Firing up the grill this weekend?

Firing up the grill this weekend? Consider a couple of these red wine palate pleasers for barbeque fare, but remember the most important component of a great barbeque, is who’s at the table.. and then what’s in the glass. Big flavours of barbeque call for “non wimpy wines”, look to wines with bold personalities. Reds should be big, well balanced, smooth with good fruit. Luscious ripe berry flavors and complex spice make for great partners. Shiraz/Syrah, often with silky, smokey tannins and red berry ripe fruit flavors are a natural. Zinfandels can rock too with big fruit, a little more mellow in tannin, young and spicy with lots of black pepper, many great value Zins out there. Wines from the Rhone, slam dunk, and from Spain, Rioja, coming back, this red wine is spicy and fruity with bold fresh flavors, also delish and able to stand up to assertive flavors of the grill. Malbecs from Argentina also offer up big flavors, and great value too. Finally for the “lighter fare” on the plank, salmon, or tuna, grilled veggies or turkey burgers, opt for a Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Villages, or Valpolicella.