Be In Good Spirits With These Top Summer Wines

Under the scorching heat, the last thing you want is a beer or wine that will sink you into that lawn chair.

We stopped by to chat with manager and wine & beer consultant Shaun Goellner for his tips on the best ways to stay refreshed over the dog days of summer.

In the first installment of this two part series, Goellner recommends his top five wines to fit whatever it is you're doing this summer.

Peter Lehman Layers White

This blend of pinot gris, chardonnay, sémillon, gewurztraminer and muscat is a refreshing summer wine with sweet notes, according to the wine consultant.

"This is one of my favorite wines for the summer," Goellner said. "Sitting on the back deck listening to The Beach Boys is how I spend my time with this one. It's incredibly refreshing with notes of lime, honey, melon and just a hint of acidity, it really is fantastic."

"It's best with peppery shrimp, barbecue fish and particularly Thai and Vietnamese food," Goellner added.

The wine retails for $15.99 at Super Cellars.

Treana White Marsanne Viognier

This California wine blends some fresh floral notes with a tinge of honey. "It's a real crisp style and will really do well when used as an aparteif or with some clean seafoods, or prosciutto and fresh melon," Goellner said.

Essentially a northern Rhone blend with California climate, this wine takes two of the three white grapes in Northern Rhone but adds a dash of California cool. You'll find a tinge of fresh, floral notes with a tinge of melon and honey.

"It's an uber-refreshing wine that's designed to impress any guest. From picnics to dinner parties, you can't go wrong with this libation."

The wine can be found at Super Cellars for $17.99.

Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel

Reds aren't traditionally thought of as nice summer wines, but with tasting notes of raspberry, spice, this heavenly zin from Lodi, California has less tannins, providing a bit of contrast to its heavier cousins.

"I'd recommend this for burgers, barbecue foods, blackened chicken and pork prepared pretty much any way," Goellner said. "Best way to describe it: delicious."

This red devil retails at $15.99 at Super Cellars.

Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

A crisp wine from Italy, this one is a sparkler. "It's a real nice, crisp, apple-y flavor with some carbonation on the finish," he said.

While not overly complex, it's a great aperteif to start with a few light cups, he said. This is very different from champagne or other sparkling wines that use a secondary fermentation, which Goellner explained basically removes the second fermentation.

"It uses a CO2-infused carbonator to give it the bubbly," he smiled.

The Nino Franco can be had for $13.99 at Super Cellars.

Crios Malbec Rose of Argentina

This 100 percent, authentic malbec from way south of the border, and has a fruity kick, blending notes of watermelon and strawberry, Goellner said. "But it still finishes dry," he added.

What makes rose different from reds and whites is the maceration. Essentially, he said, the skin contact of the grape with the juices are only hours long, rather than weeks or months as with reds or none, traditionally with whites.

"It has the lightness of white but without the complexity of a red," he said. "It can be the great compromise for rose enthusiasts."

For the uninitiated, it's still a great buy, he said.

It retails for $10.99 at Super Cellars.

For those inclined to learn more and have a great glass of wine, tastings are held at Super Cellars on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stick around for part II on the best summer beers.