The first rule for a summer wine is that it needs to be refreshing. High-scoring monster reds that warm the soul on a winter evening become plodding, heavy, alcoholic beasts on a sweltering day. Under conditions of heat and humidity, such big, bruiser wines leave us weary, rather than exhilarated.
The key ingredients for a good warm-weather match are higher acidity and less oak and tannin, which typically means that we're browsing the white and rose sections of the wine list.
We recently polled the staff of several newly opened Tokyo restaurants with strong wine selections, asking for general summer drinking tips and specific recommendations. The most consistent piece of advice, and the second rule, if you like, for summer wine drinking is that bottles should be served at the correct temperature.
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