Read the Latest PostsThere's nothing quite like that first sip of wine after the hot sun gives way to a warm summer night. Best of all: You don't need to blow your bank account or choke down vinegar to afford it. "A good summer wine has three essential characteristics," says Natalie Tapken, the wine director at New York City's Lure Fishbar and B&B Winepub. "First, it's light, crisp, chilled, and super refreshing to complement the beautiful weather of the season. It should also be versatile enough to bring with you to the beach or barbecue and be paired with your favorite fish, vegetables, or other grilled delectables. Finally, a good summer wine shouldn't be too expensive!" To help us determine the best summer wines, we raise our glass to those well-versed in vino to uncork the best bottles that cost no more than $20 a pop. Ben Flajnik: An Aromatic Sauvignon Blanc Ben Flajnik is a winemaker at Envolve Winery in Sonoma, California, and star of The Bachelor's sixteenth season.

Ben's pick: 2011 Envolve Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc, $20.00 "I drink a lot of our Sauvignon Blanc during the summer. At Envolve Winery this has become known for its easy drinking, aromatic, crisp, clean style, and hence the reason it’s been dubbed our 'Patio Pounder' by fans." Tastes like: "Beautiful aromas of pink grapefruit, honeysuckle, and lime." Drink it with: Sushi, fresh seafood, or spicy Asian cuisine Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan: A Soft Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, is a Master of Wine and author of The Everyday Guide to Wine. Jennifer's pick: Guigal Côtes-du-Rhone White, $14 "It's easy to sip, made up of over 50 percent Viognier, a fantastic breaking-into-summer grape with lovely floral aromas that remind you of spring, but luscious flavors of stone fruits we're starting to see in the supermarkets now." Tastes like: White peach and apricot Drink it with: Appetizers, fish, or Asian food Tyler Colman: A Rich-Tasting Red Beaujolais

Tyler Colman, Ph.D., is author of A Year of Wine: Perfect Pairings, Great Buys, and What to Sip with Each Season and the blog Dr. Vino. Tyler's pick: Terres Dorées Beaujolais L'Ancien 2010, $17 "The low tannins make it a terrific summer red, since it can easily be served chilled." Tastes like: "Red fruit and lively acidity." Drink it with: This food-friendly wine can be paired with roasted chicken, sausage, salad, and basically anything eaten for lunch on a deck. Natalie Tapken: A Refreshing Rose Natalie Tapken is the wine director of Lure Fishbar and B&B Winepub restaurants in Manhattan. Natalie's pick: Schloss Gobelsburg Gobelsburger Rosé Cistercien, $12 "The cherry blossom aromatics are a perfumed pleasure, and the texture is a bit frizzante and cools off even the hottest NYC day." Tastes like: "It has many Pinot-like qualities with fresh red fruit aromatics but also has beautiful acidity that makes the mouth water for the hot summer months.

The wine shows fresh cherry and strawberry fruit on the palate and is so refreshing for the summer!" Drink it with: Grilled fish, steak, shellfish, burgers, or on its own. best quotes for wine"Versatility is what makes this wine sing," says Tapken.top 10 wine distribution companies Mary Ann Vangrin: A Fruity Pinot Grigiobuy white wine india Mary Ann Vangrin is a co-founder of The Wine Sisterhood.dark red wine hair Mary Ann's pick: Middle Sister Drama Queen Pinot Grigio, $11best white wine with italian food "It's crisp and light; good wine brands 2013

perfect for warm weather dining." Tastes like: "An explosion of apples and pear with a touch of lemongrass and minerals on the finish." Drink it with: Fish, cheesewhere to buy wine in quebec city Laura Maniec: A Light Red Winebest sweet red wine expensive Laura Maniec is a Master Sommelier and co-founder of Corkbuzz Wine Studio in Manhattan.best wine deals in the uk Laura's pick: Tami Frappato, $18 "The light, fresh red wine is perfect for summer; it's got a kiss of sunshine and a silky smooth finish." Tastes like: Baked strawberries and wild herbs Drink it with: "Great friends, long summer nights, great conversation, and anything on the grill, from sausages to burgers to grilled flank steak," says Maniec.

You want to look good. You want to feel good—especially after that hangover from the time you tried to drink all day without passing out. So how are you supposed to relax with an adult beverage on the beach, porch, or patio? By choosing one of the nine healthiest drinks you can pour up.It's Friday afternoon, you've made it through the long week, and it's time for Happy Hour, Gizmodo's weekly booze column. A cocktail shaker full of innovation, science, and alcohol. Here's to your health.In the quest for healthy booziness, we talked to Ms. Maren Robinson, certified nutritional consultant (CNC) and master of public health (MPH). As a holistic nutritionist, she doesn't just count calories—she looks at a cocktail's comprehensive health profile. These drinks are on this list based on their nutrient value, caloric density, potential for obtaining fruit and vegetable servings, sugar content, antioxidant level, and medicinal properties. Healthy" is a pretty subjective term. Nothing on this list is healthy when multiplied by four.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, drinking in moderation is defined as having "up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men." Our bodies treat alcohol as a toxin. No matter what form it takes, your body can only process so much, so quickly. Robinson notes, "Although these drinks may be healthier options, it does not mean you should consume more. The fewer the drinks, the fewer the calories, and reduced risk of longer term problems. Further, if you are an alcoholic, seek the appropriate treatment options, and avoid drinking alcohol." Further, "healthy" is a subjective term. Some people are looking to keep calories down, some are looking to get vitamins and nutrients. Here are our picks.Let's get this one out of the way, because everyone will tell you: "If you're trying to watch your weight, drink a vodka and soda." Sure, a vodka and soda is the among the most low-cal ways to drink, but there are dangers associated with it. Namely, you might fall asleep while drinking it—because it's so fucking boring.

This can lead to choking and death.Vodka averages 96 calories per 1.5 ounces. Soda water, of course, has no calories. However, there is no nutritional value in this drink whatsoever. You can do better.Ingredients: lager, limes, Worcestershire sauce, Valentina hot sauce, black pepper, sea salt, iceThis is, perhaps, the tastiest hangover cure out there. It's good any time, really. Like a spicy, salty twist on beer, the refreshing michelada also has a nice little cornucopia of healthy stuff in it.Flavor isn't bad for you! Bourbon generally ranges between 97 and 110 calories per 1.5 ounces (depending on the brand). In other words, you get fifty times more flavor for a small handful more calories. It'll be a way more satisfying experience, and it won't leave you hollow and empty (like the vodka-soda). Gin's caloric averages are right in the same range. Now, there's not much nutrition here, and a daily heavy dose of bourbon or gin will certainly kill you. And be careful with is what you mix it with—use super sugary mixers and you defeat the purpose.

Go neat or on the rocks, with a soda back. (Note: most hard liquors share the same properties. Tequila, light rum, etc. A bit of wine is actually pretty good for you. Red wine packs in a ton of nutritional value. It contains four to nine precent of your DRI of iron, 9.4 percent for potassium, and five percent of magnesium. But it is also filled with antioxidants. According to Robinson, these include "flavanoids and nonflavanoids. Resveratrol (a nonflavanoid) has been shown to reduce blood clots and lower 'bad' cholesterol in rats." Calories tend to range from about 110 to 130 for a five ounce glass, which ain't bad at all.Ingredients: Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, Angostura BittersNow we're talking! One of the most delicious, flavorful cocktails is actually pretty healthy. Let's break it down.Ingredients: Champagne, Orange juice/Peach JuiceA tasty brunch treat has made the list. Mimosas are champagne and orange juice, and bellinis are champagne and peach juice. We're moving out of low-cal territory here, but calories aren't everything.

Ingredients: Magic and Unicorn kissesGuinness used to have a slogan: "Guinness is good for you!" Well, it really kinda is. First off, despite how thick it is, it's way lower in calories than you think—128 calories per 12 ounces. Because it's made from more whole grains than lager (especially mega-brewery stuff), it's full of nutrients. In fact, it's been shown to have similar antioxidant properties to red wine. In 2003, the University of Wisconsin discovered that consuming Guinness may help the reduce of blood clots and heart problems.Ingredients (may include): Red wine, lemon, cut oranges, lime, sugar, orange juice, gin, triple sec, apples, raspberries, strawberries, oranges, etc.Again, this ain't low-cal, but it has a lot of other things going for it. There are literally thousands of sangria recipes out there, so look for ones that use more fruit and less sugar. This is a great way to get a serving of fruit.Vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery, salt, and pepper.

This is Robinson's pick as the healthiest of them all. It's very low cal and it packs in a ton of nutrients.What more could you want?Again, drinking too much of anything is unhealthy, but if you wanna sip something, these are a great place to start. Got some other healthy tipples we missed? Share your knowledge in the discussion below, and tune in next Friday for another Happy Hour. Maren Robinson, CNC, MPH, is a certified holistic nutritionist with advanced degrees in anthropology and public health. She has worked at the CDC and is currently working at the Harvard School of Public Health in obesity research. Splash Art Image credit: Shutterstock/Yuri Arcurs Vodka-Soda Image credit: Shutterstock/Palmer Kane LLC Michelada Image credit: Flickr/Caltexican Whiskey Image credit: Shutterstock/Africa Studio Wine Image credit: Shutterstock/Christian Delbert Manhattan Image credit: Shutterstock/cappi thompson Bellini Image credit: Shutterstock/sutsaiy Sangria Image credit: Shutterstock/Ildi Papp