Summertime

Summertime is not wine’s shining season. It seems like events during the summer are catered more towards beer than wine. I went to a tasting today that featured good barbeque wine, and it made me really think about how to serve wine at an afternoon BBQ. First off, the selection of wine has obvious importance. I would start with a light bodied red, nothing to heavy that will tire out the guests. A Grenache or even a light Cab could work. Focus on what you are going to cook, steaks and ribs will pair well with most reds. I would throw a Pinot in there as well, it’s a great starter wine, something that can intrigue guests who may have arrived with intentions of drinking beer. As far as whites are concerned, a bottle in the cooler is always a nice treat. This wine is going to be direct competition with beer, so there are two roads that you can take. First, you can have something that you think will appeal to the most people, perhaps a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc, something that most people have tried and will be drawn to. The other option (the one that I prefer) is to introduce something that people haven’t tried. I might pull out an Italian white, or maybe a sparkling Gewurztraminer or so. Wines like that would at least have the “I have to at least try it” mentality. Sell, sell, sell, find the people who you think would like the wine and get them a glass!

I may get a little bit of flack, but I think that chilling red wine down on a hot day is definitely an okay idea. I don’t think it should be frozen, but just a little cool will help it to refresh a bit and not heat you up. When I was in Mendoza, it was ridiculously hot and people were actually dropping ice into their red wine. Now I would never do something like that, but room temperature could be a bit much when it’s 90 degrees outside.

Getting the grill ready is my favorite part of the BBQ. I would like to think of some recipes that would naturally pair well with wine. As I said, grilled meat is so easy to pair with wine, but the real challenge is pairing with the white wine. Grilled fish is not normally a staple at my BBQ’s, but some light chicken sausages, last week’s chicken recipe (not be confused with week old chicken), and some grilled shrimp are always a staple. For your marinating needs, always use a bit of wine to liven up the finished product. As far as meat is concerned, things like burgers and dogs will drive guests towards beer. Instead, a nice cut of steak, pork, or lamb would work better.

When figuring out how many bottles your guests will go through, think about the crowd that you are going to have. Will you be inviting your rugby teammates or is it a couples affair? Are you having people over to watch the UFC or is this a garden party? Will you be serving food on plastic plates with plastic cups or will there be tables set up? All of these factors will have an affect on the vibe, crowd, and ultimately, the choice of beverage for the afternoon/evening.