Ugni Blanc

The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend refreshing white wines for those hot summer nights: " On a hot summer evening, I look for a chilled white wine. I also find that if the wine has a bit of sweetness, it offsets the heat a bit. My go-to wines on these evenings tend to be Rieslings. Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food. They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad or fish or fruit. They also make easy sipping on their own.

The origin of Cognac dates back to the 16th century when Dutch settlers came to this French region to purchase salt, wood, and wine. However, the journey back home made preserving the wine difficult and they needed to find a better way to conserve it. They started by distilling the wine into eau-de-vie, which was a good solution for preservation, but eventually they realized a second distillation made for an even finer, more elegant and pleasant product. This is essentially the birth of brandy. In fact, the word “brandy” comes from the Dutch word “brandewijn” which means burnt wine.