Summer Red Wines under $25.00

Tonight I want to share some of my favorite summer red's for under $25.00. Summer often calls for light wines, my favorites of which are Pinot Noir's. Unfortunately, Pinot's can be some of the most expensive wines on the market. But here are four that I highly recommend and which are within my $25.00 price point. I know this sounds strange, but these go great with pizza, especially pizza cooked outside on a grill. Some may say it's sacrilegeous, but serve them slightly chilled.

1. Kim Crawford Pinot Noir; New Zealand; $16.00. Very nice bouquet, soft and smooth on the palate. Nice fruit with cherry overtones. One of my favorites.

2. Angeline Pinot Noir; California; $14.00. One of the best buys out there. Similar to the Kim Crawford.

3. Erath Pinot Noir; California; $19.00. Another good one. Taste is slightly stronger, seems higher in alcohol by the taste.

4. Rodney Strong Pinot Noir; California; $20.00. Outstanding wine. Very fruity, nice color and a strong bouquet tinged with rasberry. Clean finish. Nice

Since I'm talking summer wines, I though I'd put in one non-Pinot Noir. Just to show you I'm not a snob, one of the best wines I know of for summer quaffing comes in a box. Yes, you read that right, it's Vella White zinfandel, about $11.00 for a five liter box. Very luscious fruit, really good chilled for just sitting on the deck reading a book or watching your son mow the lawn.

Enjoy!