Summer Wines

Poolside at the 1 Hotel, South Beach 

We enjoy good wine. We make an effort to make sure we have only good wine experiences. So when I know I’m going to be out with guests and making a wine selection off a menu, I try to know what’s available in advance and make my decisions before I get there.

Summer is special with Sauvignon Blanc

But being human, fallible, or simply lacking time to do so, I occasionally find myself confronting a wine list where I simply do not recognize a single wine that fits the situation. And so it was, we found ourselves poolside on the rooftop of the 1 Hotel in South Beach. Sunny skies. Palms swaying. No cares. Except I had to pick a wine I did not know.

Perfect poolside pairing

We were in a white wine mood—not sparkling—something fresh and crisp to go along with the bright warm weather. And then I saw it was an easy choice: a Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of Australia. All Sauvignon Blancs will offer medium to high acidity, making them crisp and fresh on a hot day. There’s a wonderful consistency to Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, and I can’t remember the last time I had one I didn’t like. They offer signature Sauvignon Blanc aromas of green pepper/grassiness, but also include wonderful tropical fruit aromatics—fitting the poolside vibe perfectly! (By the way, don’t let the screw top put you off. Screw tops no longer signify “cheap” wine. The screw top is a great way to seal a bottle of wine, and some producers are now using them on bottles priced at $100 or more.)

So what did we choose? It was the Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc, a certified organic wine. This producer shapes the wine to make it feel a bit bigger and rounder, while still offering a lovely acidity so perfect for a warm, sunny day. I knew then that I could relax, enjoy the day, and look forward to a good white wine poolside.