Fire Up The Grill Part 2

We are in for a scorching hot weekend, so like many of you, I’ll be cooking outside this weekend.  Last weekend we covered some of my favorite wines with steak and chicken.

Now, let’s talk pork……….

I love grilled pork, and pork chops are a family favorite.  I love a good smoky Merlot with my pork chops, and here are 2 of my favorites.

 

The Washington State makes a magnificent Merlot and this one will not disappoint.  Smoky cherries and plums with hints of cedar and tobacco.  (thus the smoky)  And the Thorn Clarke Merlot is a deep purple color in the glass, medium bodied and jammy with a beautiful lingering finish.

BBQ ribs.  One of my favorite grilled foods.  My dad says I make the absolutely best ribs.  I know he’s biased, but they are pretty good.     Mix brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, fresh ground pepper, lime juice, couple of cloves of garlic, basil, paprika and chili powder.  And then at least a half bottle of BBQ sauce, marinate for 8 hours or over night.  Slow cook in the oven for 2 hours on a low temperature, or for 4 hours in the slow cooker.  And then take them out to the BBQ and grill them to perfection.  That’s my secret recipe for ribs.  Lots of great wines to go with them.

You can’t go wrong with this gorgeous full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from the Wolf Blass family  with big flavors of dark cherries and licorice.

 The Marquis de Riscal is a Rioja from Spain that is earthy and aromatic and would go hand in hand with ribs.  Lots of great flavor in this wine.

And a Malbec out of Argentina will be the perfect date with BBQ ribs.   This is the Bodega Septima Gran Reserve Malbec, a rich and fruity wine out that has lots of Italian influence.

  I’m allergic to most seafood and all shell-fish so I am relying on some friends advice.  But grilled seafood would do great with a Chardonnay.   Here’s a new one I discovered lately (I had it with chicken)

Everything a Chardonnay should be, this California beauty will have you going back for more.  Medium bodied, smooth, easy to drink and food friendly.  I am told by white wine drinkers also like a Pinot Grigio with their seafood.  This is a Pinot I tried recently and was very impressed.

  It’s the Pinot Grigio by Yellow Tail.  Fantastic, light, crisp wine.  Flavors of pear and green apple, it has enough acidity to keep the wine fresh and lively.

That’s it for this week.  Hey, BBQ season is just starting so we will do more wine matching with grilled foods as I experiment with my BBQ.

Have a great week, and Cheers.

Darlene