup dry rosé (we used and recommend Metropolitan Market’s own rosé priced at only $8/bottle)
2 ounces or ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (typically ½ of a large lime)
2 ounces or ¼ cup simple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons fresh mint
2 ½ cups ice (add more or less to reach desired Frosé consistency)

DIRECTIONS

First, squeeze the lime for juice and coarsely chop strawberries if using fresh.
Next, add all ingredients into a blender and blender until smooth! Add more or less ice to reach desired consistency.
Always taste test! You can add more or less lime juice, mint or strawberries to make this Frosé recipe your own!

If you are trying to track down a specific wine like the Villa Maria Bubbly, need help finding what you like, or just want to do a little tasting, World of Wines in Redmond is a speciality wine shop and tasting bar with a great selection and a ton of knowledge. They offer really fun tastings through out the year and are currently sending out Quarantine Survival packs. We teamed up with the wine experts at World of Wines to create a Letswineaboutsister at home Summer Survival Wine Pack with some of the tastiest Washington Roses and Whites.

Let’s Wine About it Sister & World of Wines Summer Survival Wine Pack

2019 Mark Ryan Lu & Oly Flowerhead rose, $19.85

Light and crisp and so very drinkable especially on a warm summer afternoon!

2019 Gorman Winery The Devil Wears Pink, $21.50

A full bodied electric pink rose that screams bubblegum, rich mineralogy, saffron spice and sassafras that linger on the finish.

2018 Guardian Cellars Angel Sauvignon Blanc, $20.75

The latest vintage of our 100% Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, bright and lovely. A Sauvignon Blanc that has the familiar notes of green apple and lime as well as richer notes of lemon curd, nectarine and honeydew melon. The mouth-feel is zingy, fresh and lively.

2016 Sleight of Hand Enchantress Chardonnay, $25.50

A classic old-world-style Chardonnay fermented and aged in a combination of neutral French oak barrels and concrete tanks for 11 months. It is golden in color, and has aromas and flavors of Asian pears, lychee, and fresh cut green apple, along with exotic spices and ripe, tropical fruit.