Summer Equals Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc And Grilling

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, we are officially into grilling season. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Who doesn't love marinated steak tips, messy barbecue ribs, swordfish kabobs with grilled Vidalia onions and zucchini. Better yet, steamers with drawn butter at a clambake. Nothing complements grilled summer foods better than Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc. In this post, I am going to present to you a few Zins and a few Sauvignon Blancs that are both affordable and should be easy to find.

Lets start with a couple of Zinfandel options. Nothing is better than a messy rack of ribs or grilled barbecue steak tips with a very good Zinfandel. That said, this fruit bomb from Four Vines is a perfect choice. The 2009 "Biker" Zinfandel for $24 is ruby colored and opens with a classic fragrant blackberry jam bouquet with a hint of licorice. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied, balanced, and very fruit-forward. The flavor profile is ripe blackberry jam with notes of plum and a hint of oak and black pepper. If you love fruity Zins give this one a whirl. Serve it with a messy rack of barbecue ribs with moist corn bread.  Our second Zin offering is the Seghesio 2010 "Sonoma County" Zinfandel for $24. It is Seghesio's entry level offering. It is always Very Good. This vintage continues those winning ways. It opens with a very inviting blueberry bouquet with hints of blackberry jam. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied, juicy and fruit-forward. The flavor profile is a very tasty black-raspberry with notes of boysenberry, black pepper and blackberry. This offering would also go well with some messy barbecue ribs or marinated steak tips as well.

Now onto Sauvignon Blanc. The 2011 Saint Clair "Vicar's Choice" Sauvignon Blanc for $18 is a great value and an ideal summer wine. It opens with a very fragrant ripe grapefruit bouquet with a hint of lime. On the palate, this wine is light bodied, crisp and has nicely controlled and mouthwatering acidity. The flavor profile is a ripe grapefruit with hints of lime, peach, and very mild minerality. It finishes dry and refreshing. It would pair nicely with steamers smothered in drawn butter. My last recommendation is the 2010 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is more expensive at $30 per bottle. However, it clearly won our blind tasting and is well worth the money. It is medium-to-full-bodied, very well balanced, and rather creamy. The panel loved its delicious mild Bartlett pear and gentle green melon flavors with a hint of vanilla. It finishes dry, elegant, and it is very refined. The panel suggested drinking this one on its own on a hot summer day.

You should be able to get all of these wines at . If they do not have them in stock, they should easily be able to order them for you. If you are really adventurous, you can check out all the Zinfandels that I have recently recommended in our blog summary on Zinfandels. The new Sauvignon Blanc summary should be posted sometime in July.  In the meantime, here is the link to all of our recommended Sauvignon Blancs. I hope you enjoyed this kick off post.  We will try to post a few suggestions each month going forward. If you can't wait for our Patch post, please feel free to sign up for our free e-newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.  Cheers - Ken