Best Wine Pairings for Your Long Weekend Cookout
So here we are: the last long weekend of summer. Even though Labour Day marks summer’s swan song, the fat lady hasn’t sung yet (technically fall doesn’t start this year until September 23). So, we still have a few weeks to squeeze the sunshine out.
If barbecues and picnics are on your long weekend agenda, here are fabulous pairings to help you celebrate in summer style.
Burgers
Sure, burgers are delish all year round, but there’s just something so awesome about enjoying a burger fresh off the grill at a backyard party. Burgers have become about as fancy as Ceasar garnishes over the years, but if you’re chowing on a standard beef patty with mustard, ketchup, pickles and onions, wash it down with a lighter style Pinot Noir-based wine like this juicy, fruit-driven gem from 13th Street.
Try: 13th Street “Burger Blend,” VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON 2014 $14.95
Ribs
Sweet and saucy and full of finger-licking, porky goodness, there’s no wonder as to why secret recipes elicit full-blown throw downs everywhere from tailgates to ribfests. There’s no need to fight about it, but if it were us, we’d saddle up to the buffet with a juicy glass of Zinfandel, where the low tannins and robust fruity flavour match the sweet caramelization of the ribs.
Try: Francis Coppola “Diamond Collection” Red Label Zinfandel, California 2013 $19.95
Potato Salad
Despite its rich, mayonnaise-based sauce and hearty potato and egg ingredients, creamy, luscious potato salad is a hallmark of summer. The assortment of flavours can be a bit of a challenge, but we think a light, citrusy wine with a good amount of acidity really livens up the filling salad.
Try: Poggiobello Pinot Grigio, Fruili, Italy 2013 $21.95
Corn
Farm-fresh corn on the cob comes into season in August, which is always a bitter sweet time for me: on the upside you get sweet, tender and crisp corn on the cob, on the downside, corn’s arrival marks summer’s twilight. That kind of emotional dichotomy calls for a drink. Or two.
Corn’s natural sweetness is generally accompanied by salty butter, so echo those flavours in your wine. Our pick is Chardonnay.
Try: Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages, Burgundy, France 2013 $19.95
Grilled peaches
Fruit doesn’t have to only be dessert. Not only do grilled peaches make lovely table mates with pork and chicken, we like serving them with grilled Haloumi cheese as a vegetarian appetizer (check out our recipe here). Pick up the sweet, fruity flavours with white wine with stone fruit flavours, like a Roero Arneis.
Try: Malvirà 2013 Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy 2013 $17.95
Beer Butt Chicken
Usually recipes for this moist, delicious bird don’t get much more specific than “a can of beer.” That’s just fine with us, but we like to get a bit more specific than simple a “red” or “white” for sipping with it. You could absolutely go with a Chardonnay, but this chicken says “picnic” to us, so why not go for a bright picnic red like Beaujolais or the grape Beauj is made from, Gamay?
Try: Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir “Droit”, VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara, ON 2012 $16.95
Seafood
Beach front seafood bakes are so delicious, you forget about what a pain it is to log all stuff out there. Lobster, crab, clams … sweet, but slightly salty with a fresh seaside taste, pair it with a crisp and refreshing sparkling wine, for a cavalier decadence as it has a luxurious as the bake itself.
Try: Bailly Lapierre Réserve Brut Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy, France NV $19.95
Pulled Pork
Just like ribs, pulled pork can range from spicy to tangy, but they are all cooked low and slow and in BBQ season, there’s generally a whole lotta smoke added to send the flavour meter into the stratosphere. For a combination of sweet sauce, smokey meat and rich texture, we’re reaching for a food friendly rosé.