Liquid Assets

Hot weather and cold wine make a great combination. Below you'll find some of our top proposals for quaffing wines that taste great ice-cold. Most high-quality, high-priced wines don't benefit from being really cold, but the further you go down the price chain, the better they like the ice. All of these wines go great with or without food, so feel free to experiment.

2000 Cavit Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie -- $9.99 for a big bottle (1.5 liters).

This is the best cut-rate Pinot Grigio I've found. Light, dry and apple-y with a really nice aroma. Goes great with fish, pasta or Oriental dishes. The best wine on the list for a Caesar salad. Also a perfect aperitif wine.

1999 Clos Du Bois Sonoma County Chardonnay -- $8.99.

I have tried most of the under-$10 Chardonnays on the market and this one is a winner, year after year. Winemaker Margaret Davenport (a rarity in what is normally a boys' club) consistently puts out superb wines at every price range. This is her bargain basement-priced stuff, and it's still wonderful. Rich and intense, try it with pork tenderloin or fried chicken.

1999 Columbia Crest Gewurztraminer -- $6.99

Here's a dynamite bottle of wine. If you've ever wondered what wine lovers are talking about when they discuss non-grape aromas in wine, try this and see if you don't smell roses and pears. Just the thing with Oriental food. Great with a Cobb salad or pasta salad. For the vegetarians in the crowd, a perfect partner with grilled veggies.

1999 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhone Rosé -- $9.99

If you want a cold wine with grilled meat, look no further than a French Côtes du Rhone Rosé. I happen to like the Guigal wines because they have a taste that will remind you a bit of white pepper on strawberries. Hard to beat with barbecued brisket, but hold the sweet sauce. The wine for a hamburger.

1999 La Playa Sauvignon Blanc -- $6.99

One of the wine world's great bargains. At this price, you usually get a pretty thin wine. Instead, the Chilean La Playa is bursting with Sauvignon Blanc flavors and smells like a ripe pineapple. A great match to pasta with pesto. Also, oddly, goes well with barbecued sausage.

1999 Chateau Routas Rosé -- $9.99

Just down the road from the Côtes du Rhone, in Provence, Chateau Routas is quietly making some of the best bargain wines around. This one is heavy on Syrah and Grenache. Easy to find and ideal with grilled lamb chops.

Zardetto Prosecco -- $9.99

A favorite low-cost sparkling wine. Great ice cold and of course the pop of the cork always stands for "Party!" Go to the Oriental market and get some fresh veggies and a barbecued duck. Stir fry the veggies, cut up the duck, and pop a bottle of Zardetto. Instant revelry.