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Tasting notes: August

07.08.25

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2 min read

TO DRINK
TO EAT
TO DISCOVER

August’s sun is still generous, and the markets are overflowing with vegetables and stone fruit. Wondering what to pair with all that summer produce? Our tasting note is a good place to start.

Quick chill hack: bottle too warm? Wrap it in a wet kitchen towel, pop it in the freezer, cold, fast and perfectly decant into ETO.

TO DRINK

Late afternoon pours

The ‘24 Amando el Sol shows Colombard at its purest—crisp and bright, a rare expression from northern California. Salamandre is an entry-level orange that' is floral on the nose, with just a hint of grip. For red lovers, Ponzichter is light and joyful yet quietly complex, thanks to solera ageing and the tradition of pairing vines with beans—an old sustainable practice long before the term existed.

Decant at leisure

Zappa e Puta is a light, ethereal Frappato that’s textured, perfumed, and best enjoyed chilled. Prefer a Sauvignon Blanc? Mikaël’s entry-level white is rounded with a citrusy snap. And for something with depth: a Swartland Chenin Blanc from an exciting young producer, offering clean citrus, orchard fruit, and a savoury-herbal finish.

TO EAT

Summer on a plate

There’s always too much zucchini in summer, and this quick salad makes it a star. Thai pork larb is everything at once—spicy, salty, tangy and fragrant with herbs and perfect with a citrusy Grüner Veltliner. The steak you’ve earned. After this week, nothing less will do. seared to perfection, cloaked in Normandy cream, veal and chicken jus, morels and truffle. The kind of sauce you’ll think about long after the plate’s clean.

Impress with less

One pan, three ways to impress: chicken thighs over sweet leeks and creamy cannellini beans, lifted with truffle and perfect with lightly-oaked Chardonnay. A Mediterranean-style sea bass traybake that feels celebratory, with minimal effort. And mac ‘n cheese reimagined, made luxurious with crab and a few simple twists.

TO DISCOVER

On our radar

Finca La Donaira in Andalusia takes farm-to-fork literally: every meal is built on what’s picked that morning and paired with local natural wines. It’s an immersive experience of landscape, flavour and connection. For your reading list, The Bee Sting balances sharp tension with deep empathy for its flawed characters. And on screen, Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days is a quiet masterclass in finding beauty in the everyday, nearly 40 years after his atmospheric Paris, Texas.

Pavements is part love letter, part inside joke, a wholly mischievous take on the indie band’s legacy. Elsewhere, the world’s first zero-waste cocktail bar founder shares seven objects that shaped his vision, including a billion-year-old meteor. And in Brooklyn, a Korean chef builds community through food and climbing, exploring the untranslatable spirit of jeong.