culture
Unwined: What’s Up in Your Grill?
Our roundup of the food-friendly summer wines at your local LCBO.
A lot of people get overwhelmed when it comes to pairing wine with food at home. For many people it doesn’t get more complicated than champagne with turkey at Christmas, and red wine — any red wine — with pizza.
Here are a few wines that would make a great addition to your next barbecue, and some guidance on what to serve with them.
Big(ish) Reds
Your big red wines are what you’re going to pair with steak. Honestly, these are a little more difficult to pair with other proteins but nothing goes with a steak quite like a nice full-bodied red wine.
2013 Trius Red – Vintages 303800 – $22.95 – **** – This blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot will be a little less bold than your average “big red,” since 2013 was a relatively cool summer. Flavours will be strawberry, raspberry and blackberry with hints of smoke, with elegant velvet tannins that beg to be paired with a nice rib steak or striploin. This will also pair well with pork or lamb chops off the grill.
2013 Lailey Merlot – Vintages 591396 – $24.95 – ****+ – Enjoy the wines from Lailey while you can! The few wines from this winery that make it to Vintages shelves don’t stay there very long, and the winery has recently changed hands so its future is up in the air. Merlot in general is easy drinking and the most approachable of the Bordeaux varietals. While some might call merlot boring, I call it food-friendly; its nice acidity on the finish makes it very versatile with food. While most at home with a steak or burgers it also would pair well with grilled salmon.
Lighter Reds
I drink a lot of gamay in the summer because it’s so food-friendly and affordable. A lot of lighter reds like this one can almost fit into the category of rosé (the Swiss Army knife of food-friendly wines) because they make such a great match for whatever you decide to pull off the grill.
2012 The Good Earth Gamay Noir – Vintages 4243170- $19.95 – ****+ – The nose on this wine certainly packs a punch with a burst of nice red cherry, but there is also a heavy earthiness that wraps itself around the fresh fruit aromas. The best way to serve this wine is to toss it in the fridge for 30 minutes before pouring to take the temperature down to a few degrees below room temperature. This is definitely wine would make a great match to that steak or those burgers but would pair up nicely with grilled chicken or salmon as well.
2012 Flat Rock Pinot Noir – Vintages 1545 – $19.95 – ***1/2+ – Sometimes pinot noir can be pricey, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t great affordable pinot out there. This might be the best bang for your buck when it comes to pinot noir from Ontario in the LCBO, with cherry and subtle earthiness on the finish with a nice streak of acidity. A little lighter than your average gamay, this would be okay next to a steak but more at home next to chicken or turkey burgers or grilled salmon.
White Wines
2014 Trius Divine White – Vintages 54957 – $19.95 – ***1/2+ – There is a lot going on in this bottle with aromas of white flower and apricot. The flavours are lemon, pink grapefruit and green apple with just a hint of spice on the finish. The bulk of this wine is riesling and pinot gris which makes everything nice and subtle without being an attack on the palate. This would pair well with grilled chicken or pork but my ideal pairing would be chicken or beef fajitas.
2012 Henry of Pelham Estate Riesling – Vintages 557165 – $17.95 – ****+ – This is a bottle of awesome right here. Off-dry and perfectly balanced with acidity, this wine makes for a little too-easy drinking on a patio on its own. The fruit is pear, peach, apple and lemon with nice pronounced mineral notes on the nose and in the glass. I will be pairing this with souvlaki, fresh sausages, or even good ol’ hot dogs if I’m not feeling too fancy. Even with the touch of sweetness in this wine, you will be amazed at how well it works with just about anything you want to stuff in your face.