Summertime brings easy-sipping wines to go with food faves

If you are feeling charitable and enjoy Rita's Italian Ice, visit their new store opening Friday, May 18, at 47B Rehoboth Ave. They are doing a fundraiser for Dewey and Rehoboth Lions Clubs. These are wonderful charities and the donations remain in our community.

Returned to my summer cheffing at Grove Market. We were booked. I really love cooking in a restaurant. Each season I wonder if I can still cook at speed. So far, OK. Nice to see many old GG customers drove down for opening. Thank you! Let's get to slurping, rating and writing.

Here are three from Domaine Paul Mas, originating in the south of France along the Mediterranean Sea, in the Pays d'Oc region of Languedoc. Depending on the state in which you are buying, these run $9-$12. The Rosé Aurore is good value. Consistently rating high 80s, the 2016 are 50 percent Grenache, 30 percent Cinsault and 20 percent Syrah.

Using only free-run juice, cool fermented (enhances fruit and bouquet), stirred on lees 40 days. Pale salmon with a pretty bouquet of cherry and strawberry, leading to a round palate with fruit flavors supported by appropriate acidity. Nice clean finish. Serve with crab or shrimp cocktail; hold the sauces.

The Blanc Mediterranee 2016 was also quite nice, but I could not locate any U.S. sellers. If you see some priced under $13 and you enjoy the grapefruit, lemon, trop fruit whites, give it a try as a summer porch sipper. The Rouge Intense Languedoc Roussillon can be found in liter bottles. Sharp shoppers who enjoy it can buy 12/case under $110. These rate 87 plus 1 price point. Mas sells several upscale wines as well, but their sample program did not provide any. As regulars know, I don't write what I don't rate.

Here are three more great won't-break-the-bank summer sippers and food wines. Again, regulars are aware I like to support U.S. but I feel obligated to review good QPR wine for you. Trivento White Orchid Torrontes Reserve Argentina 2017 is just hitting the shelves, another worthwhile $10-$11 bottle of well-made white wine. Look for white flower aromas, lilies and roses.

This employed no oak. Fresh, dry wine with juicy acidity, 87 plus 2 price points. Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc 2007 wins again around $11-$12, McD 88. As usual, very lovely fruit/acid balance. Pale green-tinged gold, lime and pear aromas evolve to green apple on the palate. Goes well with traditional summer fare, especially crab cakes. Hold the lemon! Cleans up the tartar sauce aftertaste. Their Rosé Summer Edition 2017 is another hot-weather sipper made of Shiraz (Syrah), 13 percent alcohol. Bright pink, salmon-colored, it opens to a complex bouquet of cherries, raspberries and spice notes. On the palate more raspberry with bright acidity. The finish is long and clean with cherry and citrus reverberations. A lot of wine for about $10, 88 points and 2 price points. Try with grilled tuna.

I went from evaluating to guzzling after reading this quote from Bill Conerly in Forbes: "Most economists (including myself) did not predict the 2008-09 recession, nor the recessions of 2001, 1990, or 1982. However, we did anticipate the 1980 recession – which we thought would be mild. Oops!" The Forbes comments by Conerly, PhD, Econ., Duke, regarded as the epitome of econ advisors, underscore the stupidity of having the fed control our economy. In a nutshell, we bailed out the money interests, so now let's raise interest rates and crush the economy before Joe, Jane or Zie Lunchbox catches a full-time job and a raise, which might lead to inflation. Fed did this after Reagan tax cuts as well.

Many blame those raises and the Tip O'Neill, KKK Byrd imposed tax on SS income to negating effects of the Laffer Curve. A pox on all their houses! Since I'm gonna catch alotacrap from several likely suspects, here's a response: Yes, I know it's a wine column, but folks need to wake up to what's happening. Check fed actions just prior to the dates Conerly enumerated in his article. Just want to be your John Paulson (made billions by insuring against sub prime loans failures in 2006-07).