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The Wine Messenger
White for Chillin’, Red for Grillin’, and Rosé for Thrillin’
By Cristina Mariani-May
co-CEO of Banfi Vintner
America's largest wine importer
Read Cristina's other articles:
Cristina Mariani-May is family proprietor and co-CEO of Banfi Vintners, America’s leading wine importer, and the award winning Castello Banfi Vineyard Estate in Montalcino, Tuscany.

This month’s  recommendations

Litorale Vermentino di Maremma – Fresh and crisp, with delightful acidity.  Packed with citrus flavors that linger on the palate.  Finishes with apple and minerals.  Average national retail is around $17.  
Val delle Rose Morellino di Scansano Riserva – Intense ruby red.  Richly perfumed nose with black-cherry aromas and hints of vanilla.  This wine is complex, harmonious and well structured.  Average national retail is around $20
Centine Rosé – A Delightful pink rosé with hints of woodland berries and a long, crisp finish.  Average national retail is around $12.   

Banfi wines are available at your local wine merchants, at wine.com or at the Banfi online store.


For women who aren't kids
The Wine Messenger
Read Cristina's other articles:
Cristina Mariani-May is family proprietor and co-CEO of Banfi Vintners, America’s leading wine importer, and the award winning Castello Banfi Vineyard Estate in Montalcino, Tuscany.

It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy… so this month I would like to focus on just three wines.  Who needs to think of more than that in July?  I am simplifying my life – and yours – this month to think about one superlative white wine to keep us refreshed around the pool, one great red wine for those summer barbecues, and one awesome Rosé wine that is just like that pair of khaki shorts – you can use it for anything, anytime. 

When I think of the glories of summer, I think of the Tuscan coastline – the area called “The Maremma.”  It is a place marked by the same rolling hills and lush green underbrush as inland Tuscany, but distinguished by a cool sea breeze, kilometers of pristine beaches, the gently lapping waves of the docile Tyrrhenian sea, and relaxation, Italian style.  This is where mothers and toddlers bond free of boundaries, where teens find summer love, and where gourmets find the freshest seafood and most delightful wines. 

The shores of Maremma are dotted with seafood restaurants that pluck the catch of the day from local waters, and prepare it with the simplest yet most delectable flavors.  Their sauces have evocative names like marechiara (clear sea), aquapazza (crazy water), and pescatrice (fisherman’s wife).  Fresh ripe tomatoes, briny capers, deeply green olive oil and fragrant herbs are the only adornment to the vivid freshness of the sea. 

Such dishes simply scream out for the zesty fresh flavors of Vermentino, a crisp white wine that is unique to this part of the region.  White wines are usually associated with cool climates, but Vermentino is unique in that it maintains a solid backbone of acidity in these warm conditions.  Appropriately named for the coastal breezes, Litorale is a perfect example of Vermentino della Maremma.  One glass calls for another, enhances the flavor of any dish it is served with, and emphasizes the relaxation and “dolce vita” that summer on the Tuscan coast is all about. 

On the first hills that rise up from the shore, the front line of Tuscan hilltop towns let down their guard as well and welcome visitors into streets that were originally designed as mazes meant to confuse invading armies.  Each town celebrates its annual “Sagra” or festival dedicated sometimes to a patron saint, but more often than not to a favorite local food.  “Sagra del Raviolo,” for example, celebrates the glories of one town’s ravioli, while “Sagra della granocchia” festoons, of all things, another town’s frog’s legs.  But all of the sagras offer grilled sausage, ribs, fried potatoes, and the ubiquitous Tuscan beans – definitely fare for a hearty red wine.  This being Tuscany, that usually means a Sangiovese, and this being the coast, the local translation of that is in a Morellino di Scansano.  My favorite is a Riserva from Val delle Rose, aged a bit longer and full of cherry and plum flavors, with a zesty acidity that makes it so enjoyable and food friendly. 

Finally, I have to follow my heart just a little more inland for another quintessential summer sipper.  Centine Rosé is from my family’s Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, just a 20 minute drive from the seaside.  Mostly Sangiovese with some Cabernet and Merlot thrown in for balance and body – the same cuvee as the red version of Centine – this is a wine lover’s rose.  Dry and full of fruit flavor, it is a refreshing aperitif or poolside beverage but will also pair perfectly to all those great Tuscan summer foods we just mentioned, be it fish or grilled meats.

So Happy Summer!  Let’s share a glass of wine on the coast, be it Maremma or the Atlantic shore!