Spritzers, sangria, frosè: Tips for enjoying wine in the summertime

Now that I’ve switched closets from warming woolens to breezy cotton, it’s time to switch to warm weather drinking habits. Here are tips for delicious and healthy summertime wine enjoyment:

Alcohol is not a thirst-quenching beverage

The expression “Everything is water’s way of getting itself around” includes wine, which is about 80% water. Wine’s next highest ingredient, though, is alcohol, a dehydrant. The more you drink, the thirstier you get and the more you drink, with well-documented results.

To stay hydrated while drinking wine, begin by choosing wine that is naturally low in alcohol. For wines with low 8% to 12% alcohol content, turn to cool growing regions including Germany, Austria and Alpine Italy. In contrast, wine alcohol from warm regions like California and Australia soars to 15%. (Most wine labels in the U.S. show alcohol content, though in teensy print.)

While the no- and low-alcohol (NOLO) segment booms in beer, wine manufactured for reduced alcohol lags in sales, with most reviews offering “close to real wine” assessments. Still, NOLO wine technology advances and more selections enter the market. Terminology lags even behind sales, with labels stating “alcohol-removed,” “dealcoholized,” “zero alcohol” and “alcohol-free.” Check with your retailer about flavors and actual alcohol content in NOLO wine.

Mix it!

Mixing wine with mineral water, juice and fruit is a centuries-old tradition, whether for hydration, to sop up excess produce or to add variety to a limited local wine selection.

The Spritzer is the easiest wine cocktail: Select a drinking vessel, from stemware to stadium mug. Add wine and soda water to taste. Ice and straw are optional.

For wine, choose a light, no-oak, dry to sweet style, including Riesling (such as Germany’s Clean Slate, about $12), Pinot Grigio or Chenin Blanc. For a red Spritzer, try Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Zhuzh it up with a garnish of mint, berry kebab or citrus wheel.

Spain’s Sangria dates to about 1,100 B.C. and is now a worldwide summertime staple. Like the Spritzer, it’s a have-it-your-way tipple, with ingredients including your favorite fruits or just what’s left over in the fridge. The foremost ingredient is time: Macerate harder fruits (such as apples) in light red wine (Spanish Crianza) overnight; firm berries at least four hours; soft fruit (peaches and strawberries) at least one hour. Recipes abound online. My family’s version stems from Marimar Torres’ The Spanish Table.

If time doesn’t allow homemade, try the pre-mixed De La Costa Sangria, produced by Chicago’s Glunz family, available just about everywhere, under $15 per liter bottle.

The Frosè originated at New York City’s Bar Primi to reduce extra inventory as the Rosè craze waned, starting a craze of its own. It’s a wine slushie with strawberries or raspberries, lemon and sugar to taste. Serve in a white wine glass, or, for a fancy look, a coupe. Here’s a recipe from Chicago’s The Chopping Block, 4747 N. Lincoln Ave.

Wine cocktail tips

Chill all ingredients. Avoid high alcohol (over 13%), high tannin (in dark reds) and oak. Choose a wine good enough to drink unmixed, not the best or worst. Caveat: Wine cocktails taste innocent, but they still contain alcohol. Eat before, during and after drinking, and monitor your intake.

Match it!

Light wines, like Riesling and Pinot Grigio, pair with summer’s lighter dishes. For more substantial flavors, turn to richer wines.

Sauvignon Blanc is made for all of summer’s fresh greens flavors. Whether it’s a spinach omelet for breakfast, Salade Nicoise for lunch, Mexican take-out or steak with chimichurri for dinner, Sauvignon Blanc adds herbal and bell pepper complexity, with dynamic acidity to perk up flavors. Chile combines top quality, availability and value, one of my favorites being Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc, under $15.

For a more-is-more pairing with grilled foods, look for a rich red such as Syrah. Traditionally grown in regions such as Cote Rotie (“the roasted slope”), Syrah translates heat into jammy dark berry flavors, lofty alcohol levels and a more-or-less appealing aged meat quality sometimes described as “sweaty saddle.” Because my blood alcohol is high enough, I eschew Syrah. Check with your wine merchant for favorites, especially from California and Washington State.

• Mary Ross is an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), a Certified Wine Educator (Society of Wine Educators) and a recipient of Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award of Excellence.” Write to her at food@dailyherald.com.

•••

Frosé

One 750 ml bottle Rosé

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup water

1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered

1 cup crushed ice

¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Pour the rosé into a shallow pan and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours, or until almost solid.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the strawberries, and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

Pour the simple syrup through a fine sieve, discarding the strawberries, and refrigerate until cold. Tip: Instead of discarding the strawberries, enjoy them as a snack!

Scrape the frozen rosé into a blender. Add the simple syrup, lemon juice and crushed ice, and blend until smooth.

Pour into glasses and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

— The Chopping Block