Grilling recipes and wine pairings for the season's last barbecues

Turkey dinner and Barbera

Late summer and fall can be a terrific time for getting in your last barbecues of the year. Earlier we discussed simple grilling options and affordable wines . Now it's time to talk about creating more exciting dishes on the grill. As always, a perfect wine pairing is a must. The following selections might even introduce you to some new favorite wine regions.

SALMON
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Salmon and Pinot Noir is a perfect pairing

My favorite food and wine pairing is grilled salmon and Oregon pinot noir. A favorite food website, Allrecipes.com, offers a ton of recipes and allows you to rate them. The step-by-step instructions allow anyone to create amazing dishes, and it has a simple salmon recipe for the grill. Byerly's website offers loads of recipes, and its salmon instructions will also work well. When buying salmon, this video will help. I have found good salmon from Lund's and Byerly's, Costco, and even Cub.

These wines are available and on sale at Sorella's in Minneapolis.

2008 La Bete Momtazi Vineyards Willamette Valley Oregon $24.97
A really nice wine for under $30, which offers raspberry, minerals, funk, and earth. Good structure and a medium finish. Similar to a red Burgundy. 93 points

2008 Cardwell Hill Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $17.97
A great vintage, and this wine offers cherry, floral, and spice on the nose. The palate is fruit forward, featuring cherry, raspberries, and strawberries. Medium finish and good acidity. A favorite under-$20 pinot! 90 points

Cardwell Hills Cellars

Solid Willamette Valley Pinot Noir under $20

TURKEY

There is nothing better than turkey on the grill, but it can be time consuming. All Recipes offers a great recipe to cook on your Weber grill. Here is a less time-consuming recipe from Byerly's. I love sides with turkey, and the following will go well with the wines: squash, a cranberry dish, green beans, and mashed potatoes. You can serve the pinot noir wines listed above along with these.

2008 Rubus "Old Vine" Lodi Zinfandel $15.97
Smoke, blackberries, dried herbs, and floral notes. Juicy wine overall and no heat that can be common with high-alcohol zinfandel. 91 points

2009 Jas du Lauzon Cotes du Luberon $7.47
A Rhone rose featuring grenache and syrah. Nice fruit-forward rose with strawberry, raspberries, and minerals. On the finish you get a burst of fruit, which should go well with turkey and chicken. 87 points

2008 La Ca Nova Loreto Barbera d'Alba $13.97
This gem from the Piedmont offers a nice array of fruit and earth components and features cherry, cranberry, and mushrooms. Medium finish and good acidity. 90 points

VENISON

Hunting season is coming, so it's time to grill any venison steaks in your freezer. Here is a recipe that will please the avid hunter. With venison I love syrah, brunello, cabernet sauvignon, barolo, Rhone wines, and Bordeaux. Here are a few wines to pair with your meal.

2007 Trinchero "Hay Stack Vineyards" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $41.97
A super wine with cherry, dust, floral, raspberries, and spices. Concentrated wine and long finish. 93 points

2005 Chateau Moulin Delille St. Estephe $18.77
A Bordeaux blend with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. Cherry, gravel, blackberries, and mild oak on this drink-me-now wine. 2005 is a great vintage, and this is an affordable intro to Bordeaux. 91 points

2004 Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino $47.47
This wine needs four hours in a decanter prior to serving. Raspberries, earth, floral, and spices on the nose. The palate picks up leather, and this wine will go great with wild game. 93 points

If any wines are not available, ask Darrin or MJ for additional recommendations, as they are two of the best in the wine business.

Cheers,

John Glas
Wineglas
www.wineglas.com