Beating the Heat With a Cool White

After enduring weeks of unbearable heat in the Palm Springs area, Vino Chick has experienced enough of the arid madness. With good friend in tow, I decided to head for the cool oasis of Newport Beach, where the salt air met me with a gentle kiss and the sunshine gazed lovingly on my desert-worn countenance.

Naturally, I was in the mood for some sort of treasure from the sea and a crisp white to go with it. The Bluewater Grill on Lido Park Drive offers a great selection of shrimp, mussels, clams and fish. I chose an '08 Marques de Riscal from the Rueda region in Spain. This wine is fragrant with lemon and slightly creamy, which were a kickin' match for briny and meaty Hama Hama oysters on the halfshell, enjoyed with cocktail sauce and a red onion mignonette.

I grew up spending my summers at the Southern New Jersey shore, where meals like this are commonplace. The journey to the ocean may take a bit longer now, but when surrounded by vintage shanties and wrapped in a cool breeze, it is worth every delicious sip.

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