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.  5^th 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 Beanery
Aitkin
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 Beanery
Aitkin
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

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Domaine Courtois, Vinsobres “St Pierre”

Lake Wine & Cheese
Minneapolis
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