What are the best wines to drink this time of the year when the days are hot and dry?
ST Wine suggests that you make the most of the sunny weather and organise a wine-themed picnic or barbecue to chill out over fine wines and food. Read on for our top wine and sake picks, and what foods to pair them with.
ST Wine has a wide range of wines which are curated and available for order online. Enjoy free delivery with a minimum purchase of $180 for wines featured in the Single Bottle Specials promotion. For purchases under $180, there is a $16 delivery charge. To order, go to STWine.sg/special-promotions
For sake purchases, delivery is free with a minimum purchase of $160. To order, go to STWine.sg/sake-otheralcohols
Santa Margherita Prosecco Brut Valdobbiadene DOCG NV Italy
ST Wine price: $45
A sparkling wine with a clean and fruity bouquet of apples and peach, the prosecco is well-rounded in flavour and can be enjoyed as an aperitif or served with appetisers.
Why wait for a special occasion?Pack a picnic basket of light bites, get your well-chilled prosecco in a cooler box and head for the nearest beach.
Food pairing: Appetisers, cheese or fish
La Boheme Act Two Yarra Valley Dry Pinot Noir Rose Australia
ST Wine price: $52
Get this for a cosy get-together with friends. The wine, in pale salmon pink, has the aromas of strawberry and peach. Delicious on its own with a creamy texture, it is also easy to pair with a variety of food.
Food pairing: Roast pork, Korean BBQ, seared scallops, cured salmon, mussels with crusty bread, pate and cured meats like salami
Kalleske Clarry's Barossa Valley GSM Australia
ST wine price: $53
Produced in South Australia's Barossa Valley, this award-winning blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro grapes from Kalleske's organic farm is intensely fruity, full-flavoured and approachable. Its scent is rich with plum, milk chocolate, candy, spice and blackberry. Enjoy it now or over the next five years.
Food pairing: Roast chicken, roast duck, char siew, roast pork and lamb dishes
Quinta do Portal Moscatel Portugal
ST Wine price: $45
Made from handpicked Moscatel Galego Branco grapes, this lively wine charms with its floral and fruity scents of rose and orange peel. To best enjoy the wine, chill it to 10 to 12 deg C and use a large glass to help release its full aromas.
Food pairing: Seafood dishes such as spicy crab, sushi, sashimi, asparagus and salads
Gris Blanc France
ST Wine price: $40
This rose wine made from handpicked Grenache Gris grapes in the south of France is fruity and easy to drink. It has the scents of raspberries and cherry and its flavour bears traces of fig and cocoa. A pleasing aperitif and an excellent match with Asian food or Mediterranean-style salads, this wine has enough structure to hold its own when matched with spicy dishes.
Food pairing: Salads and spicy dishes such as chilli crab, barbecued stingray, grilled seafood, Thai curries and rojak
Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Australia
ST Wine price: $62
An excellent choice for barbecue get-togethers. This award-winning blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec grapes from Margaret River has ripe cassis, dark chocolate and licorice aromas. Dark fruity flavours of ripe blackcurrant and red fruit layered with oak keep your palate fresh as you savour barbecued favourites hot off the grill.
Food pairing: Grilled meats, sausages, roast lamb, chicken and mutton biryani
Terra Andina Lifestyle Pinot Noir Chile
ST Wine price: $38
Easy to pair with food and easy to drink, this aromatic pinot noir has good balance and intensity that wine connoisseurs may find interesting. Even at the usual retail price of $45, this wine offers superb value for money.
Food pairing: Fried beef hor fun, roast chicken, chicken rice, pizza and hard cheeses
Ayu Masamune Tokubetsu Honjozo Namachozo Japan
ST Wine price: $43
Ayu Masamune is a brewery in Niigata, owned and run by the Iiyoshi family since 1875. Tokubetsu Honjozo is a premium type of Japanese sake fortified with distilled alcohol. Namachozo refers to sake which is pasteurised only once. This particular sake is clean-tasting with aromas of fragrant melon and rice. Drink it chilled on its own or with light-tasting dishes.
Food pairing: White fish, squid, tofu and lightly seasoned dishes
Keigetsu "John" Daiginjo Sparkling Sake Japan
ST Wine price: $93
Situated in Kochi prefecture in Shikoku Island, the Keigetsu brewery has been producing sake since 1877. John is named after the brewer's friend who challenged him to produce a sparkling sake. Dry with delicate bubbles, this sake carries fruity notes of lime, pink grapefruit and young melon.
Food pairing: Tempura, prawn paste chicken, prawn rolls, steamed fish, ham and cheese
More than wines
Check out the ST Wine website to enjoy attractive deals on wines, whiskies and more.
Join the ST Wine Club and enjoy surprise monthly packages of fine wines delivered to your doorstep.
The ST Wine Club is a premium wine club of The Straits Times, which works with reputable wine merchants to curate and present a selection of fine wines with the best value.
Gold packages feature New World wines and Platinum packages have Old World wines.
For details and to order, go to STWine.sg. For inquiries, e-mail STWine@sph.com.sg or call 6319-5076 during office hours.
