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The Wine Cellar: Grilling with Class – Wines for Summer Barbecue
By Gordon Gilbert
Thanks to an abundance of sunshine throughout the year, there’s rarely a bad day for a barbecue in Las Vegas. Grilling outside can also help keep your oven and stove from overheating your house on those one hundred degree plus days. Whether you’re cooking with charcoal or gas, there’s always a perfect wine to complement whatever’s on the menu for your outdoor kitchen.
Beefing Up
We can’t talk about grilling season without mentioning steaks. Be it sirloin or ribeye, dry rub or marinade, any great cut of beef will require a big wine to break through the wonderfully rich textures, one that’s full of flavor to help work with a wide range of spices and preparation styles.
Two reliable varieties to fall back on are Zinfandel and Shiraz. Wines from these grapes are fruit forward, heavy bodied and just the ticket to mesh with a great steak. Here are two solid options:
D’Arenberg Laughing Magpie 2008 Shiraz ($28): McLaren Vale, Australia. Deep and richly colored. Blackcurrant dark cherry on the palate with touches of violet and black pepper. Fruit forward and full bodied, yet balanced with rich and powerful flavors that scream red meat.
Seghesio Zinfandel 2010 ($20): Sonoma County. Full bodied wine complete with heavy red fruits and touches of red berry. Herbaceous and spicy with a dry, lingering finish that provides ample heat on the back palate.
Wingin’ It
Next, we’ll tackle the more subtle staple of grilled chicken. With lighter augmentations such as lemon or herbs, California Chardonnay makes a great match. Heavier, more oaked wines blend well with citrus and herb treatments as well as the smoky qualities displayed in grilled poultry. Bolder, more flavorful preparations such as barbecue sauce call for red wines, but you don’t want to ignore the more gentle textures of the chicken underneath. Cotes-du-Rhone can help provide a beautiful symmetry that covers all the bases. Here are great options for both:
Mount Eden Chardonnay 2010 ($17): California. Deep yellow in color. Touches of banana and straw in the aroma. Cantaloupe, orange blossom and hints of stone fruit and pineapple come through on the palate. Creamy oak is offset with a touch of minerals.
Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone 2009 ($13): Rhone, France. Medium in terms of weight with black fruit and herbs on the nose and a touch of air dried tomatoes on the palate. This wine has a rich ruby color and a spicy finish perfect for a barbecue.
The Other White Meat
For something less traditional but equally tasty, grill up some chipotle pork. Spices provide a heat and flavor that work well for grilling; however, spice can make for a difficult pairing when it comes to wine. Garnacha (known as Grenache in France) is a great medium bodied red wine built for just such a situation. Grown in the western Mediterranean from Provence to Spain, this grape can handle the complexities of any spiced up dish. Another option worth considering is Oregon Pinot Noir, a light wine that matches well with the textural components of the pork.
Bodegas Artadi “Artazuri” Navarra Garnacha 2009 ($13): Navarra, Spain. Medium bodied wine with a bright, sharply focused nose and touches of pepper. The palate consists of spice, red berries and vine ripened tomatoes with a dry, gripping quality and a vibrant finish.
A to Z Pinot Noir 2009 ($16): Willamette Valley, Oregon. Another medium bodied option with fresh raspberries, wildberries and a touch of red cherry. Hints of violets and subtle spice with a light treatment of oak. A pleasant acidity on the finish follows the red fruit that dominates the initial tastes.
There’s no shortage of great wines to pair up with any kind of barbecue festivity. But whatever bottle you choose to enjoy while grilling, remember to save the heavier celebrating until after the coals are cool and the gas is off. No wine can dull the pain of a barbecue burn. Bon Appetit!
