WINES TO BEAT THE HEAT
Beat the Heat
Heat slows everything down. It always has.
The Spaniards take a siesta. On the Italian coast, you post up under a shady pergola, let the breeze roll in, and wait it out with a simple lunch.
Summer rewrites our cravings, especially for wine. Crisp whites. Mineral edges. Zingy citrus. A bottle that chills your glass and maybe even helps lull you into that desperately needed nap.
The Classics That Earn Their Place in the Fridge
Some wines are non-negotiable when the heat rolls in.
Sancerre delivers a perfect mix of citrus, grass, and minerality. Few do it better than Gérard Boulay. He farms old vines in Chavignol on steep hillsides of Kimmeridgian limestone, the same ancient seabed soils found in Champagne and Chablis. His wines are precise, stony, and age-worthy. Sauvignon Blanc at its most serious and refreshing.
Then there’s dry Riesling. Emrich-Schönleber, based in the Nahe, is one of Germany’s standard bearers. Their vineyards, especially Halenberg and Frühlingsplätzchen, are steep, rocky, and demanding. The result is wines with piercing clarity and mineral backbone. Racy, textured, and electric. Built for high heat and long aging.
If You Know, You Know: Hidden Gems for Hot Days
We also keep reaching for wines that don’t always get the spotlight, but in this kind of heat, they’re exactly what we want.
Just outside of Nantes, where the Loire River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Jérémie Huchet is reimagining what Muscadet can be. His vineyards sit atop old oyster beds and fractured granite, soils that practically hum with energy. The wines, made from Melon de Bourgogne, are saline, tight, and deeply refreshing. Once overlooked, Muscadet has become one of the most distinctive coastal whites in France.
Further down the Italian coast in the Marche, Andrea Felici makes pitch-perfect Verdicchio in Apiro, one of the highest and most ventilated zones in the region. His vineyards, just miles from the Adriatic, deliver wines that balance orchard fruit, bitter herbs, and sea breeze minerality. It’s Verdicchio with tension and depth, a wine that feels effortless but never forgettable.
We can also jump over to the Italian Riviera, to the steep vineyards of Liguria on the Mediterranean. Ottaviano Lambruschi has been crafting some of the world’s best Vermentino, chiseled into hillside terraces very close to the villages of Cinque Terre. You can smell the sea in the wines. The region is the home of pesto, and these salty, herby, savory wines are a must in the summer when basil is everywhere.
Or head north into Austria and pour yourself a glass of Grüner Veltliner from Barbara Öhlzelt. Here you get a full liter bottle to keep the party going a bit longer. The Kamptal wine region northwest of Vienna has a long history of making world-class wine, and Grüner has a special place with wine lovers. Easy drinking and always a crowd-pleaser. Think green apples, grapefruit, a few cooking herbs, and just a touch of white pepper.
Hot Weather Requires a Cold Glass
When it’s over 90, I need a glass. Over 100, and I might take it into the pool with me.
Here’s to beating the heat with wines built for the season. Bright, fresh, and ready to cool you down, one sip at a time.
Explore the Heatwave-Worthy Collection
A curated lineup of chilled whites from coastal vineyards to mountain breezes, made to handle the hottest days of summer.
Some bottles from above, and a few others we love.
Cheers, Kevin & The Cru
SHOP WINES TO BE THE HEAT
Reds Made for the Chill
Not a white wine fan? Good news, chillable reds are very real, and in summer, they shine.
Not every red loves the fridge, but some absolutely thrive in it. The key is low tannins, bright acidity, and fruit-forward profiles. These wines are still dry and structured, but the fruit takes the spotlight instead of oak or tannin. Served cold, they’re refreshing, energetic, and full of character.
They also pair beautifully with summer foods like grilled veggies, cured meats, tomato salads, or even a burger off the grill.
Think of them as reds in vacation mode. Cool, vibrant, and ready to go where your white wines usually do.
SHOP CHILL-ABLE REDS
Insider Secret: Skip the Stove, Open a Tin
When the heat really kicks in, standing by the grill — or even cooking indoors — feels like a bit more than any of us want to do.
Thankfully, the Europeans figured this out a long time ago with conservas. And let’s be clear, this is not your mother’s canned tuna. In much of Europe, tinned fish is a delicacy. High-quality seafood, and sometimes vegetables, are packed in top-notch olive oil, layered with seasoning, spices, garlic, herbs, or a hit of acidity.
It’s a complete meal that requires zero heat, tastes incredible, and happens to be good for you.
We work with some of the best conservas producers around. Crack open a tin on a hot day, add some crackers or good bread, a dollop of aioli, a squeeze of lemon, and something green. It almost feels too easy to be this good.
