Best Late Summer Wines for 2025 – Expert Picks You’ll Love
What makes a wine perfect to crack open in late summer, when the hints of Autumn may start to appear? Late summer weather means wines that refresh without sacrificing a bit of depth; this makes style and structure essential considerations.
- Our Sonoma Buyer’s Expert Recommendations – Barry Herbst’s curated list of refreshing, food-friendly wines you can order online now.
- Top Late Summer Wines, Most Under $20 – Expert Bottle Barn picks for reds, whites, and rosés that deliver big flavor without the big price.
- Perfect Wines for Warm Days & Cool Nights – From crisp whites to chillable reds, find bottles that shine in late-summer weather.
- Best Rosés for Summer 2025 – Provençal elegance, Spanish vibrancy, and California freshness for every outdoor gathering.
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Rosé Wines
Rosé remains a superb late-summer choice: they bridge the freshness of whites and the subtle weightier fruitiness of reds. A Provençal blend of Grenache and Cinsault, for example, will bring delicate strawberry and melon notes. Spanish rosados from Garnacha grapes tend to be juicy, with a burst of red cherry and spice. Served well-chilled, these wines suit outdoor gatherings, grilled fish, and charcuterie.
Red Wines in Summer? Yes!
For those who prefer red when you buy wine online, opt for lighter-bodied, lower-tannin styles such as Beaujolais, Valpolicella, or Frappato. Yes, chilling red wines is allowed! These wines can be served slightly cool to amplify their lively red fruit and floral notes. These reds avoid palate fatigue in the heat while providing enough structure for late-summer fare like grilled chicken, ratatouille, or roasted peppers.
White Wines, Of Course
Whites shine in this season for their crisp acidity and vibrant aromatics. When you browse the best online wine store, think Albariño with its saline edge and citrus zest, or Sauvignon Blanc offering bright notes of lime, gooseberry, and fresh herbs. These wines cut through the lingering heat, pairing well with seafood, salads, and seasonal vegetables like zucchini and tomatoes.
Fuller-bodied whites such as Viognier or a lightly oaked Chardonnay work when evenings cool; such wines deliver stone fruit flavors and a rounder texture without feeling heavy on the palate. Think of Godello too. The key lies in balance: acidity to invigorate, fruit to charm, and alcohol levels that invite a second glass.
In each case—whether you’re desiring rose, red, or white wine—the season’s best will refresh, engage, and harmonize with the easy elegance of a closing summer.
Here in Sonoma County, late summer offers a sweet spot in the wine calendar: warm days, cooler nights, and a table full of seasonal produce from local farms. It’s a time when the wines you choose need to refresh, but also to stand up to grilled meats, late harvest vegetables, and leisurely al fresco dinners.
Expert Wine Picks for Summer
Barry Herbst, Bottle Barn’s longtime wine buyer, has curated a list of reds, whites, and rosés that balance bright acidity with layers of flavor. The wines on the Herbst list are perfect for the season’s last sunlit evenings and its first hints of autumn. Of course, Barry knows to recommend value, and these wines will not break the bank.
Whether you want a zesty white to sip on the porch, a chilled red for a backyard gathering, or a nuanced rosé for a sunset picnic, these bottles deliver both quality and value.
The wines below embody the best of late-summer drinking with bright flavors, versatile food pairings, and prices that make for easy exploration on the best online wine store.
Top Red Options
For red wine lovers, the key to late-summer enjoyment is freshness without heaviness. The 2018 Front Porch Grenache ($6.99) is a remarkable value, brimming with ripe berry fruit and a silky texture that works beautifully with grilled chicken or ratatouille. The 2023 St. Cosme Côtes du Rhône ($12.99) offers vibrant black fruit, cracked pepper, and a touch of garrigue—a natural fit for lamb skewers or smoky eggplant. Fans of richer reds can turn to the 2020 Mira Solinas Monastrell ($13.99), full of dark plum and spice, yet still fresh enough to enjoy on a warm evening. For a local, cool-climate expression, the 2023 Ron Rubin Pinot Noir Russian River ($17.49) delivers bright cherry and subtle earthiness, perfect served slightly chilled alongside salmon. And the 2022 Terre Dorées L'Ancien Beaujolais ($17.49) is a benchmark summer red—light on its feet, with floral aromatics and juicy red fruit that make it ideal for charcuterie or grilled sausages.
The Best Rosés That Say Summer
Rosé remains the ultimate seasonal bridge between white and red, and Barry’s selections range from crisp and mineral to plush and fruit-forward.
The 2024 Bagnol Cassis Rosé ($28.99) offers Provençal elegance with delicate strawberry, melon, and a whisper of sea spray—a perfect match for fresh shellfish. Spain’s 2024 Muga Rioja Rosé ($13.49) brings peach and wild berry notes with a vibrant finish, while the 2022 Shone Farm Pinot Noir Rosé ($12.49) delivers Sonoma freshness and a whisper of red fruit sweetness. From Sicily’s volcanic slopes, the 2024 Terre Nere Etna Rosé ($24.99) blends savory minerality with wild strawberry, ideal for grilled octopus or roasted peppers. For a playful yet sophisticated take, the 2023 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare ($12.49) combines citrus zest with floral aromas, perfect for a warm afternoon gathering.
The Best White Wines
White wines in late summer should refresh and invigorate, and Barry’s lineup offers something for every palate.
For a splurge, the 2020 Louis Michel Chablis Vaillons ($42.99) delivers pure, mineral-driven Chardonnay with citrus and white flowers, ideal for oysters or halibut. The 2024 Berger Grüner Veltliner Liter ($13.49) is crisp and peppery, a picnic-ready wine that pairs with everything from cold chicken to tomato salad. The 2023 Prost Dry Riesling Rheinhessen ($11.99) has an acidity that mesk your mouth water alongside stone fruit flavors; this wine will complement spicy Southeast Asian dishes. For something rounder yet still fresh, the 2020 Arindo Verdejo ($7.49) offers tropical fruit and a herbal edge; and boy, that’s an unbeatable price. Finally, the 2022 Villa Sparnia Gavi di Gavi ($14.99) offers crisp orchard fruit and a touch of almond on the finish, pairing beautifully with late-summer pesto pasta.
In case you didn’t notice, most of the wines Barry recommends are under $20! Whether your evening plans include a casual barbecue, a farmstand-inspired feast, or simply a chair on the porch and a view of the sunset, Bottle Barn’s picks ensure your glass will match the season.
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