John Wilson's summer wines

I know that many of you drink the same wine throughout the year regardless of season. Others, myself included, change according to the weather. Just as richer red wines seem ideally suited to cold winter nights, a rise in temperature and a few sunny days is enough to have me on the hunt for fresh crisp whites and rosés.

It doesn’t mean giving up on red wines; barbecued meat often calls out for those same robust reds. There are also plenty of lighter refreshing red wines that are perfect for the summer months.

Red, white or rosé, there are three common denominators for a summer wine; lowish alcohol so you don’t fall asleep in the deck chair for the evening, some lively crisp acidity to slake the thirst, and lighter fresher fruit, preferably with little or no oak.

I could also add in a fourth stipulation – price. I don’t ignore better wines entirely; a proper lunch in the shade or an evening meal deserves a decent bottle of wine, but generally outdoor drinking is more relaxed and simple, less expensive wines seem more appropriate.

The Loire valley offers a great range of summer wines of all descriptions. Whatever the colour, all share a lovely fresh, cool fruitiness that works really well once the sun comes out.

The Sauvignon Blancs are probably best known: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé have long been popular, but more recently Touraine and Haut-Poitou have offered better value. We seem to be less keen on Chenin Blanc, possibly because it could be austere in the past. However it is now possible to find softer more approachable versions.

Older readers will remember Rosé d’Anjou, although not always with too much fondness because there were some very sweet, mawkish wines in the past. But look to Chinon as well as other areas for very fine, dry, fresh pink wines, often perfect with lighter salads and fish.

I have championed the red wines of the Loire here before: Cabernet Franc is responsible for some delicious toothsome light wines with brisk almost crunchy red fruits. Look for the names Bourgeuil, St Nicolas de Bourgeuil, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny and Chinon, among others.

South of the Loire, Beaujolais produces some great light red wines. If Fleurie and the other crus seem a little too pricey (and cheap Fleurie is generally very disappointing), a good Beaujolais Villages is one of the great summer drinks.

The northern parts of Italy produce some great fresh white wines (Gavi, Custoza, Soave) as well as some lighter reds, including Bardolino, Valpolicella and Barbera. Just check the alcohol level first; ideally you want a wine that is a maximum of 13.5 per cent but preferably less.

Moving a little northwards Austria and Germany both offer some superb dry white wines, as well as a growing number of light red wines.

I will cover the white wines of Galicia later this summer, but this part of Spain makes some superb dry whites and, increasingly, light refreshing red wines too.

For New World wine-drinkers, summer is a great time to enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, be it from New Zealand, South Africa or, for those seeking a bargain, Chile. Australia may not offer much in the way of Sauvignon, but it does have excellent dry Rieslings and Semillons that make excellent summer alternatives.

O’Brien’s had an impressive range of inexpensive white wines, and a few good rosés at their recent tasting. In addition to the Chinon below, Mitchell & Son has the delicious summery white Domaine de Pellehaut for a very refreshing €10.99.

Domini Kemp’s recipes this week seem designed to challenge any wine writer.

Goat’s cheese goes really well with Sauvignon Blanc, but with the sweetness of the strawberries I would avoid anything too austere – a Marlborough Sauvignon maybe.

Normally I would go straight to Riesling with crab, but crab cakes with cocktail sauce would probably be better with a fairly substantial fruit-filled rosé, preferably with a little sweetness, from Chile or Australia.

The Dublin Kombucha mentioned a few weeks back makes a great adult summer soft drink.

But a simple homemade lemonade, made with the juice of two to three lemons, limes or pink grapefruit, a spoonful or two of honey mixed with plenty of sparkling water is so much better than many fizzy drinks.

Add a bunch of mint, lemon and loads of ice just before serving.