Bring out the burgers, sausages, cedar planks and corn on the cob. And for those experimental grillers, add certain fruits, smokers, and flatbreads to your menu and you can create quite a feast with one simple four-legged monster. Warning…to a handful of people, it can get serious. Very, deeply, serious.
So with all this delicious food flying off the grill, it only seems right to have the perfect vino on hand to allow the efforts of your grill master to fully shine. So, where do we start? Let’s start by simply breaking it down by the common theme of all grilled foods. By nature, they are a bit more smoky, charred and therefore have rustic and earthy notes to them. In general, try to use wines that are in the same frame as these characteristics. Two exceptions are when using a sugar based sauce (honey, maple, BBQ sauce, teriyaki) or grilling fruit as there is an added sweetness that must be taken into account. So think of using more relatively fruit forward wines from Argentina such as Malbec for a juicy red or a Torrontes for a fragrant white choice.
If you are sticking to the more basics of grilling, keep your wines on the same page for a tried and true pairing. For most red meats, I would try a Southern Rhone Red blend from the South of France or a Primitivo (Zinfandel grape) from Italy. Both have an old world edge with some good spice to match the flavors on the grill. Are you grilling white meats, veggie burgers, or salmon? As ‘they’ say, don’t fix it if it ain’t broke. Treat yourself to a chilled Rosé from Spain or the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Both show good weight, but are still fresh enough to be a great summer sipper. Crave a white for some hot off the barbie scallops or grilled veggies? Pour a crisp glass of Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley. The fumé literally translates to the trademark smoky aspect of this sauvignon blanc…need I say more?
Time to lather on that sunscreen, lace up those sneaks, put your hat on and go enjoy the great outdoors this summer has to offer and rest assured that upon your return there will be good eats and wine in your near future. Cheers!