Hello, Summer!
Grab a corkscrew, the ice bucket, and your favorite oversized pool float, the sultry days of summer are officially here! With temperatures skyrocketing, I’m doing what I can to stay cool. For me, that means extended pool days, quality time with my A/C, and sipping on cool, refreshing beverages.
Over the holidays, I was fortunate enough to procure a Costco Wine Advent Calendar (last seen HERE), and it was one of my best purchases of the season. I was introduced to new varietals from various places around the globe like Bulgaria and Slovenia, and for the most part, I enjoyed a majority of the wine. During my weekly trip to Costco, I noticed the Hello Summer Wine Sampler perched perfectly at the end of the wine aisle. Between you and I, there was no decision to be made. That sampler was going in my cart ASAP. Once I got home, I took a closer look at the box and noticed that this twelve-pack had five bottles of white, four bottles of red, and three bottles of rosé to enjoy.
Below, I’ve cataloged all of the wines featured in the Hello Summer Wine Sampler. Wines are ranked on a scale of 1-5, 1 being undrinkable and 5 knocking it out of the park- so good that I want to purchase a full-sized bottle. Each wine description includes the following information:
Wine Name
Type of Wine
Grape Varietal (if available)
Country of Production
ABV
Vintage
Let’s jump into the details, shall we?
Bottle 1 : Lilo Rosato; Rosato; Pinot Grigio; Sicily, Italy; 11.5% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.75 / 5
Bottle 2: Reflective Wines; Chardonnay; La Mancha, Spain; 13% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating : 4 /5
Bottle 3: El Campeón; Macabeo; Macabeo; Spain; 11% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.5 / 5
Bottle 4 : Crush; Red Blend; 40% Castelão + 40% Aragonez + 20% Alicante Bouchet; Portugal; 13% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.75 /5
Bottle 5: Ceu Do Norte; Rosé; 80% Aragones + 20% Castelão; Portugal; 11.5% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.5 /5 - lacks flavor and dimension
Bottle 6: Hello Summer; Pinot Grigio; Delle Venezie, Italy; 12% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.75 / 5
Bottle 7 : Flores de Verão; Fernão Pires; Portugal; 12% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.25 /5
Bottle 8: Nightfall; Cabernet Sauvignon; Spain; 14% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.75 /5
Bottle 9: Sovereign Virtue; Rosato; 51% Sangiovese + 49% Mertlot; Northern Italy; 12% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.25 / 5
Bottle 10 : Birds on a Wire; Sangiovese; Sangiovese Rubicone; Italy; 12.5% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 5 /5
Bottle 11: Pique-Nique; Sauvignon Blanc; France; 12% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.25 /5
Bottle 12: Sweet Red; Semi-Dolce Vino Rosso; Italy; 12% ABV; 2020 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.5 / 5 ( Even though the name indicates that the wine is on the sweeter side, it has only the slightest bit of sweetness)
Would I recommend purchasing the Hello Summer wine sampler?
Absolutely! Not only is it affordable ( it was 52.99 at my local Costco), but it’s great if you are hosting people or if you are simply looking to try some new wine. While you may not end up loving all the bottles, I always find it interesting to try new grape varietals and sample wine from other parts of the world. If you have followed Blonde Voyage Nashville for a while, you know I am a huge fan of Italian wine, and many of the bottles are sourced from Italy, so that’s an indication of how great this summer sampler is. My only suggestion would be to limit this to white and rosé wine. Let’s face it, not many of us are drinking red wine when it’s 90+ degrees outside, and for that reason, I put off drinking the bottles of red wine until the end.
Get your hands on one of these samplers and say Hello, Summer! I hope you can stay for a while!
For additional details on the various wine included in the sampler, click HERE.
Until Next Time!