Drink of the Week: The Walls “In the City” Red Blend Wine

The summertime comes with a myriad of reasons to pour a refreshing drink. Sometimes you’re lounging poolside or catching a baseball game. And sometimes you’re schlepping all of your worldly belongings across New York City on the hottest day of a heat wave. Finding myself in the latter situation earlier this month, I was thrilled that I at least had the foresight to toss a few bottles of wine in the fridge. Seven hours later, surrounded by cardboard boxes and a mountain of Chinese takeout, I cracked open the new red blend from Washington winery The Walls—its “In the City” moniker feeling particularly apropos. And while red wine on such a hot day might have seemed an odd choice, the chilled, juicy-tart blend hit the bullseye dead center.

Located in the arid, rocky landscape of Walla Walla, Washington, The Walls winery crafts a terroir-driven lineup utilizing primarily grape varieties from Rhône, Bordeaux, and Portugal, with a playful American twist. Their “In the City” chillable red blend is an eclectic mash up of Grenache, Baga, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Viognier. The Grenache and Viognier undergo carbonic maceration in stainless steel, which contributes to the wine’s fruit-driven flavors, with the blending components adding delightful complexity.

The resulting wine, which I poured straight from the fridge and enjoyed as it slowly warmed, is bursting with juicy berries and red fruit, with a subtle, slate-like earthiness providing nice balance before the dry, lingering finish. Light-bodied and extra quaffable, the wine also clocks in at a more modest 12.9 percent. It was exactly what my fatigued frame needed, and left me feeling very happy indeed to be living in the city. $32, thewallsvineyards.com