Summer Celebrations

Turn Any Summer Occasion Into A Summer Celebration

During the summer months, the days are full of warmth and sunshine. It's a time to be outdoors—in parks, lakes, and beaches—and a requirement that nights are planned around barbecues and dinners on the patio. We’ve put together a six-pack of no-fail wines that will turn any ordinary summer occasion into a summer celebration, day or night. This six-bottle set includes a 100-point winemaker’s rare Sauvignon Blanc; our favorite bargain white Bordeaux; a “Tre Bicchieri” Adriatic Sea-kissed Italian gem; a Michelin-favorite stunner from a “Winemaker of the Year”; a sparkling rosé easily confused for top Champagne; and a cult-favorite Sonoma Pinot Noir.      

Summer Celebrations Set Includes:

2016 Arietta Quartet Sauvignon Blanc

Originally produced for select top-tier restaurants, we swooped in and snagged the entire allocation. Translation: you won’t find this beauty anywhere but here. Crafted by 100-point winemaker Andy Erickson, formerly of Screaming Eagle. Arietta’s labels grace the luminary wine lists of Michelin-starred restaurants like The French Laundry, Per Se, The Modern, Jean-Georges, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and The Restaurant at Meadowood Napa Valley—to name just a few. Founded in 1996 by Fritz and Caren Hatton and John and Maggy Kongsgaard. Erickson employs 100% barrel fermentation and maturation in French oak barrels. The result is an expressive wine with mouthwatering freshness, length, and a texture akin to silk, layered with apricot, citrus, and fleshy peach flavors. A rich and rounded texture is bolstered by a vibrant acid cut on a tremendously long finish.

2016 Château Turcaud Entre Deux Mers Blanc

Every year, Wine Access clients let us know in no uncertain terms that Château Turcaud Entre-Deux-Mers is among their favorite white wine bargains. This summer or fall we’ll again meet up with Maurice Robert and his son-in-law Stéphane, to catch up and to taste what’s to come. To tide you—and us!—over until then: This perennial favorite is one of the greatest bargain Bordeaux Blancs on our scorecards. The exceptional 2016 Entre-Deux-Mers is beautifully bright with complex citrus and orchard fruit notes and mouthwatering acidity.

2016 Tenuta di Tavignano Misco Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore

A winner of the coveted “Tre Bicchieri” award from the widely respected Italian magazine Gambero Rosso for the second straight year. The Verdicchio grape defines white wine in Italy’s Marche region, and this 2016 “Misco” is a fine example of the ripe, generous style that distinguishes the wines of Castelli di Jesi, just 12 miles from the Adriatic Sea. Lavish aromas of white peach, Galia melon, and Asian pear. The palate exudes these in spades and also offers jasmine, fresh-picked leafy herbs, and a kiss of white pepper. There is crispness around the edges of the wine, helping contain its generosity. Very friendly and welcoming, and excelling within its class.

2015 Matthiasson White Blend

The French Laundry. Gramercy Tavern. Marea. Each of these titans of the restaurant world makes sure its wine list has room for Steve Matthiasson’s coveted Napa Valley White. With his 2015 Matthiasson White Blend, the San Francisco Chronicle “Winemaker of the Year” has given ample reason why such room is made. But this rich, vivacious white is near-impossible to find — especially since a 2008 vintage that caused Robert Parker to wonder, “Why are there not more California white wines such as this?” Thanks to our relationship with Steve and his wife Jill, your search is over. Piercing aromas of citrus, honey, white flowers, and spice. Rich, creamy and loaded with juicy white peach, candied lemon, and tropical fruit notes, underscored by a riveting current of sea salt and wet-stone minerality, with excellent energy and a long Burgundy-spice finish.

NV Akarua Methode Traditionelle Rose

This bottle of rosé is crafted by Dr. Tony Jordan—one of the preeminent sparkling winemakers in the world, whose CV includes long stints at Moet Hennessy’s Domaine Chandon, Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay. Is there any wonder why this wine tasted in a blind setting could easily be mistaken for Champagne? The vivid pink color instantly charms, followed by alluring aromas of rose petal, raspberry, and brioche. While it is an ideal glass unaccompanied, it is also a consummate pairing with BBQ, roasted salmon, and salty snacks. Monday night? Who cares. Pop it and it instantly feels like Friday.    

2016 Scribe Pinot Noir Sonoma County

We get plenty of leads on wineries to check out, but some places break through the clutter—the buzz about Scribe Winery’s cult Pinot Noirs from Sonoma Valley is unparalleled. Scribe has graced glossy magazine spreads in Travel + Leisure (“game-changing”), Food & Wine, GQ (“The Coolest Hundred Acres in Wine Country”) and made countless appearances on wine lists at the Bay Area’s best restaurants from Chez Panisse to The Restaurant at Meadowood. This 2016 Scribe is a gorgeous and ethereal wine, infused with a juicy mix of cherry, plum, cranberry, and spice.