Cookout Pairings

By Food & Wine
Updated January 11, 2017
PHOTO © JOHN KERNICK
Wine pairings for bold grilled foods such as cedar-planked salmon and Italian sausage burgers.
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1 of 10

Cedar-Planked Salmon with Lemon and Dill

PEDEN + MUNK
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Pairing: 2010 Matua Valley Paretai Sauvignon Blanc

Lively, grassy Sauvignon Blanc pairs nicely with the lemon and dill in this salmon dish.

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2 of 10

Turkey Burgers

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Pairing: 2009 Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera

This meaty sandwich should be paired with a fresh, full-flavored red, perhaps one made from the versatile, food-friendly Barbera grape.

3 of 10

Sausage Mixed Grill

Con Poulos
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Pairing: 2007 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico

This complex entry-level bottling could easily compete with most estates’ top cuvées.

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4 of 10

Grilled-Vegetable Sandwich

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Pairing: 2007 Trimbach Pinot Blanc

Alsace Pinot Blancs are among the most versatile of wines. Soft, nutty, and easy to drink, they partner vegetables, chicken, and fish equally well. And most appropriately for this unpretentious sandwich, they are always inexpensive.

5 of 10

Gorgonzola, Fig and Pancetta Pizza

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Pairing: NV Simonnet-Febvre Brut Rosé

A delicate, light-bodied, strawberry-scented rosé that’s perfect for picnics or as an aperitif.

6 of 10

Pastrami-and-Mushroom "Hot Dogs"

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Pairing: 2009 Reichsrat von Buhl Armand Riesling Kabinett

Very few wines could stand up to these over-the-top hot dogs; they need a Riesling with laser-like acidity.

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7 of 10

Italian-Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach

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Pairing: 2009 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel

A supple, juicy Zin with expressive root beer and red plum flavors layered with notes of oak.

8 of 10

Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter

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Pairing: 2008 Argyle Nuthouse Chardonnay

Oregon’s cool climate often results in Chardonnays with firm minerality and appealing spice, a good pairing for these tarragon oysters.

9 of 10

Paprika-and-Ancho-Rubbed Smoked Baby Back Ribs

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Pairing: 2010 Mas de Guiot 40% Grenache-Syrah 60%

Plush Grenache and spicy, plummy Syrah come together nicely in this terrific value wine.

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10 of 10

Deluxe Lobster and Potato Chip Rolls

PHOTO © JOHN KERNICK
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Pairing: 2009 Cantina Santadi Villa Solais Vermentino di Sardegna

A blend of 70 percent Vermentino and 30 percent Nuragus, this is sheer deliciousness, with crisp peach and orange flavors that are silky, ripe and vibrant.

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