Best Wines Of Summer 2013: What Wine To Drink Now

Whether you're sitting fireside sipping the best beers or mixing your choice of seasonal cocktails at home, the possibilities for pairing the perfect beverage with a summer meal or activity are practically endless. Throw wine in the mix, and the choices are practically overwhelming.

Luckily, James Tidwell, the beverage manager and master sommelier at Four Seasons in Dallas, has the best wines for summer at the ready, and he's sharing his picks with us. With many a leisurely summer night in mind, we caught up with this expert for a list of what wine to drink now.

"There's something so great about being able to sip on a bottle of wine all day," Tidwell says. Where beer can get filling and spirits pack a powerful punch, a bottle of wine strikes the perfect balance, he adds. "There's no getting up to get more beers or mixing more drinks. You can just sit there with a bottle of wine and enjoy it."

And while Tidwell suggests lighter reds and less oaky whites for the summer, there's ones he finds more seasonal than something pink, or with a bit of spritz.

"Sparkling wines in general are refreshing, clean, crisp wines that work well on hot days," he says. "When you have a group of people getting together, there's nothing that gets them to socialize more than bubbles." Besides for feeling celebratory, the carbon dioxide also expedites the alcohol, helping to bring on the buzz — and the conversation — a little faster, he says.

Otherwise, Tidwell's go-to is a crisp rosé. "There are rosés that are slightly sweet and very fruity, but there are also rosés that drink like red wine and don't have the unctuousness of a big red that you would have in the winter," he says. "They're appropriate for summer and its beautiful in a glass sitting out on a terrace somewhere. They just express summer," he says.

But this is only the beginning. For the full roundup of the best wines to try this summer, check out the slideshow here. From Moscato d'Asti to sauvignon franc, pinot noir to riesling, Tidwell offers the ultimate wine list for what wine to drink now.

— Sasha Levine, Lifestyle Mirror

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