Memorial Day is over and summer fun has officially begun. Summer brings warm temperatures and lots of outdoor fun. It’s a time of sitting by the pool, boating and cook outs. Many wine lovers think of summer as the perfect time for a cold glass of rosé, white wines or even Beaujolais; and those are great wines to enjoy in the summer heat. However, summer is also a great time to grill steaks and burgers and to savor summer BBQ. So in addition to rosés  and crisp whites make sure you have some delicious full body red wines to pair with summer cookouts. In case you are unsure which red to pair with those rich meats I have a couple of suggestions and the perfect place to buy them! Dan Decker (@DanDeckerWineMan) of Vino Vin Wine and Spirits sent me a couple of media samples of delicious bold reds perfect for summer cook outs.

Huarpe Taymente 2013 Malbec: This wine poured a soft violet into the glass and opened with pleasing aromas of red and blue fruit, spice, candied violets and vanilla. On the palate this velvet smooth wine delivered flavors of cherries, plums and pomegranates with smoke, soft tobacco notes and a touch of dried herbs. It offered a silky texture with well integrated tannins and round acidity, leading to a full and balanced mouth feel with a clean finish. This wine was crafted from 100% Malbec grapes sourced from the Mendoza region of Argentina.

From the Skurkin Wines web site: Sourcing: Huarpe’s vineyards located in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. Altitude 960 meters over sea level. Manual selection in the second week of April. Controlled fermentation in stainless steel vats at temperatures below 25ºC, post-fermentative maceration, malolactic fermentation. Neither filtered nor treated with clarifiers. Aged in new French and American oak barrels for ten months.

This was a lovely Malbec for sure! SRP $12.99; click here to purchase from Vino Vin.

Tres Palacios Carmenere 2012 Reserva: This wine poured a deep garnet with violet highlings into the glass and opened with aromas of black fruit with smoke and some earthy funk. On the palate this wine delivered pleasing aromas of blackberries, plums and black cherries, with leather, smoke, spice featuring white pepper. This smooth wine was well-structured with round acidity, well integrated tannins and a lingering spicy finish. This wine was crafted from 100% Carmenere grapes sourced from the Cholqui Valley in the Maipo region of Chile.

From the Skurkin Wines web site: Our Carménère vineyards produce no more than 5,500 kilos per hectare, which results in extremely concentrated fruit that reaches optimal ripeness in this valley that can hardly be considered warm-climate. This late-ripening variety is commonly grown in warm areas, although the Cholqui Valley’s cool climate allows the grapes to ripen slowly and result in wines that are unique and elegant.

This was a very enjoyable Carmenere wine! SRP $11.99; click here to purchase from Vino Vin.

Both of these delicious wines will make an excellent pairing with your summer cookouts. Burgers, hot dogs, brats, chicken, steaks, brisket and lamb all pair beautifully with the dark fruit, smoky notes and spice of these two wines. So invite your friends over for a fun summer back yard cookout, but first place your wine order with Vino Vin!

These two wines represent the wide variety of wines offered by Vino Vin Wine and Spirits. Vino Vin offers high quality wines from all over the world at truly outstanding prices. Additionally they have taken the guess work out of what wines to buy with their wine packages, for example their Spring Mix Six includes 6 bottle of wine perfect for warm weather for only $69.99, AND all their wine packages include FREE Shipping! To offer additional insight on the wine expertise of Vino Vin the Spring Mix Six includes the Chilean Carmenere above as well as an Italian red, a French red from Cotes Du Rhone, a Spanish Tempranillo, a South African Chenin Blanc and a lovely Spumante from Veneto, Italy. Friends this is an outstanding selection and variety of wines at an amazing value!!! This wine selection for spring will carry you right into summer sipping; however, I cannot wait to see what Vino Vin puts together for summer. If 6 wines is more than you desire the wine experts at Vino Vin will be happy to recommend wines to meet your needs.

From Vino Vin Wine and Spirits: Six months ago we opened our doors with a desire to deliver what everyone else promises. We wanted to bring value, real value, to our customers. Every business markets on price, quality, or service; we offer value and an experience. Enter our store and you are taken back to a simple, rustic but meaningful time when service and image were truly at the forefront. Vinovin offers a unique experience: smaller production wines, personalized coaching and 100% free shipping of cases on-line, all at a cost much less than the value delivered. Customers tell us daily they can’t believe how we provide such good wine and service, especially at the price points. Every day Rob speaks with customers about a perfect bottle for their occasion or food pairing. Stop by the store, give us a call or chat with us online to begin your own experience.

If you live near Vino Vin in Wappingers Falls, NY please check out their “Wine with Friends” events. They offer personalized wine tastings for groups up to 10 in the unique Vino Vin style featuring four wines selected around a theme and paired with hors d’oeuvres. Guaranteed to be a night of learning and laughter!

Regardless of where you live, Vino Vin has something for every wine lover. I highly encourage you to visit their web site and check out their selection of unique wines. But don’t stop there! Sign up for their monthly news letter and give them a call to share your wine needs; I guarantee they will provide great wine recommendations that will be at your doorstep in no time!

My Song Selection: As I have said these two wine are perfect for summer. However, Vino Vin has a full array of wines for your summer cookouts and fun times by the pool, lake or ocean. And we you are having a rockin summer party you need rockin summer music to get the party started. This may be a controversial song selection because I am not much of a country music fan; however, I have seen Kenny Chesney in concert and he was great. Plus he explains summer best, “It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine, its summer time…..”

Get your own bottles of wine from Vino Vin Wine and Spirits and let me know what song you pair with them. Cheers!