Summer Winds Down - Grilling and Dining Outside ... with Wine

With it being Labor Day weekend in the US, hopefully you Americans out there are all enjoying some relaxing times and some grilling action.  As you warm up the barbecue or smoker, I thought I would share a quick blog on some tasty wine pairings for popular holiday weekend meals.  Here's a little list.  Try something different than you usually do!  If you think of any others, or want a recommendation, send me a message.  Enjoy!

Most grilled, smokey foods pair well with red Zinfindel.  Try one from California, where it is a star ... Mendocino, Lodi, Russian River Valley.

Burgers - try a medium-full bodied Malbec

BBQ chicken - Zinfindel 

Any other grilled chicken - Full-bodied Chardonnay or a California Pinot Noir

Ribs - Zinfindel or Malbec would be my choice

Steaks - Cabernet Sauvignon always works, and if you are a Cabernet fan, try Cabernet Franc or a nice Merlot like Duckhorn, for a change! 

Crab legs - Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc

Pulled pork - Again, Zinfindel, or anything Grenache-based ...Cotes-du-Rhone, for example.

Shrimp skewers / kabobs - Chardonnay

Sausage - go German and choose a Reisling or Gruner Veltliner, or try a French white from Burgundy or Jura 

Happy grilling!

Wine Recommendation from Dad: A Versatile California Cabernet

I love getting wine recommendations from all of you.  Keep them coming!

In the spirit of sharing, I thought I would start to occasionally pass along recommendations that I have received, but have not yet tried.

Hey, you might need a suggestion, and I might know a few with potential, so why should I keep them "bottled up" (hehe) until I get around to trying them?

This leads me to today's recommendation from one of my favorite people ... my Dad!  Dad recently suggested Newman's Own 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon.  It seems like it will be a decent choice if you're looking for a medium-bodied, versatile, reasonably-priced California Cab.  The best part?  Newman's Own donates 100% of profits to charity.  Worth a shot, right?!

So again, my disclaimer: I haven't tried it myself, but if you do, let me know what you think!