The New Wine Review Weekly: June 20, 2024 (copy 03)

đŸ· 25 wines for summer

June 27, 2024

What is it about summer? Jason Wilson nails it:

  • “During the summer months, most of us don’t like rules of any kind. This likely dates to our earliest school days, when late June meant freedom from teachers, schedules, planned activities, obedience, and general supervision. So here at The New Wine Review, as we offer our very first roundup of summer wines, please know that we understand your impulse to entirely ignore the sort of hectoring advice you so often get. We feel you.”

The only rule is: It’s summer. There. Are. No. Rules.

  • “Our list of summer wines below is sort of like those choose-your-own-adventure books you read as a kid—the ones you likely read when you were avoiding the ‘classics’ on the official summer reading list. We’ve got classic summer recommendations, such as Portuguese Vinho Verde, Lambrusco, and pĂ©t-nat. And we’ve gone further off the beaten path, with stuff like . . .”

. . .  well, you’re gonna have to read the rest of the list to find out. But we are happy to say, said list doesn’t resemble any others out there, and—we believe—it expresses the way we think about wine here at NWR.

Check it out. And join us in toasting the glorious lazy days of this season.

Want the full The New Wine Review experience?

Oh, Canada. We totally heart you. So much so that Susannah Skiver Barton can’t lie to you:

  • “Canadian whisky is decidedly, painfully unhip.”

  • “It gets interest from nobody,” says Mike Vacheresse, owner of Brooklyn whiskey destination Travel Bar.

Look, we know the drill. We’re supposed to chuckle along. But we won’t. Because, it turns out, we’ve all been missing out. What factors create exciting whiskies and bourbons? Turns out that Canada ticks all the boxes.

  • “[Canadian whisky] has been around for more than 200 years and has a colorful history. There’s plenty of it being made, and millions of barrels maturing, many with serious age on them. Most importantly, Canadian distilleries are expressly designed to produce a variety of distinctly flavored whiskies, destined for blending.”

Here’s the part where we’ll add: the lack of interest works in whisky fans’s favor. Prices haven’t yet gone through the roof—unlike what’s happened to bourbon in recent years.

But for the rest of it, we direct you to another great state of the glass piece from our nonpareil Whiskey Editor. For the history, how things got to this point, and, of course, the Canadian producers and bottles you absolutely need to know, check out her fantastic piece.

LIVE Q&A IN OUR SLACK, FRIDAY, JUNE 28: THE ONE GUY IN THE WHISKEY WORLD WHO YOU REALLY DO NOT WANT TO PISS OFF

We’re still digesting all of the tidbits from Susannah Skiver Barton’s decidedly đŸ”„đŸ”„đŸ”„  NWR interview with Adam Herz, who’s made it his mission to find and expose whiskey counterfeiters. He is joining us for a live, no-holds-barred Slack chat on Friday, June 28, at 4 PM Eastern/1 PM Pacific. In case you aren’t familiar with Herz’s vibe and work, expect serious fireworks. This will be a subscriber-only event, so—if you haven’t already—sign up for the full New Wine Review experience for access.

Sheila Yasmin Marikar went, returned, and comes back to share some wisdom:

  • “Michelin stars, ten-cent noodles, shopping malls that gleam so bright, you might be able to see them from space—welcome to Hong Kong. Now rebounded from the pandemic and resultant tourism restrictions, the mega metropolis is in the midst of a drinking and dining renaissance. And, in between the gustatory recon, there’s some spectacular art to be seen.”

  • “A recent trip to Hong Kong uncovered a trove of delicacies worth a transcontinental flight. We also consulted locals with proven palates to find out the best wine lists around town. All of the following check the box for 10 out of 10, would highly recommend.”

Her outstanding guide to the best of the Michelin-starred stuff as well as the city’s ample cheap eats—plus insider tips on the best wine lists and much else in town—can be found here. To steal the phrase: 10 out of 10, would highly recommend.

WHAT’S HOT IN OUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY SLACK

  • Susannah Skiver Barton’s further thoughts on what Canadian whisky needs to do to break through.

  • What are the differences in how different generations perceive a good price for a bottle of good wine?

  • The unexpected wines we loved this week: a natural wine made from Riesling and Carignan, an Oregon Tempranillo, and the benchmark CĂŽte-RĂŽtie drunk on the hottest day of the year in an un-air-conditioned apartment. (Try it yourself!)

THE WINE STORY THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE THIS WEEK

We concede that there is a lot to talk about when it comes to wine pricing. And among many other things, it’s legitimately interesting that Champagne prices continue to go up while other benchmark wines—hello, Bordeaux!—are plummeting.

That said, our main takeaway from this piece is this: it is 2024, and The Economist has finally discovered grower Champagne. Well done!

As always, thanks for reading! See you next week for much more.

Santé!

The NWR Editors

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