Les Athlètes du Vin 'Gardiens de Bulles' Méthode Traditionnelle

It's already mid-July and I can feel the clock ticking. The weeks we have left of summer are numbered before the leaves turn orange and a blanket of snow covers our city again. This is the time to rush. Rush for the cherries, the strawberries, soon the peaches. Buy the garlic scapes even if you don't quite know what to do with them, because lord, aren't they precious? Everything is at its peak, and the best thing you can do is gather it all up and make something simple and beautiful.

You know what would go well with all that summer produce? This sparkling Chenin from the Loire. It's bright and lively, with white flowers, ripe apple, lemon pith and brioche-y dreams, crisp acidity that cuts through the richness of butter-drenched corn and makes ripe tomatoes taste even juicier. It's the wine that works with almost anything. Trout dip, fresh radishes, rotisserie chicken, a bowl of olives (kalamata, anyone?), a quiet evening on the porch.

Les Athlètes du Vin is a négociant project from a group of French winemakers called Vini Be Good. They pool their grapes and resources to make wines that are honest, accessible, and delicious. Among them is Gérard Vallée, brother of Mathieu Vallée from Château Yvonne. So you know it's good.

Gardien de Bulles is their Chenin from the Loire. Not as sweet as the ones from Vouvray, not as racy as those from Touraine, just the perfect blend for the perfect summer.