Heat up the grill and chill—with the perfect bottle of wine from Traveling Vineyard.
It’s grilling season and our Director of Sommology, Missa Capozzo, is pairing our Traveling Vineyard summer wines with your favorite backyard BBQ dishes. From crisp whites that will wow, to smoky reds you can splash in your marinade and in your glass—we’ve got the complete list of what to sip while you flip (see what we did there?).
Summer Reds are Great for the Grill
Raise your hand if you love a hearty slab of smoked ribs on a summer afternoon? How about brisket or pork? Missa recommends our 2015 Tria, Syrah, Lodi, California, or our Tanglerose, Backyard Red, for any smoked meat pairings. Both wines have a Sommology code that ends in 4, which means they have the maximum oak or spice—perfect for smoky flavors.
“The oak and spice of Tria will enhance the smoky flavor of the meats beautifully, as will its fruit forwardness,” Missa says.
Feeling saucy? Our 2015 Boombox, Syrah, California, is the ideal pairing for sweet and saucy pulled pork or chicken. “The blackberry, raspberry, and plum notes of Boombox will complement the tangy and often sweeter flavors of the BBQ sauce.”
Grill favorites like burgers and steak call for our Tanglerose, Backyard Red. Tanglerose is not only a great summer sipping wine, it’s also the quintessential partner for fresh-off-the-grill flavors.
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“This particular vintage is a blend of some notoriously big reds that will make grilled red meat, like burgers and steaks, shine,” Missa says. “Grilling adds a charred taste to foods, and the fruit forwardness of Tanglerose will contrast that bitterness.”
The best part about our summer reds is that they’re a great addition to any meat marinade, as well. Check out some tasty marinade recipes we’ve curated on the Traveling Vineyard Pinterest page.
Lively Whites for Seafood & Sides
A glass of perfectly chilled white wine is a summertime staple. We love showing our wine tasting guests how these seemingly simple whites are for more than just sipping—they deeply enhance the taste of food.
Something you’ll hear our Wine Guides say often is, “If it grows together, it goes together.” That’s our fun way of saying that our Italian whites are ideal for sides like traditional antipasti, caprese salad, and summer bruschetta.
“The fat and salt components of antipasti—from its meats and cheeses—will smooth out the acid in any white, allowing the wine’s fruit to come to the forefront,” Missa explains. Try it with our 2016 Spruzzi, Grillo! You’ll be amazed at the taste that results from a perfect pairing.
Our 2016 Bella Mente, Pinot Grigio, Venezie IGT, Italy, is a great choice for raw veggies and green salads.
“Bella Mente is particularly pleasing with lemon drizzle. Pairing a green salad with a lemon vinaigrette would be refreshing to the palate while enhancing the flavors of the crisp vegetables.”
Are you more surf than turf? We recommend stocking up on a good Chardonnay for your next lobster or clam bake.
“Summer seafood is often dipped or drenched in melted butter, and nothing pairs better with buttered seafood than a nice Chardonnay!” Missa says. “Whether you prefer the creamy, buttery-ness of our oaked 2014 Zeffer Hills, Chardonnay, or the crispness of our unoaked 2016 Steeple Street, California Chardonnay, you will hit a home run with either wine at your clam bake.”
Firework Finale with Fissata
Every good barbecue ends with something sweet—and festive—in the summer months. Our famous Fissata Floats are an absolute must for your July 4th parties, all the way through to your Labor Day gatherings.
“Remember how fun it was as a kid to enjoy root beer floats in the summertime? The adult version is even better—our Fissata Float! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to your glass, top with our fruity, fizzy Fissata, Red, sit back and enjoy,” says Missa.
With wine pairings like these, you will be creating flavor fireworks all summer for your friends and family. To order any of the wines featured in our Summer Wine Pairings, contact your local Wine Guide. For more wine pairing talk, stop by our YouTube channel and check in with Missa’s latest tips! Cheers to a perfect BBQ!