FEATURE: SUMMER WINE FORCAST

Heating up

Four sommeliers share what wines they’ll be pouring during the warmer months.

-WORDS Amy Northcott

SPRING IS HERE, and we all know what that means — summer is on the way. It is no doubt the busiest season for hospitality, which means curating an on-point drinks offering is a must to not only get customers through the doors, but to keep them coming back.

Hospitality chats with four sommeliers from some of the country’s much-loved watering holes to find out what wines they’ll be pouring for the rest of the year.

Bridget Raffal, Where’s Nick

If you’ve ever ventured to Where’s Nick in Sydney’s Marrickville, there’s a chance you’ve met Sommelier Bridget Raffal. She’s the force behind the wine bar’s 300-plus collection which is known for covering a range of styles, winemakers, and regions. “We focus on smaller producers, off-piste styles, and lesser-explored regions while benchmarking up-and-coming producers alongside the iconic,” says Raffal. “It’s a list where you’ll discover something new.”

A summer wine offering should be geared towards light and vibrant wines, but still offer diversity in style.

– Bridget Raffal

When it comes to designing a list for the summer period, Raffal believes drinks with freshness are key. “A summer wine offering should be geared towards light and vibrant wines, but still offer diversity in style,” she says. She also urges the front-of-house team to prioritise storage. “Invest in temperature-controlled storage, and stick to the limits of your cellar space,” she says. “I’d rather have half as much choice than turn down a bottle of cooked wine.”

Some of the wines on Raffal’s radar for the summer include white varieties Palomino and Zibibbo. Palomino is a variety commonly grown in Spain and South Africa. “Think Manzanilla or Fino but not necessarily fortified,” says the sommelier. “They are grown on chalky albariza soils and are often aged under flor, giving them a salty, almond-laced kick.” Some of Raffal’s favourite producers for the variety include Muchada-Leclapart, Bodegas Luis Perez, and Paola Medina.

Zibibbo, also known as Muscat of Alexandria, is another variety on Raffal’s hit list. “It’s beautifully exotic — think honeysuckle and orange blossom,” she describes. “They complement bold flavours well such as sardines with pine nuts and raisins, ricotta salata, or caponata.” She notes Sicily’s Marco de Bartoli as a must-try producer for the variety, with the drop boasting a flintiness to balance the ripe yellow peach characters.

Heading into Rosé territory, and Raffal is looking out for those with a darker colour including the Colleoni Rosato from Tuscany.

“[It is] Sangiovese-based and full of tart, morello cherry fruit,” she says. “As soon as the weather warms up, I start dreaming of ripe tomatoes, crusty bread, peppery olive oil, and this wine.”

Naor ‘Noah’ Rozenfeld, Nomad Melbourne

Over in Melbourne, Naor ‘Noah’ Rozenfeld leads the wine offering at Nomad. For him, wine lists should have something for everyone. “A successful wine list is one where all of the different corners of the market can find joy and interest, while also providing balance between the offering and cuisine the restaurant is serving,” he says.

Rozenfeld’s advice for curating a summery drink offering? Look to your guests. “I’m focusing less on matching the wine to the food and more matching the wine to the guests — because when it works for them, it works with everything,” he says. He also notes the importance of keeping up with what’s going on in the wine world. “Do market research, look at which sections, varieties, or styles work well for your venue and capitalise on those.”

Heading into summer, Rozenfeld says he is opting for white wines that are not too oak-heavy and have fresh acidity. Styles including Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and the Spanish Albariño are some of his go-to varieties, but his current favourite is Aligoté. “For me, there’s something really charming about Aligoté when it’s well made — the white flower aromas, and the citrus blossomlike, refreshing acidity,” says the sommelier. “I try to demystify it to our guests by explaining that it tastes like a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris — ish.”

Producer-wise, Rozenfeld tips eclectic French makers Francois Millet, Fanny Sabre, and Joseph Colin, but closer to home it’s Chris Catlow who is making Sentio Aligoté in the King Valley. “I take pride in offering it by the glass, there’s something about it — like a great party song you know everyone loves and enjoys when it’s being played!”

Rahuul Prasad, Vincent Wine

Heading west to Perth and Vincent Wine’s Rahuul Prasad curates the venue’s 350-bottle line-up, which focuses on old-world producers and varieties as well as explorative makers. “The vast majority of the wine on our list accomplishes the former criteria of terroir expression,” says Prasad. “More specifically, the wines capture a sense of place due to their emblematic expression of variety, winemaking, and the regionality.”

When it comes to curating a summer wine list, Prasad agrees freshness is key. “I believe it’s important to include wines from a multitude of styles,” says the wine director. “While refreshing and bright are often qualities ascribed to sparkling, Rosé, and white wines, reds are also capable of being beautiful summer styles.”

But ultimately, Prasad suggests showcasing wines you enjoy drinking. “As with all wine offering planning: buy wine you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, love to drink, and suits your venue’s theme and clientele.”

Crémant sparkling from France is a style that has caught Prasad’s attention for the upcoming season. “Crémant represents outstanding, quality, traditional method sparkling at a reasonable price,” he says. “Beautiful examples are found all over France from Alsace to the Loire.” One of his favourite examples of the style is Arnaud Lambert’s Crémant de Loire which is crafted with majority Chenin Blanc and a hint of Chardonnay from the Loire Valley. “It’s linear and zesty on the palate: lemon pith, fresh Granny Smith apples, crisp white nectarines, and a hint of saline minerality,” describes Prasad. “A beautiful wine to pair with oysters on a hot summer’s day, but I personally adore it with our kingfish crudo.”

Christina Kaigg-Hoxley, sommelier

Christina Kaigg-Hoxley has an impressive sommelier resume with stints at Gimlet at Cavendish House, Atlas Vinifera, and most recently in the UK at Noble Rot Lambs Conduit Street in London. Now in the UK, Kaigg-Hoxley has noted a few trends across the European summer including the interest in wines from Greece. “The number of high-quality Assyrtiko being produced definitely feeds into the trend for more mineral-driven, high-acid white wines during this time of year,” she says. She also notes the uptake in wines from the Canary Islands. “The wine trade also seems to be having a moment with Tenerife wines — both the Palomino-based Listan Bianco wines and Listan Negro expressions,” she says. “[The] distinctive minerality draws you into a volcanic-driven, savoury palate.”

When it comes to summer wine offerings, Kaigg-Hoxley suggests using the season to try something new. “Summer is often when people are at their most relaxed, open to novelty, and trying something different or engaging in a new trend or style,” she says. “There’s a lot of opportunity to offer new products or new regions.” She urges sommeliers not to get caught up in the season and ensure there’s a broad range of styles. “I think summer wine offerings can have the tendency to oversimplify what people want. Yes, when it’s warmer, we lean away from heavy reds … but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ensure there is diversity and interest on lists — especially in bythe-glass offerings.

For the upcoming Aussie summer, she suggests Mediterranean varieties including Sciaccarello from Corsica. “It has a natural vivacity and really crunchy red fruit elements, lending itself to Rosé and lighter red styles,” she notes. White-wise it’s Vermentino. “It has a natural weightiness and texture which carries skin contact quite well,” she explains. “Its natural salinity and stone fruit characters convey a really playful, joyful palate for warmer weather.”

Kaigg-Hoxley suggests producers including the Clare Valley’s Koerner Wines, the Riverland’s Ricca Terra, and the Yarra Valley’s Santolin Wines for the aforementioned styles. “I think Australian producers continue to embrace alternative and Mediterranean varieties in a fantastic way, and I am continuously on the lookout for people who are championing this space,” she says.

As we head into summer, it’s clear freshness and a balance of styles is key for curating a successful wine list for guests. But it’s also important to remember the wines you enjoy drinking should never be left off the list.