Dr Vino's wine blog

Dear Dr. Vino,

Which wine would you recommend for a Mother’s day barbecue?

Thanks,

Erin

Dear Erin,

Hmm, that’s a tough one. When I think BBQ I think “big red” to go with the grilled meat. But “mom” and “big red” are not the first wine and people pairing that leaps to mind.

Since mom is the star of the show on Sunday, I’d check with her to see if she likes big reds. If not, I’d consider structuring the menu toward lighter fare such as grilled fish and vegetables.I’d try the Pazo de Senorans albarino 2005 from northwestern Spain. It’s a bit more expensive than entry-level albarino at $20 (find this wine) but it has a beautiful mouthfeel thanks to aging “on the lees” (dead yeast cells–don’t ask) to round out the minerality and acidity. It’s a great complement to grilled white fish.

If you wanted to do some ginger grilled shrimp, I’d try some bubbly or faintly spicy gewurztraminer. On the bubbly side, you could go for the value play with the wonderful, dry Bisol “crede” prosecco for $15 (find this wine) or pay a bit more for the Falmet brut Champagne, a full-bodied bottle of champers thanks to being 90 percent from pinot noir and pinot meunier. For a gewurz, I’d try the Zind-Humbrecht to really hit a home run (find this wine).

If your mom likes reds and grilled meats, then I’d try a mencia from Bierzo for around $12. At that price point the wines are unoaked and lots of food friendly acidity and fruit. Try the Peique (find this wine–or the Abad dom Bueno). For a lush red, try the Terra Rosa malbec for $12 (find this wine) or the Castillo de Jumilla monastrell for same price (find this wine). I had an excellent Gigondas recently, the 01 Domaine Le Mas des Collines Regis de Taxis, for about $21 that would be great with heartier grilled meats (find this wine). If you really wanted to splurge, go for the Ridge Lytton Springs zin (find this wine) to leave your relatives and mom with a lasting impression.

Fingers crossed for good weather on Sunday!

Cheers,