20 Wines to Drink Right Now

New York Times

7 hours ago

The temperature in Manhattan hit 100 degrees recently — nearly 40 for the Celsius crowd — which is a good reason to think about how to approach wine in the summer heat.
Do seasons matter at all anymore for wine? Air-conditioning changes the game somewhat. Do you dress for the heat on the way to the restaurant? Or for the hours of chill in the refrigerated dining room?
Regardless of the temperature swings, I would argue that we feel different in the summer, more languid and enervated no matter the conditions.
I don't believe that summer wines ought to be restricted to whites and rosés, to be stashed away in favor of reds at the autumn equinox. But I am drawn to more refreshing wines in the summer, served colder, which argues for bottles of all colors that are generally lighter in weight, in alcohol and in tannins. Not always though. Grilled meats are great with discernibly tannic reds, served cool but not cold.
Last month I went shopping for 20 bottles that met my loosely held criteria for summer wines and that cost less than $20 a bottle. I've long believed that $15 to $20 is the range for finding many great values. Sometimes you can spend a bit less, sometimes a little more, but neither inflation nor tariffs seem to have altered this basic equation.
Tariffs and inflation have changed the sorts of wines in this price range, though. Bottles that a year ago fit perfectly are now a little too expensive. Other wines take their place, though, maybe from less widely esteemed regions or perhaps made from lesser-known grapes.
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