Summer’s end is an ideal time to gather with friends for a relaxing cookout before fall activities and the impending holiday season kick into gear. Sure, you’ll still be lighting the grill for the next several months, but scheduling becomes more difficult as everyone is going in different directions. Guests love to be greeted with a glass of bubbles, and surprising them with an elegant choice from northern Italy is a great way to show off how savvy you are. A creamy Sonoma Chardonnay is always a crowd pleaser, especially alongside salads, cheese, or poultry.
No barbecue is complete without plenty of red wine on hand. In addition to some bold Napa Cabs to pair with well-marbled cuts of beef, offer your guests something off the beaten track like Syrah, whose fruit and spice flavors are always a good match with ribs or brisket, Merlot, which has softer tannins than Cabernet, or Tempranillo from Spain, which straddles pairing possibilities from pork to lamb to beef. Here are nine great choices to get the party started.
Organic and biodynamic farmer Mark Neal began making wine in 1966 at his parents Rutherford farm and in 1998 he built Neal Family Vineyards with his wife Laura. Together they produce organic wines from their estate-certified organic vineyards in Howell Mountain and Rutherford. Their 2019 Howell Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby colored with aromas of dried lavender, blackberry, and cocoa powder. It is soft on entry with flavors of black plum, dried Mediterranean herbs, and milk chocolate. Drink now thru 2033.
Organic and biodynamic farmer Mark Neal began making wine in 1966 at his parents Rutherford farm and in 1998 he built Neal Family Vineyards with his wife Laura. Together they produce organic wines from their estate-certified organic vineyards in Howell Mountain and Rutherford. Their 2019 Howell Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby colored with aromas of dried lavender, blackberry, and cocoa powder. It is soft on entry with flavors of black plum, dried Mediterranean herbs, and milk chocolate. Drink now thru 2033.