Wine Time
By Nikki Myers
Little else can define an NJ summer the way a good cookout can: Dad on his best grill game, children running through the sprinklers, and increasingly competitive games of cornhole are all just occasional reprieves from the main affair – food and drink. While the kids are drinking from the hose, you’re probably looking for something a little more sophisticated to sip on. I’m here to help you discover your newest BBQ wine staple.
For the “salad” lovers – Ah, the all-American barbecue “salad” – creamy, salty, mayonnaise-based goodness. If you’re the person looking forward to eating various potato and pasta salads in rotation till your pants get tight, your go-to wine needs to be generously acidic. Acid cuts through fat and works beautifully with salt, so reach for Sauv Blanc, dry Riesling, or bubbly. My current faves are Ranga Ranga Sauvignon Blanc , Montinore Almost Dry Riesling, and Kila Cava. Don’t worry, if you’re a red drinker, there’s always a lean Pinot Noir like Cooper Mountain.
For the carnivores – Whether you’re doing steaks, chicken, or burgers on the grill, you’ll need something much more bold. With big fat and big flavor of fire-cooked meats, you need a big red. Many think of reds like this as a summer faux-pas, but this is not the case. Try Cabernet from Paso Robles for something a bit riper and rounder than the typical Cab, like Broadside Margarita Vineyard. Or, roll with something from Spain, like Descendientes Petalos or Cune Rioja Reserva. Escorihuela Malbec is a unique and structured Malbec designed to pair specifically with fire grilled meats!
For the BBQ sauce dousers – Red and white meats are paired the same way when you consider the Great Equalizer – – which, of course, is barbecue sauce. Barbecue sauce comes in many styles, but it will typically always have some sweetness to it amid the smokey and savory flavors. This makes it tricky to pair, since food being sweeter than the wine pairing will invariably make the wine taste bitter and harsh. Look for silky, round tannins and ripe, jammy fruits here. Current go-tos in that sphere are Hope’s End Red Blend, Cooper and Thief Red, and 19 Crimes Shiraz. Overall, any Australian Shiraz or Zinfandel based red blend from Cali will work!
For the shellfish fiends – Some of us are just born to shuck and crack our way through summer. From swanky raw bars to the slightly less dignified stacks of whole crab, the unique flavors of the sea come alive with the right wine pairing. I’ve found that the magic really happens when you align wines with the distinct mineral edge of shellfish. You’ll find wines with this mineral character in regions surrounded or defined by water, such as the Loire Valley. Bonnet Huteau Muscadet and Sancerre la Moussiere are excellent examples of this region. Alternatively, Italy offers the elegant Gavi di Gavi – I’m partial to Villa Sparina’s.
Whatever your barbecue style, I hope you find a way to amplify the experience with a perfect pairing. As always, I’m an email away at nmyers@passionvines.com for all your pairing questions. Cheers!
Nikki serves as Event Leader and Educator at Passion Vines Wine & Spirit Company, which has provided her countless resources on her wine journey. She estimates that she knows approximately .001% of all there is to know about wine (most notably, the fact that there is an infinite amount of things to know about wine). Most nights, she can be found sipping quirky dry reds from obscure regions.
