Here are some fun and useful food-and-wine matching ideas, to help you choose that perfect bottle or two for the festivities!
Generally, we would match seafood wit a white wine. You could still do so with your grilled shrimps with all the sauce and heaver flavors. Choose a fuller-bodied white wine, For example, many of the Chardonnay from Napa Valley is a safe bet. You could even go for a Reserve Chardonnay from Napa Valley or Sonoma.
It's BBQ after all, with plenty of nice, tasty sauce on the shrimps or seafood on the grill, so you could have a red wine with it. Pick a Zinfandel from cooler areas, and stay away from Zinfandel of hot areas like California's Central Valley or Lodi. That is because hot region Zinfandel get the high alcohol that doesn't go with the seafood.
The other reds for grilled seafood would be a French Burgundian red wine, which is made from the grape Pinot Noir. In France, the wine is not named by the grape, instead, is named by the region, or sub-region. If you choose a bottle of Burgundy for 4th of July, a bottle of $27 or $30 dollars or less should do fabulously.
As for the classic BBQ red meats and sausage, Zinfandel from all regions, and Cabernet Sauvignon of $40 or less from California, and some Merlot are all nice choices.
For Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, you might consider a bottle from the French region of Bordeaux. The red Bordeaux are often the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot (and a few other red grapes) - meaning you get the best of both grapes. For a Bordeaux red, either 2005 or 2006 vintage are very good buys. I don't think you'd need to spend more than $35 or $40 dollars for your pick.
OK! Do let me know how it goes. I want to hear from you on your 4th of July celebration with the wine!
- Editor's Note: Bonny-Morgan Lin is the author of "A Crash Course in Wine - 7 Days to Become a Wino". With WSET* Certificate, and French Wine Instructor Certificate, Bonny is also a passionate wine educator & personal wine coach through her wine tasting seminars and webinars.
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*WSET: Wine & Spirit Education Trust