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• New wine columnist reviews Barefoot Wine’s Riesling

Summer is here, which for me, means alfresco dining or at least dining with the windows wide open. Eating outdoors requires lighter fare, and that means lighter wines. In my quest for a great summer wine, I stumbled across the new Barefoot Riesling.

I’ve never been a big fan of Barefoot wines, but that’s also because I’ve never really tried them. I’ve read mixed reviews about them, some claiming eternal devotion and others degrading them to glorified grape juice. I still haven’t brought myself to buy a Barefoot product, but I did make a verbal note of interest about the recent addition to their family of wines to my boyfriend while grocery shopping. In a moment of acuity, he brought it over the next night for dinner, and I could not have been more impressed — with him or the Riesling!

The wine embodies summer. It’s light-bodied, refreshing and just a tad sweet. It can be easily paired with alfresco food such as grilled chicken, pasta salad and fresh fruit. It’s also simple, by which I mean it doesn’t bombard your tongue with various nuances of flavor as you sip it. There’s nothing wrong with complex-flavored wines. In general, I prefer them, but I appreciate the languidness of summer, believing that less is more in the months of June through August. Barefoot Riesling won’t send your taste buds into a frenzy but will instead encourage summertime lethargy.

Drink it in the sticky mid-afternoon, allowing its cool apple and citrus undertones to cut through the humidity. Or drink it at dusk, appreciating its light sweetness while watching the fireflies come out. Better yet, take it out under the stars, and enjoy it for its simplicity. More importantly, enjoy the minimal damage it does to your wallet — at six bucks a bottle, it will fit into any summer lifestyle.