Table and Vines

There are some wines that a perfect for grilling all summer. One of those is Primitivo from the heel of Italy’s boot. A close cousin to Zinfandel, these wines have great jammy flavors that compliment grilling rubs and BBQ sauces as well as the great smokey char of meat.

The heat and smokiness of this dish poses some challenges for wine pairings, but fear not I have some suggestions. For whites, look for wines that have some sweetness to them (not sweet wines) such as Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gruner Veltliner or wines that have lots of body like Chardonnay and Verdejo.

For reds, go for a light wine like Beaujolais and put a little chill on it. Another great pairing would be bubbles. Prosecco or Lambrusco are perfect.

For this recipe I would choose a fragrant, zesty white wine. The white wine Posip has an intense aroma of citrus and herbs culminating in a rich and dense body of ripe fruits with a long, clean finish. If you like wines like Chardonnay and Viognier, Posip should taste familiar.

The red wine from Campania is called Aglianico and if you’ve never tried it, you’re in for a treat. Widely considered one of the great red wines of Italy, this grape produces powerful wines with notes of dried, dark fruits, mushrooms and earthiness. This is a full-bodied wine with high tannins, high acid and a long finish. Perfect for roasted meats and baked pasta!

There is no perfect wine for this sauce, but since we’re serving steak here, I think red wine would be best. We are featuring a wonderful red from Sicily this week that is a perfect wine for a variety of foods, the ‘Norma’ Etna Rosso from Valenti vineyards.

Etna Rosso wines are usually a blend of up to two grapes, primarily Nerello Mascalese, with some Nerello Cappuccio. The wine shows as a restrained expression of berry fruit, spice and herbs with a lean, mineral backbone owing to the volcanic soil of the land. If you like Pinot Noir, you will love this wine!

This recipe will stand up well to a big red wine, and make it feel more like a beefy entree. Cote du Rhone, Chiani, and Rioja would all be great choices, but this week we are featuring a Zinfandel from California. Wild Thing Zin is a jammy wine with notes of raspberry, dried cherry and fig with a spicy overlay. A strong oak influence provides a robust complement to the fruit and when paired with this recipe, will make you forget you’re eating vegetarian!

This light and fresh recipe deserves a light and fresh wine and if you haven’t heard of Vinho Verde, you should. This wine from Portugal (the Treixadura grape) is dry, crisp and refreshing, with notes of lemons and limes and a stony minerality.

These wines tend to have some ‘effervescence’ – just ever so fizzy. The result is a wine that dances on your tongue. It’s a perfect summer wine and is low in alcohol to boot!

This recipe will appeal to both red and white wine drinkers, and you can intentionally drive the style of wine based on the ingredients. Pick robust red that stands up to the sausage, such as a Rioja (Tempranillo grape) or a Syrah. Or, try a white wine with a full body, high acidity and even some oak that likes spicy foods, such as Chardonnay or Verdejo.

We are featuring two wines this week that are great picks. The Vegas Altas Tempranillo is an unoaked and juicy wine that brings a fruity red-berry profile. The next is Biutiful Cava. Made in the traditional method, the wine is full-bodied with notes of lime, apple and savory herbs. Cava, like many sparkling wines pair great with spicy foods.

With this recipe I recommend a white wine with medium body. We are featuring Samas, a blended wine from Sardinia. The wine consists of both Chardonnay and Vermentino grapes, resulting in a citrusy fresh body and clean mineral and saline finish.

If you made this extra spicy consider a Riesling or Gewürztraminer. Those wines have a high acidity, a ripe fruity nose and a sweet but light-bodied mouthfeel. That sweetness and acidity make these wines great for spicy foods.

Shifting over to reds, something with a fresh berry component with limited oak contact would be best. I am thinking about Pinot Noir, particularly from Oregon or Germany (called Spåtburgunder), Zweigelt from Austria or Beaujolais from France.

Lastly, a crisp rose from southern France might be your preference. This week’s featured wine is a rose from the Rhone region. Expressive with red fruit and citrus, this full bodied wine will refresh the palate every sip.