(Robert Whitley's Creators Syndicate Wine Talk column for this week)
Come Labor Day, legions of grillmeisters across the land will man their stations, cooking tools in hand, for the last big barbecue of summer. I have my own fork and tong at the ready.
That's the easy part. Planning the big event, now that's another matter. I always like to have a little something for everyone: Marinated flat-iron steak, spicy wings, harpoon-caught swordfish, fresh salmon, homemade veal brats from my favorite butcher, farmer's market corn on the cob.
Once I fire up the grill, the meat starts burning and the smoke begins to billow, I am in the zone. There is but one thing missing: my glass of wine, the first of many. I never grill without it. That fact alone dictates that I have the wines for the day set aside in advance, close at hand.
Everyone will have their own wine preferences for the Labor Day menu, but I am a creature of habit with a big-tent approach to barbecue wines. Fond as I am of dry rose, I always include a selection of rose and boldly pour the first glass of rose for myself. I have found that if someone doesn't take the lead on rose, it often just sits there while the crisp whites get drained.
Rose is actually perfect with barbecue, delivering lip-smacking fruitiness with savory nuances that go well with smoky fare from the grill. This year, I plan to serve the 2009 Robert Oatley Rose of Sangiovese from Australia ($15) and the Ventana 2008 Rosado ($18) from Monterey, a beautiful dry rose made from Grenache and Syrah.
Those are merely suggestions. There are plenty of wonderful rose options from all over the world, especially the south of France, Spain and California.
There's also a place at my Labor Day feast for simply refreshing, crisp white wines. This year, I plan to chill up several bottles of the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition Wine of the Year: the Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 Dry Riesling ($15) from Washington's Columbia Valley. This inexpensive Riesling has mouthwatering acidity and makes a terrific quaffer. As a companion wine, and for a change of pace, the 2008 Tangent Albarino ($17) from California's Edna Valley is a delicious alternative. The Tangent Albarino won a platinum award at the 2010 San Diego International Wine Competition.
For my salmon eaters, I will set out a slightly chilled Georges Duboeuf 2009 Flower Label Beaujolais-Villages ($11). The 2009 vintage in Burgundy's Beaujolais district was outstanding, and the wines are very well priced for the quality. The Belle Glos 2008 Meiomi Pinot Noir ($25) from Sonoma County, which I review in this week's Reviews pages, will have a place at the table, as well.
The meat eaters in my crowd will be treated to one of my favorite California Rhone-style blends, the 2008 Cotes-du-Robles ($21) from the Eberle Winery in Paso Robles. It has the guts and the complexity to tackle the steak and the brats, and the ripe, succulent fruit to handle the wings.
And for a slight uptick in seriousness, one of the most underrated and consistently delicious Bordeaux-style blends from the Napa Valley, the utterly sumptuous 2006 Franciscan Magnificat ($50).
Is it any wonder that I look forward to Labor Day each year?
a source for reasonably priced vibrant white wines. This one, made entirely from Verdejo (not to be confused with Verdelho, a Portuguese variety also grown in Australia), has just the right balance of ripe green apple-like flavors and citrus zing. Pure and fresh--unencumbered by oak--it’s a great choice for the remaining days of summertime fare.
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