Keeping with the “The Thrill of the Grill” theme I have selected some amazing wines that match perfectly and quite excitedly to grilling fare. These wine matches are ones that I have used to great success in the past. Tariquet’s beautiful salmon colored Rose’ wine is a wonderful accompaniment to a grilled Sea Bass as is Rodney Strong’s Pinot from the Russian River Valley adjacent a Cowboy Ribeye both create strong contenders for best grill meal of the summer. Grilled pears with marscapone and fresh blue berries are a perfect match to the Marco Negri’s Moscato di Asti and a grilled Double Chocolate Cake with Mount Langi’s Sparkling Shiraz is sure to blow the neighborhood up with aromas of fresh raspberries, orange and fudge.
TARIQUET’S, 2010 ROSE’ de PRESSIE, GASCONY, BAS-ARMAGNAC – $12.93 – This Rose’ is not your typical Rose’ coming from the Armagnac region of France. The blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Syrah, 20% Tannat is an extraordinary experience for anyone’s palette. Delightful raspberries and flower petals mingled with spicy notes. The fruit is the treat as the wines intensity retains an ethereal quality, leaving a trace of rich flavors and salty spiciness on the finish. This baby will jump straight from your glass onto the grill with no hesitation. What a perfect match to a grilled Amberjack or Sea Bass with wild spring onion risotto.
RODNEY STRONG ESTATE, 2009 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, PINOT NOIR - $18.99 – Rodney Strong was one of the first pioneers to plant Pinot in the Russian River Valley. He planted vines in 1968 at the River East Vineyard in the alluvial clay-loam soils adjacent to the winery in Healdsburg. Supple in texture, with rose petal and red fruit aromas, this lively, medium bodied wine is aged entirely in small French oak barrels, which adds a subtle, toasty vanilla character along with a hint of spice. Copper River Salmon grilled to perfection with a Tarragon butter sauce over wild rice is slap your Momma good.
MARCO NEGRI, 2010 “MARSILLIO”, MOSCATO DI ASTI, D.O.C.G. - $18.37 - A wine of soft yellow color and a rich, fruity bouquet with aromatic herbal flavors. Found somewhere between elegant and rich, the fruity bouquet and a taste of this wine is beautifully balanced between sweetness and acidity. Located in the heart of the Asti region of Piedmont, Negri produced its first sparkling wine in 1993. There are 15 hectares total, with 11 hectares planted to the Moscato grape, known for its grapey, musky aroma. Grilled pears with Madagascar vanilla bean infused mascarpone are just the thing for a lighter dessert.
MOUNT LANGI GHIRAN, CLIFF EDGE NV, SPARKLING SHIRAZ - $35.99 -The vineyards of Mount Langi Ghiran are nestled between two dramatically beautiful mountain ranges on the southern edge of the Great Dividing Range in Western Victoria, Australia. Deep color; serious bottle-fermented style with some lees age; is neither oaky nor sweet; good length and finish. A perfect accompaniment to an old Boy Scout grilling item I learned way back. Grilled Chocolate Cake baked over the fire in hollowed out oranges. Strange, right? No. Genius! What a perfect match with the fresh raspberry flavors of the Shiraz.
I hope I have ignited a few palates with these grilling ideas and wine matches for the summer season. Innovation and experimentation are the keys to the grill and the wines from which to match them. Hopefully you can find one of these wines to suit your palate with the summer heat looming in the near future. If not, I have several thousand others from which to choose for that perfect picnic or backyard BBQ. I can be found at County Line Tuesday through Saturday for any of your grilling, wine or entertaining questions.
Enjoy!
Mark Hatwig
mark@slausa.com
479.750.7575
No comments:
Post a Comment