By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
To many, beer may well be the best thirst-quencher for hot summer days. But sommeliers say there are also many ways to enjoy wine in the sultry weather.
The following are some tips for wine lovers by famous sommeliers at local hotels _ Eun Dae-whan at Ritz-Carlton, Seoul, Seo Won-sun at Millennium Seoul Hilton and Eom Kyung-ja at the InterContinental Seoul.
``I think mild and soft white wines are better as strong ones can make you easily drunk in the hot weather. It may ruin your short vacation,'' Eun Dae-whan said.
He recommended Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese, which are available from 30,000 to 50,000 won.
To enjoy ``cold'' wine, he said some ice with Icewein of Germany or Sauternes of France in a glass with a slice of lemon squeezed can bring a tasteful result.
``The two wines have a high sugar content, which may make it hard to enjoy them. But the strong wines can be mild and cold thanks to ices and they are quite tasty,'' he said.
As the best summer wine, Seo Won-sun recommended Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, especially Villa Maria and Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc.
``They have favors and tastes of tropical fruits, which can offer the feeling of refreshment,'' he said.
He also believes that there are some wines that pair well with summer foods, one of which is cold noodles.
``I think cold noodles can be well matched with white wines such as Hugel Riesling, which has the freshness and sweetness of citrus fruits. The unique characteristics of the wine help the dish to taste better,'' he said.
Eom Kyung-ja also said Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand are a good choice as a summer wine. She especially recommended Domaine Seresin, which has orange flavor with crispy acidity.
Many Koreans enjoy ``samgyetang,'' or chicken broth with ginseng, as one of the most favored summer healthy dishes, and she said Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France is well matched with the dish.
If you have some red wine left, she advised to make Spanish Sangria, a punch style liquor with wine.
``What you need is some red wine, orange juice, triple sec, soda, brandy and various fruits. The mixture allows you to taste a different kind of wine,'' she said.
The sommeliers said it is best to finish a bottle of wine as quickly as possible once it is opened. It is recommended to keep wine bottles in the coolest place in your house with proper humidity maintained, which prevents a cork from completely drying.
Sommerliers believe a proper wine glass is very important to enjoy the full taste and flavor of wine. If you don't have wine glasses, you can use brandy glasses as wine offers the best taste from an egg-shaped glass. Paper or plastic cups should be avoided as they can damage the authentic taste of wine.