Labor Day is fast approaching, and I can hardly wait to fire up the grill. Of course, that also means a trip to the wine locker to fetch the appropriate wines for the occasion.
Choosing the grill wines is not as simple as red wine with meat, white wine with fish. The savory, smoky aromas from the barbecue demand wines that can stand up to strong, sometimes pungent flavors and aromas, regardless of the fare.
So if pinot grigio is your thing, and the plan is to serve it with grilled shrimp, better take care to open a pinot grigio with a bit of intensity instead of one of those watery, wimpy grigios that have flooded the supermarkets in recent years.
For starters, I like to have a tasty rose on hand. A good rose not only makes a refreshing aperitif on a warm summer day, it often has the savory elements that make it a good match for slightly charred salmon, and the fruity elements that will stand up to spicy brats and sausages. The Eberle Winery of Paso Robles makes a fine vineyard-designated rose from syrah grapes grown in Paso’s well-regarded Steinbeck Vineyard. It retails for about $17. If that’s too much budget for a rose, an excellent alternative is the Julian Chivite Gran Feudo Rose from Navarro, Spain, for about $10.
When the rose runs out I am inclined to move into white wines before tackling the bold reds, and what I look for are whites with impressive character without being heavy. I wouldn’t necessarily rule out chardonnay, but for me chardonnay is more enjoyable later in the season when it’s cooler outside.
My go-to white is albarino from Spain’s Rias Baixas district because of its intense fruit accompanied by firm acid. Albarino is a sensational food wine, particularly when served with shellfish, so excellent with grilled lobster, shrimp or scallops. Pazo de Senorans is an impressive albarino that is remarkably consistent, and it retails for about $20. Paco & Lola and Martin Codax also are very good, though not as consistent as Pazo de Senorans, and they go for around $18, though a savvy shopper will occasionally find them for less.
There is not a good deal of domestic albarino from which to choose, but it has good potential on the West Coast of the United States, and more acreage has been planted in recent years. The finest domestic albarino for my money is Tangent from California’s Edna Valley. The suggested retail is a bit steep at $20, but the wine is very good, and you can find it for less if you are patient.
As I progess to the reds that I’ll drink with my smoldering hunks of steak and chicken, two things come to mind: I want flavor, but I don’t want big alcohol. The flavor is necessary to cope with the smoky char of grilled meats, but big alcohol in the warmer months simply doesn’t work for me. That pretty much rules out Zinfandel, which in cooler weather nicely complements grilled ribs, steaks and chops.
Instead, I will take a flavorful pinot noir with modest alcohol, such as the Bouchaine at about $35, or a savory red from the Rhone Valley, such as the Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage "Nouvelere" that retails for about $30.
A good Cru Beaujolais, such as the Morgon or Moulin-a-Vent from Georges Duboeuf, which both retail for around $15. If you go for the Beaujolais as a cost-saving measure, try to purchase something from either the 2009 or 2010 vintages, both of which were excellent.
Of course, once I’ve selected the wines, I must return to my primary function as grillmeister. While cooking, I try to always leave one hand free for a glass of vino, preferably something with bubbles! Perhaps a Prosecco from Adami or Bisol? Indeed.
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