The chorus of complaints about the weather have rung throughout Britain over the last few weeks, as those who only two months ago were complaining about the lack of sun are now cursing its existence. Out here at sunny Swig HQ, we’ve had the fans blowing full blast and the occasional ice lolly after lunch, so powerful has been the heat. At one point we debated emptying the wine fridges and crawling in ourselves.
Of course, we didn’t do that. It’s far more important to regulate the temperature of our wines than our bodies. We have, however, shifted almost entirely to a regime of chilled whites and pinks during our famous Swig lunches. And in spite of our love of a bit of judicious oak-use, we’re steering more towards the fresh and vibrant at the moment. Wines with proper juiciness, that tug on the saliva glands and dance across the tongue.
Often it’s wines from quite hot places that do the trick, like the Nai Albarino, or the Secateurs Chenin Blanc. Both have a touch of the exotic balanced by juicy acidity, giving a cooling refreshment. They’re perfect with salads or fresh seafood or to sip a glass of whilst flipping food on the barbecue.
So embrace the heat and grab some good white from the fridge, because in absolutely no time at all it will be blowing a gale and bucketing down with rain.
