Wines for the Fourth
Written By: Brian Freedman on Wed, Jun 27th 2007
Barbecue-Friendly Reds for your Holiday Gathering this 4th of July
The Fourth of July holiday is upon us - a time to take the day off from work, eat all kinds of grilled flesh and salads with way too much mayonnaise (macaroni, potato), and spend the day slugging back cheap, ice-cold cans of beer.
At least, that's how it used to be. These days, though, wine lovers have figured out that their tipple of choice isn't just one of the options they have at their barbecue pig-out — it's the best option.
And with all the delicious, inexpensive, perfect-for-summer wines out there, there's just no reason to suffer through yet another can of Coors Lite.
We've already covered great white wines for this time of year in a previous column. And now, with all that barbecue in our collective future, the time has come to discuss red wines.
Many people, of course, may find this counterintuitive - talking about red wine as the dog days of summer approach is a lot like discussing baseball season in the middle of December. At least, that's the common perception.
The truth, however, is that there are more red wines out there than you might imagine that are absolutely perfect for the kinds of food we eat in the summer.
California Zinfandel, for example, is a wonderful pairing partner with barbecue. And while its typically high alcohol and rich, spicy flavor may seem more suited to wintertime - a cold day just screams out for a rich bottle or three of wine to keep you warm - it can make even the most mediocre grilled ribs taste better, especially if they've been prepared with a sweet BBQ sauce. If you can, pick up a few bottles of the Edmeades 2005 Zinfandel from Mendocino. At just under $17, it's not cheap, but it's absolutely worth it.
If hamburgers are on the menu, try a bottle of Australian shiraz... just not the one with the yellow-tailed kangaroo on the bottle. Though that's certainly the most widely advertised shiraz, it's neither the best nor the best value. The 2 Up 2004 Shiraz is a steal at less than $14, and possesses the kind of flavor delineation and purity that most inexpensive bottles of shiraz never quite achieve. And if you're really in the market for a bargain, pick up a few bottles of the Paringa 2005 shiraz. In fact, at less than $9 per bottle, you may as well pick up a case and have leftovers for your next barbecue.
If your holiday gathering is a bit nicer and you'll be throwing some salmon on the grill, there's nothing better than a bottle of pinot noir to pair with it.
This, of course, breaks the old rule of pairing red wine with meat and white wine with fish, but that logic failed to be useful a long time ago. In this case, the fat and oil of the fish will require a wine with a bit of heft. And the caramelized flesh from the grilling will merit a wine with a certain amount of fruitiness. Add these needs up and what do you get? Pinot noir from Sonoma. And despite the fact that pinot can be a bit pricey, there are a number of affordable options. In particular, the Kenwood 2005 pinot from the Russian River Valley is less than $17 - not a bad deal at all.
Whatever you drink this Fourth of July, just make sure you keep an open mind: The rewards are tremendous, the options are unlimited, and a great pairing can only make your barbecue that much more enjoyable.
