The summer months in New Jersey are glorious, a respite from the memories of a cold winter.  Backyard barbecues are in full swing. The Jersey shore has come to life.  Strolling the boardwalk, I embrace the steamy vapors of grilled sausage and pepper sandwiches, a mandatory annual purchase, as well as clams on the half-shell  Summer is a special time for comfort foods: hot dogs and hamburgers, barbecued chicken, steaks on the grill, frozen custard and funnel cake.   Planning a great summer party is often a marriage between these foods and a cold beer. However, those looking to jazz up their summer schedule can read on for ideas on planning a terrific summer wine tasting. 

In the summer, wine lovers enjoy drinking a chilled white wine, a satisfying refreshment on a hot day.   However, a summer tasting cannot be “red-less.” Reds are the perfect compliment for grilled steaks and heavily seasoned foods.  Designing your successful summer wine tasting has to start with a selection of wines that will excite your guests.  If you serve wines that your guests have never tasted, you’ll expand their horizons and keep them interested in the tasting. Once selected, you will need to know some of wines’ characteristics: sweet, dry, acidic, fruity, balanced, tannic, etc.  As a general rule, I do not match the base ingredient of a summer dish with a wine. I match the sauces or preparation to the wine.  A veal dish with a lemon butter sauce can be matched perfectly with some white wines, debunking the myth that red wines are for meats and whites are for fish.

Before we discuss my six wine selections, ones that should be readily available at your local wine shop, you must follow my basic rules for success:

Purchase no wine packaged in a box or large glass jug.

Avoid the media darlings: yellow tailed kangaroos are not invited.

Splurge on the correct glassware. Solo cups are only good for beer.

Open and taste all the wines before your guests arrive. At least 5% of wines with a cork stopper are bad.

Have a plan to keep the wines properly chilled throughout the tasting; 80 degree red wines are undrinkable!

Sizing a wine tasting is simple, one bottle per invited guest. Invite five of your friends to join you for this menu.

This summer the retail shelves are blessed with a fabulous selection of domestic white wines produced in 2002 and 2003. For the past five years, I have been disappointed with California Chardonnays. They have been thin and uninspiring.  The 2002 and 2003 Chardonnay vintages changed my buying habits, reacquainting me with some outstanding Chardonnays: intense fruit, complex, balanced and reasonably priced.  The 2002 vintage also produced some wonderful wines from France’s Burgundy region, so we will sample this grape from two different continents and see what our guests enjoy the most.  The red wine selections are a bit more complicated since the pairing of reds to summer foods is not intuitive.  Our tasting menu will include a lighter and fruitier Pinot Noir from California and a juicy Merlot from the Napa Valley.  We will add some International power from Australia, a hearty Shiraz produced by one of the rising stars of Australia, winemaker Sarah & Sparky Marquis.

The Tasting Menu

For the tasting menu, I will be suggesting two different dishes to accommodate the taste buds of Currents readers.  One dish will be very simple to prepare and the second choice requires minimal preparation in the kitchen.  I have included a variety of base ingredients so that guests with special dietary needs can be accommodated.  You also have the choice of preparing both dishes for each wine course to give your guests greater latitude in finding something they truly enjoy.  Keep in mind that each dish should be served as a tasting portion, so after six courses your guests will be comfortably satiated. So, let’s get started.

When guests arrive, greet them with a Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay. Light, crisp and not overly “woody,” this wine can be paired with a citrus glazed jumbo shrimp cocktail, avoiding the traditional red cocktail sauce.  If seafood is not your fancy, welcome your guests with a colorful mixed fruit appetizer served in a hollowed grapefruit or pineapple. Avoid oranges, grapefruits and kiwi and stick with melons, grapes and apples.  Toss in some wedges of cheddar cheese to balance the fruit flavors and you have a healthy start to the evening.

The Burgundy region of France is famous for the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs which hold the distinction for aging beautifully for 20+ years.  Fortunately the 2001 and 2002 vintages produced many wines that can be enjoyed without long term aging.  For your next course, I suggest serving a Puligny-Montrachet  from Louis Jadot.   To match this wine’s clarity and freshness, serve smoked salmon and goat cheese pinwheels with mini-potato pancakes.  Alternatively, serving mini quiche Lorraines will provide your guests with a light, cheese inspired, palate pleasing combination.  Mini quiches can be purchased at local food stores and can be quickly warmed in the oven prior to serving.

Our last white will be the delicious Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay which in 2002 I decided that this year was the finest vintage I have tasted from this producer. We will pair the Beringer, which will show off its heavenly fruit flavors and acidic balance, with a thin cut, bone-in grilled pork chop served with a ginger glaze. Alternatively, grilled Hawaiian Canadian ham steaks make a colorful presentation and will bring a smile to the faces of your guests, a reminder a simpler days.

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These three Chardonnays, although made from the same grape, will appeal to your guests in different ways.  Their different flavors come from the locations where the grapes were grown, the weather during the growing season, and how the winemaker produced the final product. Before moving to the red wines, ask your guests:

Which Chardonnay they enjoyed the most?

Which Chardonnay was the best matched to the dish served?

What flavors did you associate with each wine?

Would you buy this wine to drink at home?

This type of interaction will help you better understand what your guests enjoy as well as educate everyone on the flavors that are present in the palates of your guests.  If you find an overall favorite, stock up on the wine and save the recipe.  Having a series of “home-run” dishes and wines in your entertaining arsenal is vital!

Moving to Red

The switch to red wines will begin with a lighter, fruitier wine from California.  The choice is Pinot Noir, the friendliest reds from the West Coast which make a smooth transition from the white wines your guests have just enjoyed.  We’ll serve the David Bruce Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir which has a beautiful aroma hinting at fresh fruit flavors with an appeal that once tasted will please even the most avid white wine drinkers.

Pairing with the Pinot Noir will be a grilled petite cut of fresh tuna, “filet-mignon style.”  Prepare the tuna in a soy-Tabasco marinade at least 1 hour prior to grilling. Adding some spice to the tuna will perk-up the Pinot.  Serve medium-rare.  If fresh tuna is not available, consider a mild Jamaican jerk marinated chicken breast, cubed, skewered and grilled on the barbecue.  Having visited Jamaica in April, I found the various jerk chicken recipes a better alternative to our traditionally heavy barbecue sauces, as long as they are not too spicy.  Very spicy foods will kill your palate and will hinder your ability to appreciate your wine.

A summer tasting would not be complete without a hamburger, so pair the Chappellet Napa Merlot with mini “White Castle” styled blue-cheese burgers on the grill.  High quality California Merlots are difficult to find at a reasonable price.  This vintage from Chappellet exhibits great concentration of fruit with a perfect balance of tannins and a great value at around $28 per bottle.  The wine is approachable despite its age; perfect for guests who do not like red wines that are too dry. 

To create your burgers, find fresh dinner rolls, square of course, and create mini-patties, thick, cooked to perfection and topped with crumbled blue cheese. Stay away from onions and ketchup for these tasty treats.  An alternative will be grilled New Zealand lamp chops, cut thin on the bone, with a mint jelly glaze.  The sweetness of the mint jelly will be an amazing combination with the juiciness of the Merlot. 

Where’s the beef?  Bringing this sumptuous feast to a close, we will end the tasting with a powerhouse from down under; new 2005 Mollydooker Shiraz, made by Sarah & Sparky Marquis. The menu will include a grilled petite fillet mignon with a traditional béarnaise sauce.  The Shiraz phenomenon is no fad; the Aussie’s are making great wines at great prices.  The thick, juicy and jammy fruit from the Syrah grapes will be a satisfying end to the meal.  You may need an extra bottle of Shiraz for your guests because after this wine there is no going back! 

 No beef?  No problem!  Too full?  We have a solution! End the night with a cheese course with a selection of Aged Gouda, Petite Basque and Monchego.   Add some dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, strawberries and prunes, which go amazingly well with this wine. These three cheeses can be cubed and easily handled by your guests without mess or fuss.  These cheeses are some of my favorite “firm” cheeses that match perfectly with red wines.  If you hate shopping for cheeses, contact Sickles Market in Fair Haven. They can create an artful presentation of cheese and deliver it to your home to impress your guests! 

The goal of any wine and food pairing is to amaze your guests with the excitement that great food and wines can bring.  Of course, there are many great wines to enjoy this summer.   After this successful party, plan another “match your favorite wines to great summer classics.”   Remember the basic rules for success, and you will be amazed at how quickly friends will respond to your next invitation!

Brian Pasch

www.brianpasch.com