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Wine Dimensions September 2006

Dear Friends of Monolithos,

With summer on the way, dinners and lunches with heavy sauces prepared in hot kitchens will go out the window. Meals will migrate to a lighter form, and the long days will encourage relaxation outside into the evening with friends and family.

Wine selections will have to reflect those changes, moving to lighter and fruitier white and red wines that are drinkable without heavy food pairings. Summertime sipping often calls for white wines with fresh, firm acidity, pleasant aromatics and a good chill. Make the most of a relaxed summer afternoon or evening by putting some thought into the wine you serve with your meals.

As the chance to eat outdoors gets closer sunset by sunset, there's never been a better time to step out from under your umbrella and try something new. Wine, whatever its colour, should always be cool and refreshing to the palate, Red wines might not seem like the best thirst quencher during the summer that will soon descend upon us, but they can be. Still, industry people say sales of white wines tend to rise with the temperatures. However in summer, it is perfectly acceptable to chill your red wines to bring them down to around 14-16°C (the temperature of an underground cellar) or even cooler if you prefer. Many wine experts recommend mild chilling of reds to bring out their quality. Wine cellars are cool, dim places, after all, because heat and light can do plenty of damage.

Cool temperature, low alcohol; white wines are well suited for warm weather drinking. White wines almost always are served chilled, a quality that adds to their summertime appeal. They have other characteristics, such as a lack of tannins that suit them to the season as well. Almost all white wines should be chilled, but not at refrigerator temperature. Full-bodied whites should be at a slightly higher temperature than lighter varietals and sparkling wines. Do not overcool still wines: it kills the complexity. Around 10-12°C is best; the flavours will open as the wine warms. A rule of thumb for white wines says the sweeter the wine, the more it should be chilled. Wines selected for aperitif use should be in the 7-10°C range.

Experts say that heat waves and warm weather bring out the drinker of rose. Wine drinkers are discovering that the range and quality of rose has improved dramatically. Rose is arguably the perfect summer wine, which is why it's the de rigueur quaff at sidewalk cafes in the south of France and most Mediterranean countries during the hot months. The way winemakers go about making rose wine these days is also better than ever. Technical improvements result in softer, fruitier wines that don't lack the all-important acidity which makes them refreshing and helps them accompany food – but not so much acid that they taste tart or astringent.

Sparkling wine gives summer fizz. Always try to keep plenty of domestic sparkling wines on hand, too, because they're more affordable for large gatherings. Do not hesitate to serve sparkling wine throughout a summer evening meal, keeping it on ice tableside. These wines should be served well chilled, 6-9°C.

The fact of the matter is that wine and summer food (and weather) are best mates. The trick is to find the ideal wines to pair with your meals.

Summer Wine Tips

Don't store wines long-term in a standard fridge. It's too damp and the corks will eventually go bad. However, keeping bottles in the fridge for up to four weeks is fine.
If in doubt about how much to chill your wine, err on the side of colder. The wines will warm as they're served.
Almost all white wines should be chilled, but don't overcool still wines: it kills the complexity. Around 10-12°C is best; the flavours will open as the wine warms up.
For optimum flavour, be sure to protect white and red wines from direct sunlight. Keep white wines cool in pottery or stainless steel encasements, and avoid decanting red wine in clear containers. Remember to cover with a napkin to discourage those wine-swilling bugs.
The sun's heat and light are essential to growing wine grapes, but they can ruin the finished product in the bottle. If you don't have a wine cellar, store the bottles in a part of the house that does not get too warm. An interior cabinet or closet could work.
One great summer food and wine idea is to have some cheese and crackers with all sorts of different wines. Nowadays, you can find great cheeses from all over the world. This way you can discover the wine and cheese pairings you like best.
Full-bodied reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz, should be served at 14 to 18°C, which is lower than typical room temperature. A brief spell in the refrigerator can get it there. Light reds should be served slightly cooler.
Storing a wine on its side is recommended, however studies have shown that corked bottles may be stored upright for several months without damage to the wine. Cellars are generally preferred, because they are cooler, with more uniformity of temperature.
Whenever you carry wine in your car during warm weather months, it is best to keep the bottles in an upright position in the front of the car, not in the trunk. Never leave bottles in a closed car which is parked in the sun. When you reach your destination, if you intend to store the wine on its side, allow the wine first to reach the temperature of the room where it will be stored.
With excessive temperature, the wine and air inside the bottle will expand and possibly cause leakage of the wine past the cork. Some leakage will not spoil the wine, but excessive leakage will create additional air space in the bottle. Over time, this will contribute to the browning of the wine. The heat itself will accelerate the ageing process, therefore it is recommended that most wines should be consumed young (within a year of purchase).
Some wines will leak at fairly low temperatures, but the hotter the weather, the more likely that a particular bottle will leak. If you do not have a cool storage area, another possibility is to store the bottles upright during warm weather.

Monolithos Wines For Summer

With or without food, as a pre-dinner drink or as a refresher at the end of a long, hot day's work, Monolithos products are the wines to drink this summer. All of these wines have in common freshness on the nose or in the mouth – sometimes both – that distinguishes them from richer, heavier, oaked reds or whites. They are perfect for summer, great as aperitifs and wonderful with food.

Wine, whatever its colour, should always be cool and refreshing to the palate. In summer, it is perfectly acceptable to chill Monolithos red wines to bring them down to around 14-16°C (the temperature of an underground cellar) or even cooler if you prefer.

Ayios Stephanos red can taste delicious chilled. This wine pairs marvellously with a tender piece of salmon right off the grill and works great with light sandwich rolls or a chicken salad.

Monolithos Red table wine complements a thin crust pizza; add some pineapple and ham to make it a tropical delicacy! It is also a good companion to mixed grill and Cyprus mezedhes.

Cabernet Sauvignon matches perfectly with tender steak, homemade pasta salad or more sophisticated dishes.

Monolithos White (Xynisteri), a local favourite, goes well with notoriously food-unfriendly artichokes and light salads with prawns or other fish dishes. Like most wines made from Mediterranean grapes (riper, less green and less tart), Xynisteri has better palate structure.

Ayios Stephanos White is a lush wine that pairs well with grilled fish, because it has a more viscous texture and can stand a bit more chilling. The blend of Xynisteri and Malvasia grapes gives strength and structure to the wine. It is great with white-fleshed fish or with grilled trout or salmon, roasts, stuffed chicken, and other flavoursome dishes. Try 2006 Ayios Stephanos white with any of your favourite warm weather cuisines – from fresh fruit salad to hamburgers straight from the grill!

Santa Monica white is nearly perfect for summer drinking, with its juicy, intense fruit and streak of racy acidity. Santa Monica white is the ideal partner for the season's lighter fish and seafood meals. It's a great accompaniment to vegetarian foods too, or simply on its own.

Monolithos Rose table wine is a medium rose with beautiful summery aromas of red berries. Sold in a 75cl bottle with the Monolithos logo on the label, the wine has a relatively strong pink colour and is brilliantly transparent. Made from red grapes separated from their skins shortly after the winemaking process begins, pink-tinged Monolithos Rose retains some of the character and body of reds while delivering the refreshing quality of whites, particularly when chilled to 10-12°C.

Santa Monica Rose is a fruity, thirst-quenching, medium dry slightly sparkling wine which, when properly chilled, is an ideal match for summer meals. It is soft and fruity because of the way the juice is drained and also because it is made using only free-running juice. We feel that both the still and sparkling Monolithos rose wines can compete with most others, particularly if the price and quality factors are taken into consideration.

Wine News and Information

George M. Taber, the award-winning author of Judgement of Paris, found that the choice of wine closure is a major controversy throughout the wine world and has written a book about it. “To Cork or Not to Cork: The Billion-Dollar Battle for the Bottle.” According to his findings in New Zealand, 95% of all closures are screw cap, and in Australia it's 50%. The Germans and Austrians are now replacing corks in high-end wines with glass closures. Taber noted that the United States is still partial to corks, using them in 80% of the wine produced. He added: "However, in France, Italy and Spain, and, of course, Portugal, corks are holding onto their position." Taber said France still seals virtually all of its premium wines with cork. He also pointed out that Italy, Spain, and Portugal have laws in place that require the use of cork in high-end wines. It should be noted that these countries, along with France, produce approximately four billion gallons of the seven billion gallons of wine produced each year, or over 57%. "There now are completely new methods for processing corks," he said. He noted that the original TCA link to corks was generally associated with the small, independent producers who lacked quality controls. Taber believes the cork will survive this controversy, and remain as the world's favourite wine closure.

Corks are not the only cause of off-odours. The cork industry no longer uses chlorine and has switched to hydrogen peroxide, however some wineries persist with chlorine because it's the most efficient sanitizer. A winery must use chlorine for some tasks, however it is not advisable to clean any organic materials, including barrels, wooden walls, rubber hoses, etc. It's technically OK on stainless steel, however if the equipment and utensils are not cleaned perfectly, small bits of tartrates or phenolic matter that might be left behind can hold enough chlorine to instigate TCA formation if the fungus is present nearby. Wood preservatives are the magic ingredient to form TBA and TCA. The nicest architecture and most expensive wood construction materials tend to have more preservatives, so very pristine-looking cellars can readily foster these compounds.

The 2007 forecast for the world of wine: everything's coming up roses! With U.S. rose consumption up almost 15% last year and demand in trendy New York restaurants increasing by 30%, it's clear that rose wines have garnered a whole new level of interest among American wine lovers. Now, Click Wine Group enters this fast-growing category with the introduction of “Fat Bastard” rose – just in time to greet the warm weather. The brilliant deep pink Fat Bastard rose, made from 100% Shiraz, is alive with intense aromas and flavours of just-picked summer strawberries and raspberries. This harmonious and exuberant off-dry wine is juicy, elegant and its fresh flavours are well complemented by subtle tannins and mineral sensations to provide the perfect texture and finish. The new rose joins one of the fastest-growing wine categories. According to Impact Databank, imported rose consumption has increased 14% and of that, French rose wine imports were up by 58.9%.

Monolithos Monthly News

The warmer temperatures encourage the vines to flower. The growers hope for the warm weather to continue, as much of the quantity of the vintage will be determined during this season. Soon after flowering, the petals drop, as tiny hard green grapes start to become visible.

The never-ending job of caring for the vineyard continues during summer. The vineyards are inspected, weeded, and sprayed, as weeds constantly compete with the grapevines for nutrients. The vines are again trimmed to encourage fruit production. Tiny grapes begin to develop.

At the winery, bottling of 2006 vintage Ayios Stephanos White, Monolithos Red and White was completed. Also June is the time for general maintenance and to finish anything that may not have been done earlier. The winery is now ready to welcome visitors. So if at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995.

Regards from all of us here at Monolithos and always remember Ernest Hemingway’s words:

"In Europe, we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was neither a snobbism, a sign of sophistication, nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and, to me, as necessary."

Regards from all of us here at Monolithos