The best wines for summer barbecues
For the weekend when grills open for the season, stock up on wines that will go with everything from burgers to steaks, chicken to seafood. And be sure there’s something to accompany those hot dogs.
But first, celebrate the griller-in-chief with bubbles. Try a toast with the refreshing Carpene Malvolti 1868 Extra Dry Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG ($19)
Burgers call for a beefy red such as the 2013 Feudo Zirtari Nero d’Avola ($12), which has plenty of red fruit and spice; and the 2014 Tascante “Buonora” Sicilia IGT ($20), an expressive, minerally red made with the Carricante grape.
Bridging the way from burgers to steaks: zinfandel. Sample the briary, ripe, blackberry-full 2013 Edmeades Gianoli Zinfandel ($35); and the vivid, hearty 2013 Edmeades Perli Zinfandel ($31), two single-vineyard winners,
When steaks and lamb chops hit the grill, cabernet sauvignon is a natural. The 2013 Kenwood Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) delivers its own call of the wild, with plums, cherries and spice. Grilled chicken finds a match with the 2014 Francis Coppola Director’s Sonoma County Chardonnay ($19).
To complement seafood: the 2014 Inama Vigneti di Foscarino: Soave Classico DOC ($24); and, with a meaty fish such as tuna or salmon, the 2013 Anaba Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($36). The bright, citrusy 2014 Chappellet Signature Chenin Blanc ($32) is versatile enough for flounder, striped bass, and halibut.
And with those franks, or any of the above, uncork a fruity 2014 Joseph Drouhin Hospices de Belleville Beaujolais Cru, either Brouilly, Fleurie or Morgon, $21 to 27.