June is a perfect month to introduce you to wines of summer. Here’s a cheerful and charming bargain red from Languedoc-Roussillon, a region in southwest France known for producing good value wines.
Chenet has blended 60 percent cabernet sauvignon and 40 percent syrah to deliver a cherry and black currant aroma tinged with black pepper. In the mouth, the wine is round and soft (it matures in steel tanks, not oak barrels) but not flabby.
At a suggested price of $7, this is a wine to enjoy in the back yard while the grill does its thing, or to invite along on a picnic. Drink it with burgers or shish kebab, barbecued turkey or sausages, or any cheese. Incidentally, the bent neck on the bottle is not an optical illusion; it’s a hallmark of Chenet wines.