While the Olympics are well underway, I, for one, am all too eager to get together with family and friends and share some bottles while watching the final week of the 2024 Paris Olympics. This year’s games have brought about a renewed energy and excitement for what these athletes bring to the table in one of the greatest cities in the world. Food and wine are inextricably linked to the culture and heritage of France, so I thought I might do my small part to encourage our readers to get together for a viewing party, tear into a baguette, and open some wine to share and add some seats to the table. With Milan and Los Angeles in the queue as the next two hosts of the Olympic Games, there is a lot of wine to champion while we cheer on from the stands and at home in our future. So it is in that spirit that I have put together a starter kit of suggested wine recommendations to get your parties fired up heading into this final week of the games and to carry through the following weeks to finish out the summer in style. It’s been hot out there, so these selections offer a variety of relatively affordable quaffers, all the way up to gold-standard heavy-hitters. Happy hunting, and let the games begin!
Coastal-inspired Whites, Rosé and Sangiovese
Okay, let’s be real. No one wants to take a dip in the Seine. But crisp, salty white wines and rosé can transport us to the coastal regions they come from when they are at their best. It’s also the height of summer, which means tomatoes are ripe and plentiful and perfectly suited for savory and refreshing white wines. Grabbing a sandwich while marching around the streets of Paris is one of life’s great affordable pleasures, with my favorite selection being that of a simple Jamon Beurre sandwich on a baguette. Ham. Butter. Bread. Chef’s kiss, done. This time of year, however, this icon has a rival for my heart that is accessible to achieve almost anywhere. Behold, the BLT. While it is an ongoing and hotly contested debate amongst my friends about the sandwich’s ideal construction, I encourage you to follow your heart, as it is nearly impossible to go wrong. In my opinion, coastal Italian white wines and those inspired by them really excel here, as do Provençal-styled rosés, which are ideally suited to stand alongside this mid to late-summer delicacy. Here are a few standout selections from recent reports that come to mind.
Grattamacco
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/732436/
Massican
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/736455/
Reeve
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/727222/
A Deux Tetes
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/735754/
Moving to reds that are perfect for tomato season, look no further than Sangiovese. From Chianti Classico to Montalcino, there is just so much these Mediterranean-influenced wines have to offer. Readers looking for more in this category can also look to my other recent feature, Audrey’s Top 20 Brunello of 2019.
Badia a Coltibuono
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/732539/
Istine
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/732652/
Fuligni
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/733099/
Refreshing Reds to Serve with a Chill: Looking at you, Dolcetto
Dolcetto has been high on my list the past several years to write more about, though with my coverage landing in the winter and early spring, it is hard to gain momentum and garner the same excitement I see as the potential for these wines for more everyday enjoyment. Dolcetto coming out of Piedmont these days has taken a much more refreshing and energetic profile than my memories of the past. It’s not to say that there are not serious expressions out there, but rather that some of the wines I am most excited about are the lifted and vibrant styles that are begging to be served in warmer months with a light chill. Here are just a few of my favorites I highly recommend seeking out.
Cascina Penna-Currado Dolcetto D’Alba Bricco Lago
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/735070/
Diego Conterno
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/735112/
G.B. Burlotto
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/735193/
Gold-Medal Winning Ballers
Basketball takes to the courts this week and features an incredible community of gold-standard wine drinkers. So here I am, breaking the mold and throwing away what may or may not be considered “seasonable offerings.” Truth is, if you are opening these wines, you are likely luxuriating in well-airconditioned, possibly even cellar-temperature spaces. In Baxter Holmes’ ESPN pandemic-era piece, ‘Inside The NBA Bubble’s Unofficial Wine Club,’ he wrote of CJ McCollum’s hotel room where he kept “…the temperature around 60 degrees when he’s inside it and in the mid-to-high 50s when he’s not, all in an effort to protect the 84 bottles that he keeps in boxes.” So grab a blanket, fuzzy slippers, a proper Bordeaux glass, and turn up the volume. I was also inclined to dedicate these selections to Jeb’s body of work, and top wines of late that I am hoping find their way into my own cellar. Besides, isn’t it nice to sit back and enjoy someone else’s hard work once in a while?
Chateau Angelus
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/682006/
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/717183/
Stephane Ogier Cote Rotie Lancement
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/722073/
Dominus
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/731448/
Champagne
Last but in no way not least, Champagne. A mere 45-minute train ride east of Paris, this is one of the most convenient and breathtaking excursions you can take when traveling to France with minimal effort and time. The caves and tasting rooms of Louis Roederer, Krug, Lanson, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Taittinger and more are all within a short car ride from the Reims train station and are a must-visit regardless of which house’s style you may prefer. I maintain that Champagne is for all year round and all occasions, but a celebration of accomplishments certainly feels incomplete without it. I am reaching for bright, vibrant styles with lively tension for these hot summer days and podium ceremonies.
Delamotte
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/730705/
Tarlant
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/720939/
Gaston Chiquet
https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/730760/
This list is designed as a mere launching pad, and there are endless permutations and creative ways to enhance your enjoyment. The goal is for you to find wines that you love sharing with the people around you in a shared experience. I believe this is what sets wine apart from many other beverages and really deserves its place as an ingredient at the table, as has been done for centuries in France and beyond. While the wine world is facing a decline in sales and is experiencing the pressures of various competition from other industries, it is this key factor that will continue to offer what those cannot. Moderation is a good thing, and each singular bottle of wine shared at the table is an irreplicable and unique experience that cannot be recreated anywhere else. It is a living thing, as are the legacies and paths being forged by those who create them.