Light to medium-bodied red wines are ideal this time of year as temperatures soar. Each option provides an incredible flavor that won’t weigh down the palate while still pairing with summer favorites, like grilled meats, fish, and fresh summer salads. And don’t be afraid to pop them in the fridge for a half hour or so, giving them the slightest chill. #Cheers

Ramon Balbo Crianza Rioja showcases medium-bodied Tempranillo with character from the heart of the Rioja region of Spain. Fresh flavors of blackberry, ripe fig, and plum. The wine ages for 14 months in American oak, lending notes of toasted spice, espresso, and vanilla. The barrel aging is followed by eight months of bottle aging, rounding out the flavor profile, and delivering a luscious, easy-to-drink wine that tastes like Spain.

With freshness, balance, and approachability, the wines of Montecucco Rosso Doc in the southern part of Tuscany are delicious with summer flavors like fresh pasta with summer vegetables and grilled sausages or pork tenderloin. La Pianore Tiniatus Montecucco Rosso blends Sangiovese with Merlot for a wine with red plum and strawberry, dried herbs, and fragrant aromas of violets and lilacs.

Austria’s most widely planted variety is Zweigelt, a spicy, red fruit-filled grape that produces delicious wines that are deeply colored and filled with bright acidity. Paul Auchs Zweigelt from Burgenland, near the border of Hungary is an excellent expression of the variety. Crafted with biodynamic principles, creating a friendship with nature as he likes to say, the wine is a crossing of  Saint-Laurent and Blaufrankisch, producing flavors of sweet cherry, ripe red berry, toasted spice, and soft herb. It is a delicious wine with grilled or roasted game.

From Paso Robles, Thacher Cinsault showcases a variety most commonly used as a blending grape in Rosé wines. The tiny production, single variety expression is bright, vibrant, and bursting with layers of wild strawberry, raspberry, and smoky herbal notes. The wine has a balanced, medium-body moderate tannin and bright, fresh acidity, making it perfect for summer sipping. Though you can easily pair this with grilled fish or chicken, roasted veggies, or salad, it is also ideal for sipping on its own while watching the sunset.