With the summer weather arriving, more people are finding ways to cool down to beat the heat. Ice-cold drinks such as tea, soda and beer are always options, but another fine choice is a chilled glass of white wine.

Sun Singer Wine and Spirits, 1115 W. Windsor Rd. in Champaign, is open each Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. to fill that and all other wine-related needs.

Each week up to 100 people make their way to the establishment to try one of the wines up for selection. The samples usually involve a theme; in the beginning of summer, wines more suitable to the outdoors will be chosen.

It’s not just about the taste of the wine either. Brian Bowman, who selects which wines are chosen, tries to give as much information about each wine as he can.

“We give out printed notes about the producer, vintage and what we taste in the wine,” Bowman said. “We like to tell them how the wine is actually made with the grapes and what practices they’re doing with biodynamic practices.”

While there are just a few wines up for sampling each week, there are hundreds more available on the shelves from the United States, Italy, South Africa, Australia, and various other locations throughout the world.

“You can walk up to the cabernet section and not just see wines from Napa and the U.S.,” Bowman said. “But we will load it a little bit and definitely carry a little more whites towards summer. For the most part it’s a balanced presentation.”

In addition to its wide selection of wines, the shop also contains a variety of beer, and includes a café and bar, and has both indoor and outdoor seating.

Patrons can even purchase Piscato slushies from the wine bar, to stay even cooler on a hot day. The slushies are pure wine and contain no additives.

Education is the most important part of the wine experience, as Sun Singer also provides classes including an introduction to wine course.

“If we educate consumers, they’re definitely going to seek out the best value and get the best bang for their buck,” Bowman said.