The glorious cornucopia now decorating farmers’ market stands is your cue: time to dust off your favorite summer recipes and seize the moment! I am referring to the bounty of seasonal produce that has begun appearing in markets across the country: zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, bell peppers, green beans, corn. The ripest, juiciest berries and stone fruit. Bundles of freshly picked basil emanating their sweet, intoxicating perfume. And of course, tomatoes in all their wonderful colors, shapes, and sizes—cherry, grape, beefsteak; red, yellow, green, orange, purple; for slicing, sauces, and everything in between.
     It is also an opportunity to uncork some great bottles with which to appreciate this seasonal produce all the more. We selected the dozen wines in our Farmers’ Market sampler with these fresh, vibrant summer flavors specifically in mind. Quell the unexpected spice of blistered padrón peppers with a floral gulp of lively, crisp Gentil d’Alsace. Pair the sweetness of sliced heirloom tomatoes, served simply with sea salt and a drizzle of good olive oil, with the bright, herbaceous “E Prove” rosé from Corsica. Wash down a crunchy salad of little gems—with hunks of perfectly ripe, creamy avocado—with the breezy freshness of I Pástini’s Locorotondo, a delicate Puglian white from a limestone plateau over the Adriatic Sea. Or try your hand at Kermit’s gratin of the moment, a Catalan-inspired creation that would complement a mouth-filling red like Fontsainte’s generous Corbières, but also sing alongside the wild berry flavors of Moretto’s frothy dry Lambrusco (both chilled to taste).