‘Words of Winedom’
Cue the Wines for
Burgers & BBQ
By Grand Cru Guru, Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
Summertime and the living is easy. Well, maybe not quite easy, but perhaps our hearts are a bit more carefree as the days grow longer and warmer. While Memorial Day Weekend generally heralds the start of the summer season and the return to al fresco dining, it’s not too soon to begin to indulge in the simple life and simpler wines.

In that same mindset, weekends are a terrific opportunity to fire up the barbecue grill, with thoughts turning to undemanding quaffing wines, perfect to pair with barbecue fare such as burgers, barbecued chicken, ribs or even grilled fish. These are wines that are heavy on fruit, moderate on secondary characteristics and light on the wallet.

Among easy drinking wines, off-dry (still retaining some of their residual sugar, making them just a little sweet on the palate) white wines can be particularly refreshing in the heat of the summer, especially when well-chilled. They also work well with salads and sauces that have some sweetness to them. They can also serve as an aperitif while you wait for the main course to cook. Some suggestions include off-dry Rieslings or Chenin Blancs. Alternately, light and bright whites with great acidity such as Vinho Verdes from Portugal and Torrontés from Argentina are also a welcome respite from the heat and pair nicely with food.

More substantial fare such as barbecued meals, pair nicely with fruit-forward reds, particularly those hailing from warm climates. These warm climates provide lots of sunshine for the vines, enabling the grapes to achieve maximum ripeness and high sugar levels. The ripeness of the grapes brings the fruit to the fore on the palate and can have a slightly sweet attack even though the wine is actually dry. These concentrated fruit flavors stand up to both white and red meat as well as to rich, sweet barbecue sauces and rubs. Some good options in this regard are Portuguese reds, fruity Merlots (think California or Chile) and Zinfandels (red Zinfandels, not the blush wine White Zinfandel) as a good place to start.

Bodegas y Viñedos Sur, Torrontés, 2006, Cafayate, Salta, Argentina, $8.00
Torrontés is an indigenous grape only grown in Argentina. A highly aromatic white wine, one’s nose is greeted by aromas of tropical fruit and peach. On the palate, it is dry wine with flavors of citrus and peach. A perfect picnic wine!

Heller Estate, Chenin Blanc, Carmel Valley, 2007, CA, USA, $26.00
This grape variety is indigenous to France’s Loire Valley, but does well in certain areas of California as this wine demonstrates. Showing aromas of musk, citrus and blossom, the palate is off-dry, with just a hint of sweetness, balanced with crisp acidity and flavors of apple, spice, stone and lime.

Errazuriz, Merlot, 2006, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, $9.99
While only some vineyards of the Errazuriz estate are certified organic, owner Eduardo Chadwick has been adopting these principles throughout his vineyards. With notes of plums, cherries and oak, the 2006 Merlot is blend of 85% Merlot, 11% Carmenere and 4% Sangiovese, with 50% of the wine aged for six months in a combination of American and French oak.

XYZin 10 Yr Zinfandel, California, USA, $15.99
Premium Zinfandel producer XYZin believes that the age of the vine is as much a part of a wine’s makeup as climate, soil and clone selection. For this wine, the grapes have been harvested from vines that are a minimum of 10 years old. It shows aromas of blueberry, black raspberry and sweet spice. Its palate is dry with medium-high acidity, medium tannins and medium body. Showing some complexity, flavors of black raspberry, blueberry, vanilla, oak and sweet spice linger in the long length.

Tracy was a guest on Eat, Drink & Be Merry! foodies radio on May 11, 2009. To meet the rest of the guests and listen to the entire show, please click here. To listen to Tracy's interview, please double click on the Play Button below.