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Drink of the week: Red wines to sip this summer

 
Published July 27, 2015

We all know about rose and prosecco — those light, refreshing varietals perfect for these summer months. But what about the red wine lovers? What's their best bet for kicking back with a seasonally appropriate glass? Wine expert Kirk Benton at Total Wine in St. Petersburg suggests wine made from a little-used grape grown in the Sierra Nevada Foothills region of California called barbera. The lighter-style red grape is ideal for warmer months because it produces a fresh, fruity wine. It contains notes of cherry — "almost like a cherry cola," Benton says — and slight spice flavors. "It has a lot of flavor but is not very heavy on the palate." Try Total Wine's Sobon Estate Barbera Amador ($14.99). For another summer red option, you can't go wrong with something from the Cotes du Rhone valley of France, typically a blend of three grapes: grenache, shiraz and mourvedre. These are lighter-colored reds similar to pinot noir but with more flavor.

Michelle Stark, Times food editor