Three great wines for grilled fare
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 Liquor
Alexandria
320-762-1716
Cash Wise Liquor - Baxter
Baxter
218-829-9286
Sand Dunes Spirits - Has New Owners
Big Lake
763-262-2337
Lunds & Byerlys - Burnsville
Burnsville
952-892-5600
Lunds & Byerlys - Eagan
Eagan
651-686-9669
Beaujo's Wine Bar & Bistro
Edina
952-922-8974
Lunds & Byerlys - Maple Grove
Maple Grove
763-416-1611
Mendota Liquor Barrel - Under New Ownership
Mendota Heights
651-687-9252
Eat Street Social Club
Minneapolis
612-767-6850
Lake Wine & Cheese
Minneapolis
612-242-0073
Studio 2 Cafe
Minneapolis
612-315-4243
Ne Social Club
Minneapolis
612-991-2218
Riverview Wine Bar
Minneapolis
612-729-4200
North Loop Wine & Spirits
Minneapolis
612-338-5393
Lunds & Byerlys - Mpls
Minneapolis
952-927-3663
The Sheridan Room
Minneapolis
612-886-1111
Nighthawks
Minneapolis
612-248-8111
South Lyndale Liquor
Minneapolis
612-827-5811
Lunds & Byerlys - Minnetonka
Minnetonka
952-541-1414
Brightwines.com
North Saint Paul
651-748-0793
Andy's Liquor
Rochester
507-289-0777
Westwood Liquors
Saint Louis Park
952-544-7878
Mchugh, Mike
Saint Paul
Thomas Liquor
Saint Paul
651-699-1860
Colbeck
Saint Paul
651-487-1212
Do Not Use - Scandia Olde Towne Liquor
Scandia
651-433-5845
Green Lake Liquors
Spicer
320-796-5974
Konrad's
St Cloud
320-774-1073
Tanpopo Noodle Shop - Closed
St Paul
651-209-6527
The Wine Thief
St Paul
651-698-9463
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Domaine Gaudets, Morgon “Cote du Py”
The BeaneryAitkin
218-927-7811
Tournament Liquor - Blaine
Blaine
763-786-4992
Lunds & Byerlys - Eagan
Eagan
651-686-9669
Edina Country Club
Edina
952-927-7151
Brackett's Crossing Country Club
Lakeville
952-435-7600
Zipp's
Minneapolis
612-333-8686
1010 Washington Wine & Spirits
Minneapolis
612-339-4040
South Lyndale Liquor
Minneapolis
612-827-5811
North Loop Wine & Spirits
Minneapolis
612-338-5393
France 44
Minneapolis
612-925-3252
Stinson Wine, Beer & Spirits
Minneapolis
612-789-0678
Monello/constantine
Minneapolis
612-353-6207
The Kenwood - New Ownership
Minneapolis
612-377-3695
Martina
Minneapolis
612-920-3406
Lunds & Byerlys - Minnetonka
Minnetonka
952-541-1414
Premier Wine & Spirits -old Ownership
Osseo
763-425-4680
Andy's Liquor
Rochester
507-289-0777
Alvarez, Ken
Saint Paul
Deb Yanker Black
Saint Paul
651-487-1212
Mchugh, Mike
Saint Paul
Gipper's
Saint Paul
Angela Kallsen
Saint Paul
Toasted Wine+spirits+ales
Saint Paul
651-246-8054
Paul Daggett
Saint Paul
Liberty Village Wines & Spirits
Stillwater
651-439-3022
****
Domaine Courtois, Vinsobres “St Pierre”
Lake Wine & CheeseMinneapolis
612-242-0073
South Lyndale Liquor
Minneapolis
612-827-5811
99 Bottles
Moorhead
218-284-0099
Grand View Lodge
Nisswa
218-963-2234
Brent Harms
Saint Paul
Solo Vino
Saint Paul
651-602-9515
Colbeck
Saint Paul
651-487-1212
Paul Daggett
Saint Paul
