email this pageLower-Alcohol Wines for Summer Sipping
It’s true—hot August nights and high-alcohol wines kind of clash. So what’s a wine-lover to do when the temperature climbs? Raise a glass with one of these sips that are relatively low in alcohol. Playful, fresh and fruity, they tap into the insouciant side of summer . . . with fewer head-spinning effects than higher-alcohol wines.
Note that the alcohol content of wines is listed on the label, though by law, what’s inside the bottle can actually vary up to 1.5 percent.
Sweet Pea Apple Wines (7.8 percent)
How can anyone resist a wine from people who claim that, thanks to the low alcohol content, “you can have a few glasses and still get the housework done”? Nothing serious here—just fun, fruity refreshment. It’s made from Washington apples and available with natural peach, strawberry and blackberry flavors ($5).
New Age Rosé (11.3 percent) and New Age White (9.3 percent)
Think of these as Argentina’s sophisticated answer to the wine cooler. Dashing and bright, the spritzy sips invite a little rule breaking. So go ahead—plunk a few ice cubes in the glass and serve them with a twist of lemon or lime to heighten their quenching zip ($9).
Ballatore Rosso Red Spumante (8 percent)
When everyone’s feeling too droopy to eat dessert (and you’re way too relaxed to make it), perk up the party with chilled glasses of this pretty-in-pink California sparkling wine. You’ll savor a blast of strawberries with hints of vanilla cream, along with plenty of bubbles to refresh ($8).
Sutter Home 2006 California Moscato (10 percent)
Chill the heck out of this one, and one sip will bring the kind of fruity-cool refreshment you get from biting into a crisp, cold green grape. It’s sweet, yes, but in a voluptuous peachy/litchi kind of way ($6).
Fetzer Valley Oaks 2006 California Riesling (11 percent)
This ripe, fleshy wine entices with honeyed orchard-fruit flavors. Keep the bottle on ice for slow, casual sipping into the night ($9).
Banfi 2006 Rosa Regale (7 percent)
Brimming with hints of rose petals amidst summer’s sweet berry flavors, this romantically red sparkling wine from Italy showcases a sophisticated side of sweet ($23).
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