| Last week, the temperature on my deck hit 95F, and with the humidity, it felt well over 100F. Naturally I started picking bottles to stash in the refrigerator. When it’s hot, I want my vino chilled and refreshing—whether it’s white, rosé, orange or red. But that doesn’t mean so cold it numbs the wine’s flavor. About 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator will do it. Or just submerge a bottle in an ice bucket filled with ice and water for around 20 minutes. You want sparklers for spritzer support, but as a summer party aperitif, they’re perfect on their own. Crisp whites and rosés are essential but forget big reds: chilling makes the tannin taste bitter and dulls flavors. The best wines for chilling—and for summer—are lighter bodied, fruity wines with zingy acidity, low or no tannin, and lower alcohol. The latest wine fashion is the rise of lighter style, thirst-quenching chillable reds, known to aficionados as “smashable.” Cooler temperatures enhance the juiciness of fruity examples and point up acidity with mouthwatering refreshment as the result. Consider context, too. Summer is all about the outdoors: lazing on a porch swing, lying in a hammock reading the latest thriller, watching the waves roll in at sunset on a beach, hanging out with friends while barbecuing on a patio. All of which require equally relaxed wines that aren’t too expensive and don’t demand too much attention. You get the picture. Light, Easy Drinking Bubbly  Best prosecco for summer. Source: Vendor 2023 Bisol Crede Prosecco Superiore ($21)
Prosecco is the kind of casual Italian sparkling wine that just fits summer. Bisol makes several, and this one from top spot Valdobbiadene is light, but not too delicate, with tangy mandarin orange tones and fine bubbles that appeal with or without food. Crisp Refreshing Whites  Best white wines for summer. Source: Vendors Besides those below, try edgy assyrtiko, dry riesling, floral torrontes, zingy picpoul, Burgundy’s aligoté and Austria’s gruner veltliner. NV Broadbent Vinho Verde ($10)
Broadbent’s simple, easy-drinking version of Portugal’s gulpable beach white comes with a slight fizz, fresh green apple fruitiness, only 9% alcohol and a party pour price. 2024 Ulacia Getariako Txakolina ($24)
This uncomplicated wine from Spain’s cool, green Galicia region reminds me of zingy lemon soda. It’s tangy and bright, slightly fizzy, and perfect for lunch by the pool. 2023 Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino ($15)
The vermentino grape is the popular white grape of Sardinia, and this zesty, pine-and-mint-scented example has the vibrant citrusy freshness ideal with grilled fish. 2024 Massican Pinot Grigio ($32)
I’m a fan of Massican’s Mediterranean-inspired whites, and a sip of this pinot grigio with a dash of cortese grapes will transport you to the region. Its fresh, light, grapefruit, sea-salt and bright lemon flavors make it everything a summer wine should be. Orange & Rosé  Best rosé and orange wines for summer. Source: Vendors La Vieille Ferme rosé ($13, four-pack of 250ml cans)
This powder-pink Rhône wine comes in a bottle, a box and, best of all, in convenient cans that are ideal for picnics and around a pool. It’s fresh and fruity, with lively strawberry notes. 2024 This Life Rosé Maison Wessman and Norah Jones ($17)
A just-launched bright pink wine, a collaboration between singer-songwriter Jones and a Bergerac estate founded by Icelandic businessman Robert Wessman, is what to drink with music and barbecue. It’s intense and exuberant, with white flower aromas and packed with fruity flavors. 2024 Gulp Hablo Orange ($19)
This biodynamic orange blend from Spain has jumped in popularity because of its vivid and jazzy crowd-pleasing (not funky) flavor profile. It’s a low 11.5% alcohol, and it comes in a casual 1 liter bottle with an insouciant label that shouts vacation time. 2024 Donum Rosé of Pinot Noir ($50)
Pale pink and delicate, this succulent rosé is savory and elegant, with a complexity hot weather can’t diminish. Save it for a romantic dinner, with grilled wild-caught salmon. Chillable Reds  Best reds for summer. Source: Vendors 2021 Schloss Gobelsburg Zweigelt ($18)
Austria produces chillable reds from several grapes, such as blaufrankisch, St. Laurent and Zweigelt, a hybrid of the two. This one, from the oldest winery in the Danube valley, is all cherries and spice, with floral aromas and a light mineral finish. 2023 Donnafugata Bell'Assai Frappato ($28)
From the sun-soaked island of Sicily, this tart, charming ruby red is light and fruit-driven, with intense strawberry and cherry aromas and juicy, lively flavors to match. 2022 Julien Sunier Régnié Beaujolais ($34)
Gamay, the grape of Beaujolais, is the quintessential chillable red. This bottling from a dynamo winemaker who works organically shows off snappy red berry fruit notes and rose petal aromas. It’s my dinner under the stars wine. Best new wine of the month | Fresh and medium-bodied, this new Bourgogne blanc with notes of pear and savory minerals has a subtle creamy texture and just the right amount of oak to give it roundness and complexity. It’s a top value blend of grapes from Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Côte de Beaune. And it’s the culmination of a dream long held by a renowned German winemaker Ernst “Erni” Loosen, a master of riesling at the 200-year-old Dr. Loosen winery in the Mosel region of Germany.  2022 Maison Perron de Mypont Bourgogne Chardonnay ( $36) Photographer: Vendor Loosen wanted to make wine in Burgundy, and now he’s done it. This regional chardonnay and a Bourgogne rouge pinot noir are the first wines from his partnership with Burgundian Manoel Bouchet. The project is based in a wing of the historic Vieux Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet that Loosen acquired in 2019. Grander villages and premier cru level bottlings are coming, but for now, drink this delicious reasonably priced white with pleasure. | 
