We love our grilled food at The Wine Company, especially during a nice summer evening on our company patio playing a little bocce ball and listening to great music. What to drink with grilled food is a topic that comes up every summer, and this year we have three great suggestions.
A great wine for grilled fare should have firm acidity (to keep the palate fresh), good body (to not be overwhelmed by the meat and spices), and a balance that compliments the food rather than competing with it (we’ve found, much to some winery’s dismay, that big, alcoholic, oaky, full bodied wines simply don’t dance well with most grilled fare).
Which takes us to these three beautiful wines. You can find the wines at the locations listed at the end of this post (it’s auto-updated as new stores order the wines, but always call ahead for availability).
We’ll let portfolio director Wil Bailey take it from here:
Domaine Madone, Beaujolais “Le Perreon” 2013 – It’s hard to imagine that anyone’s “top wine for grilled food” could retail for under $18, but therein is the idiosyncracy AND KILLER VALUE present in Beaujolais today if you dig around the region for a while. Olivier Berard’s family has been making wine around the village of Perreon for over 400 years. In fact since Perreon is Olivier’s mother’s maiden name it’s unclear whether this wine is an homage to the local terroir or to his ever patient mother (I’m betting he told his mom it was for her…). In any event while the appellation here is “basic” Beaujolais the terroir, style and quality is all Cru Beaujolais. Granite, limestone and clay based vineyards combined with Burgundian winemaking techniques (no carbonic maceration here) result in a heck of a tasty wine at a totally “try me” kind of price.
Domaine Gaudets, Morgon “Cote du Py” 2011 – Here is another “you will not believe the value of available in Beaujolais right now” wine. The slope of the “Cote du Py” is pretty universally regarded not only as the greatest vineyard site in the Cru appellation of Morgon but probably the top vineyard site in all of Beaujolais. If Beaujolais had a “Grand Cru” (they don’t) Cote du Py would be it. 5th generation family winemaking, hand-picked, whole cluster, small lot, punch down “Burgundian style” vinification make the Gaudets “Cote du Py” an almost ridiculously tasty and classy wine. As a bonus, 2011 is an outstanding vintage in Beaujolais. On a personal level, I am looking forward both to drinking a lot of this wine in the next couple of years as well as putting some into the cellar to see how it evolves over the next 5-7.
Domaine Courtois, Vinsobres “St Pierre” 2011 – The Domaine des Courtois “La Source” Cotes du Rhone is one of my favorite Cotes du Rhone in our book because it is a lighter, fresher more delicate take on this appellation. As the heart of the Jaume family estate is in the cooler, higher altitude, northerly district of Vinsobres they have a great focus on Syrah based wines from this most Northerly of the Southern Rhone appellations. We’ve held off buying this wine for a number of years, but when they showed us the 2011 we just couldn’t resist bringing it in. 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre this wine has a great, high-toned spicy and satisfying barrel aged quality. It’s a ton of wine for the money from an awfully nice family.
FIND THE WINES
Locations where these selections are available are listed alphabetically by city. Be sure to call ahead for availability.
Domaine Madone, Beaujolais “Le Perreon”
The BeaneryAitkin
218-927-7811
Plaza Discount LiquorAlexandria
320-762-1716
Cash Wise Liquor - BaxterBaxter
218-829-9286
Sand Dunes Spirits - Has New OwnersBig Lake
763-262-2337
Lunds & Byerlys - BurnsvilleBurnsville
952-892-5600
Lunds & Byerlys - EaganEagan
651-686-9669
Beaujo's Wine Bar & BistroEdina
952-922-8974
Lunds & Byerlys - Maple GroveMaple Grove
763-416-1611
Mendota Liquor Barrel - Under New OwnershipMendota Heights
651-687-9252
Eat Street Social ClubMinneapolis
612-767-6850
Lake Wine & CheeseMinneapolis
612-242-0073
Studio 2 CafeMinneapolis
612-315-4243
Ne Social ClubMinneapolis
612-991-2218
Riverview Wine BarMinneapolis
612-729-4200
North Loop Wine & SpiritsMinneapolis
612-338-5393
Lunds & Byerlys - MplsMinneapolis
952-927-3663
The Sheridan RoomMinneapolis
612-886-1111
NighthawksMinneapolis
612-248-8111
South Lyndale LiquorMinneapolis
612-827-5811
Lunds & Byerlys - MinnetonkaMinnetonka
952-541-1414
Brightwines.comNorth Saint Paul
651-748-0793
Andy's LiquorRochester
507-289-0777
Westwood LiquorsSaint Louis Park
952-544-7878
Mchugh, MikeSaint Paul
Thomas LiquorSaint Paul
651-699-1860
ColbeckSaint Paul
651-487-1212
Do Not Use - Scandia Olde Towne LiquorScandia
651-433-5845
Green Lake LiquorsSpicer
320-796-5974
Konrad'sSt Cloud
320-774-1073
Tanpopo Noodle Shop - ClosedSt Paul
651-209-6527
The Wine ThiefSt Paul
651-698-9463
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Domaine Gaudets, Morgon “Cote du Py”
The BeaneryAitkin
218-927-7811
Tournament Liquor - BlaineBlaine
763-786-4992
Lunds & Byerlys - EaganEagan
651-686-9669
Edina Country ClubEdina
952-927-7151
Brackett's Crossing Country ClubLakeville
952-435-7600
Zipp'sMinneapolis
612-333-8686
1010 Washington Wine & SpiritsMinneapolis
612-339-4040
South Lyndale LiquorMinneapolis
612-827-5811
North Loop Wine & SpiritsMinneapolis
612-338-5393
France 44Minneapolis
612-925-3252
Stinson Wine, Beer & SpiritsMinneapolis
612-789-0678
Monello/constantineMinneapolis
612-353-6207
The Kenwood - New OwnershipMinneapolis
612-377-3695
MartinaMinneapolis
612-920-3406
Lunds & Byerlys - MinnetonkaMinnetonka
952-541-1414
Premier Wine & Spirits -old OwnershipOsseo
763-425-4680
Andy's LiquorRochester
507-289-0777
Alvarez, KenSaint Paul
Deb Yanker BlackSaint Paul
651-487-1212
Mchugh, MikeSaint Paul
Gipper'sSaint Paul
Angela KallsenSaint Paul
Toasted Wine+spirits+alesSaint Paul
651-246-8054
Paul DaggettSaint Paul
Liberty Village Wines & SpiritsStillwater
651-439-3022
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Domaine Courtois, Vinsobres “St Pierre”
Lake Wine & CheeseMinneapolis
612-242-0073
South Lyndale LiquorMinneapolis
612-827-5811
99 BottlesMoorhead
218-284-0099
Grand View LodgeNisswa
218-963-2234
Brent HarmsSaint Paul
Solo VinoSaint Paul
651-602-9515
ColbeckSaint Paul
651-487-1212
Paul DaggettSaint Paul