If you’re a grilling fanatic like I am, summer is the perfect time to “play with fire.”
My philosophy for meal planning in hot weather is to stay simple, keep it easy and focus on creativity. There’s nothing like a big juicy burger, but when was the last time you made grilled fruit salad? The best part, of course, is finding the wines to pair with these dishes.
Grilling gives some foods a charred sweetness and a smoky characteristic that brings out the best in food and wine. New World wines from California and Australia work exceptionally well with grilled foods because of their bolder, fruit-forward styles and varying intensities of oak flavors.
When pairing wines with grilled foods, pay attention to sauces, marinades, salsas and chutneys that you are using with the dishes. These condiments may add more acidity and a stronger flavor to what you’re making, and will pair differently with wines than a food simply grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Also, unless I’m grilling steaks, I steer clear of cabernets and Bordeaux blends. Their maturity and sophisticated characteristics are wasted on most other grilled entrees and they don’t complement the food.
Young cabernets and Bordeaux can be too tannic and give food an astringent-tasting quality. Tannins, which help the aging process of the wines, are acid substances that come from the skin, stems and seeds of grapes as well as the barrels they’re aged in. It’s what gives red wines their structure and the dry chalkiness that you sometimes feel on your tongue.
If you’re on the fence when choosing a wine for your next cookout, a good rule to follow is: Lighter-bodied wines go with lighter foods and full-bodied wines are better with heartier, heavier foods. The combination should dance, not wrestle.
Here are various types of wines and grilled foods that they work with:
Whites
– Sauvignon blanc and viognier: asparagus, onions, squash, and mild types of fish such as sole, tilapia, halibut and most shellfish.
– Chardonnay, non-oaky: eggplant and root vegetables such as carrots, beets, and leeks.
– Chardonnay with some oak: corn on the cob, chicken, turkey, lobster and sea bass.
– Riesling and gewürztraminer: curry-spiced fish and poultry.
Reds
– Pinot noir: mushrooms, especially portabellos; pork, including baby back ribs; duck, turkey, pheasant, ostrich and oilier fish such as salmon.
– Chianti: tomato-based sauce and tomato-marinated foods.
– Syrah and merlot: hamburgers, flank steak, ribs, buffalo.
– Zinfandel, cabernet and shiraz (Australian): steaks, lamb, venison, and elk.
Here are some of my favorite recipes for summer grilling:
Grilled Caesar Salad
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
5 anchovy fillets, mashed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup olive oil, plus additional
for brushing lettuce
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large heads of romaine lettuce,
quartered lengthwise
In a bowl, whisk together mustard, anchovies, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, and olive oil, until blended. Mix in 1/3 cup of the cheese. Add pepper to taste. Refrigerate until needed. Dressing can be made the morning of grilling.
To cook: Brush quartered lettuce with olive oil. Grill over a medium-hot fire, cut sides down, turning when browned and warm in the middle, about 3 1/2 minutes per side. Total grilling time should be around 7 to 8 minutes.
Place lettuce wedges on individual plates, grilled-side up, and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
Try it with 2006 Matanzas Creek, Sonoma County, Sauvignon Blanc ($24).
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon finely
chopped onions
3 large portobello mushrooms,
brushed of dirt and
stems removed
6 1-by-3-inch slices mozzarella
Whisk first 3 ingredients together. With stem side up, pour the olive oil mixture into the inside of each mushroom cap and top each mushroom with two slices of cheese. Grill over medium heat until cheese is melted but mushroom still has some firmness, approximately 4 minutes. Remove from grill. Cut into wedges and serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Pair with 2004 MacRostie, Carneros Pinot Noir ($28)
Salmon with a Pineapple Salsa
For the salsa:
4 cups coarsely chopped
fresh pineapple
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup chopped sweet pepper
6 tablespoons lime juice, divided
3 small, fresh jalapeno peppers,
seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly
chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons honey
For the salmon:
4 pounds fresh salmon fillets,
about 1-inch thick, skin removed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
To make salsa: In a bowl, combine pineapple, onion, pepper, 4 tablespoons of lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and honey. Set aside. Salsa can be made 3 hours ahead. Place in refrigerator and bring back to room temperature before serving.
To cook: Brush both sides of fish with lime juice and sprinkle fillets with cumin. Place fish on a well-greased grill or in a well-greased wire grill basket. Grill fish uncovered over medium heat for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, turning fish once. Serve with salsa.
Makes 8 servings.
Try it with 2006 Cline Viognier ($12). Note: This wine works well with this dish because of the acidity in the salsa and the pineapple flavors in both.
Rib-Eye Steaks with
Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3 boneless rib-eye steaks; about
1 pound each and
1-1/2 inches thick
To make vinaigrette: Whisk together mustard, honey and vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Vinaigrette can be made 4 hours ahead. Place in refrigerator and bring back to room temperature before serving.
To cook: Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill over medium-high heat. Turn after about 6 minutes and grill for another 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare (grill and cooking times will vary).
Remove steaks and let them rest for 5 minutes. Cut steaks into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Makes 6 servings.
Try it with 2004 Ravenswood Barricia Zinfandel ($32)
Grilled Fruit with Marscapone
5 peaches or 8 apricots,
firm but not hard
6 plums, firm but not hard
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cut fruit in half and remove the pit. In a bowl mix the brown sugar, oil and salt. Add the fruit halves and toss well.
Place the fruit, cut-side down, over a hot grill for approximately 4 minutes, until fruit is well marked. Turn skin side down, close grill cover and grill for 4 to 5 minutes until cooked. Timing will vary depending on the size of the fruit.
Divide among individual plates and serve with mascarpone topping (recipe follows).
Mascarpone Topping
2 pounds mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Using an electric mixer, whip all the ingredients until well blended and smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Mascarpone can be made in the morning and refrigerated.
Makes 8 servings.
Try it with the 2005 Imagery Late Harvest Pinot Blanc (375 ml, $30)
We welcome your feedback. For general feedback or to contact one of our columnists, please visit the Contact Us page at www.sonomasun.com.
