Bottles to Chill All Summer Long

Editor in Chief, Erin Byers Murray shares eight wine pairing tips for the summer season

With the sun blazing and temperatures at their peak, it’s time to turn to more crushable, thirst-quenching wines that can stand up to the heat and whatever you have coming off the grill. Whether you rosé all day or can’t live without your daily glass of red, these top-notch bottles (and one adorable can) are ready to chill and pour. Find the summer bottles we can’t wait to swig throughout the season, and wine pairing suggestions for each below.

8 Summer Bottles and Wine Pairing Tips

Lost Draw 2022 Picpoul Blanc, Timmons Estate Vineyard | Texas

Picpoul, especially grown in the Texas High Plains, packs a floral punch as well as a tart finish. Each sip of this Lost Draw bottling starts with that enticingly delicate aroma followed a bright, tangy, lemony finish.
Wine Pairing: Grilled whiting with a grapefruit and garlic confit or a board of soft and hard cheeses served with honey

Sway Rosé | Texas

The first canned rosé from Texas delivers big—even from its petite packaging. Super dry and refreshing, this is the four-pack you want for your next boat trip, or to bring along to a summer oyster roast or cookout. Pro tip: They also sell it by the case.
Wine Pairing: Ruffled chips and French onion dip or oysters on the half shell

King Family Vineyards Crosé 2022 | Virginia

If you can’t get to this Crozet, Virginia, winery for a polo match—they often take place on the grounds there—bring the lawn party to you with a bottle or two of King Family Vineyard’s bright, merlot-based rosé. Hints of rose and peach round out the grassy tartness. For something more celebratory, the winery’s Brut 2019 crisp blanc de blanc just right for summer soirees.
Wine Pairing: A summery grilled squash and tomato-chevre flatbread

2021 Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc   | California

This elegantly rich sauvignon blanc is full of tropical fruity notes like papaya and mango but lands with a sultry finish, making it excellent for grilled fruits or smoky vegetables.   
Wine Pairing: Grilled peaches with a quick swipe of Duke’s mayo

2019 Mixtrack Red Wine, Scout & Cellar | Texas / France

Scout & Cellar is a Dallas-based winery that makes wines with a commitment to “clean” methods (grown without toxic pesticides and chemicals, with efforts to preserve the soil and the ecosystem around the vineyard) using grapes contracted from vineyards; they also partner with other wineries for collaborations. Their Mixtrack is one such collaboration, produced by Domaine Frédéric Brouca in Languedoc, France. This particular blend of grenache, syrah, mourvedre, and carignan is earthy with bits of berry and does well with a slight chill, especially if you’re sipping while you grill.
Wine Pairing: Pan-seared lamb chops with okra and zucchini

Peju Winery’s BBQ Duo | California 

Just in time for platters of smoke-kissed meat, Peju, celebrating 40 years as a winery, has released a barbecue-friendly duo of their cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, both boldly tannic and rich enough to stand up to some char; the pair comes with a spicy barbecue rub.
Wine Pairing:  Chile-rubbed strip steak with a summer-y vegetable side (or use the rub to put together a slab of ribs)

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