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Memorial Day weekend signals the official kick-off to summer, and what better way to celebrate than a backyard barbecue with friends and family? But for the wine lovers out there, the usual pairing of burgers and beer can feel a little, well, uninspired.

Fear not, fellow geeks! Let&#39;s ditch the predictable and dive into three exciting wine options that will have you sipping and savoring alongside the sizzling BBQ.

1. The Smoky Sangiovese for the Grill Master:

Sangiovese, the backbone of Chianti Classico, is a fantastic choice for the grill. It offers bright acidity to cut through rich meats and smoky flavors that complement the char from the grill. Look for bottles from regions like Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino) or Montepulciano (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) for a touch more structure and depth. Feeling adventurous? Explore a smoky Sangiovese from lesser-known regions in Tuscany like Maremma or Colli Senesi for a truly unique pairing.

<a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Castello-di-Volpaia-Chianti-Classico-2021-w5240771pj">Castello di Volpaia - Chianti Classico 2021 - $23.99</a>

Castello di Volpaia is located in an 11th century village that bears the same name.&nbsp;It sits on a hilltop just north of the town of Radda in Chianti, 2,024 feet above sea level, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. One of the most historical wineries of the region, Volpaia is owned by the Mascheroni-Stianti family and benefits from some of the highest altitude southern exposure vineyards of the area, delivering certified organic Sangiovese-based wines of finesse and elegance with a terroir approach.

Wine Spectator: 92 Points

A racy version, this boasts black cherry, blueberry, violet and iron flavors. A firm line of tannins works in concert with the acidity, while flashes of Mediterranean scrub peek through. Mouthwatering finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2032.

Vinous: 92 Points

The 2021 Chianti Classico is an absolute joy. Fragrant, silky and super-expressive, the 2021 captures all the finesse of Radda. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, orange peel and mint are all beautifully delineated in a vibrant, mid-weight Chianti Classico that has so much to offer. This is a fine showing. - Antonio Galloni

2. The Gamay Gems for the Lighter Fare:

Don&#39;t relegate Gamay to Beaujolais Nouveau! This versatile grape thrives in cool climates, producing wines with vibrant acidity and juicy red fruit notes. Cru Beaujolais wines like Fleurie or Morgon offer a delightful complexity, while Gamay from other regions like the Loire Valley in France or even New York State can be surprisingly delicious with lighter grilled fare like chicken or veggie burgers.

<a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Michel-Lafarge-Bourgogne-Rouge-Passetoutgrain-L-Exception-2020-w08026475m">Michel Lafarge - Bourgogne Rouge Passetoutgrain L&#39;Exception 2020 - $36.99</a>

Size:&nbsp;1.00 ha (2.47 ac) /&nbsp;Variety:&nbsp;50% Pinot Noir, 50% Gamay /&nbsp;Vine Age:&nbsp;Planted in 1926 /&nbsp;Terroir:&nbsp;Clay limestone soil /&nbsp;Viticulture:&nbsp;Certified organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Demeter) /&nbsp;Vinification:&nbsp;100%&nbsp;de-stemmed, lightly crushed, pneumatic press, indigenous yeast fermentation. Aged for 15-18 months in barrel, unfiltered.

Decanter: 93 Points

A deeply lovely fruit character, with plenty of forward red berry fruit nicely dressed with floral notes and a silky, fine texture which is set off by a lively and refreshing acidity. A perennial favourite and exceptional indeed. This is produced from a blend of half Pinot Noir and half Gamay, both from 95-year-old biodynamically worked vines.&nbsp;The grapes are destemmed and fermented on native yeasts prior to ageing over two winters in cask. &nbsp;Drinking 2022 -2030&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;&nbsp;Charles Curtis MW

Wine Advocate

The 2020 Bourgogne Passetoutgrain l&#39;Exception bursts with aromas of sweet red berries, petals and orange rind. Medium-bodied, bright and lively, with powdery tannins and a tightly knit core, don&#39;t underestimate this bottling: it will really reward some patience, and especially so this year. Drinking 2023 - 2040&mdash; William Kelley&nbsp;

3. The Sparkling Extravaganza for Pure Fun:

Let&#39;s not forget the fun factor! Sparkling wines are fantastic BBQ companions, offering a refreshing palate cleanse between bites and a festive air to the occasion. Explore beyond the usual Prosecco and delve into grower Champagnes for a truly celebratory experience. For something different, try a Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna in Italy. These slightly sweet, fizzy reds are perfect with grilled sausages or spicy dishes.

<a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Saetti-Rosso-Dell-Emilia-Viola-Lambrusco-2022-w10029770n">Saetti - Rosso Dell Emilia Viola Lambrusco 2022 - $23.99</a>

Luciano Saetti makes stunning, evocative Lambrusco just outside of Modena. He is of a generation that decided to return to traditional methods and eschew modern practices that contributed to Lambrusco&#39;s poor reputation. The 2.8 hectares of vines he works were planted by his family in 1964. Prior to his taking over, they sold off most of their fruit to the local coop.

Luciano, however, thought that they could do better and so after a successful first career as an egg distributor in Modena, he founded Vigneto Saetti in 1998. He saw the value in the family&rsquo;s old vines of a particular local strain of the Lambrusco grape called Salamino di Santa Croce. It&rsquo;s thick-skinned, tight-bunched, darker-colored and higher in natural acidity than some other more common varieties of Lambrusco.

Bonus Tip: Consider the weather! If it&#39;s a scorcher, opt for lighter-bodied wines like Gamay or chilled reds like Sangiovese. For cooler evenings, a bolder Zinfandel or a GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourv&egrave;dre) could be delightful.

So, this Memorial Day weekend, ditch the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary. With these exciting wine options, your BBQ will be a celebration for the taste buds as well as a toast to good times with loved ones.

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Memorial Day weekend signals the official kick-off to summer, and what better way to celebrate than a backyard barbecue with friends and family? But for the wine lovers out there, the usual pairing of burgers and beer can feel a little, well, uninspired.

Fear not, fellow geeks! Let's ditch the predictable and dive into three exciting wine options that will have you sipping and savoring alongside the sizzling BBQ.

Memorial Day BBQ Bash: 3 Wines to Geek Out Over (While Grilling)

Wines from grapes grown in higher altitude areas with cooler climate has become quite the trend recently. This specific growing environment gives intense flavor but elegance and freshness to the final wines. To highlight and champion these conditions more and more winemakers are starting to use alto as a marketing and labelling term to show their grapes were grown in high altitude vineyards.

Decoding the wine label: Alto

Brut is a word often seen on labels for different kinds of sparkling wine. As you may have discovered when drinking these wines, it indicates that the wine is dry, meaning there is no perceived sweetness in the wine. But how about Extra Brut or Dry, what do they mean and are they the same as Brut?

Decoding the wine label: Brut

Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It’s a shame, since these wines are perfect to pair with flavorful cuisines like Asian or Mexican, or simply drink as they come under the summer sun. The higher level of sugar left in the wine also means that the alcoholic fermentation was stopped before finishing, providing a wine with lower alcohol level and therefor easier grabbing a second glass of.

Decoding the wine label: Spätlese

Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers’ lips today, as it happens to be considered the grape variety with the highest quality in Greece, and one that is trending at the moment. The fact that Greece have been making wine for a long time comes as no surprise, but they have never exported an amount to make sure wine lovers around the globe tried it. With the growing wine tourism many have discovered these wines and are serving them in wine bars and restaurants in many countries today.

Decoding the wine label: Xinomavro

Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico… Why do all these Italian wine regions have the Classico addendum and what does it mean? What is the difference for wines labeled as Classico?

Classico is a wine term in Italy seen on a few wine labels and it indicates that the wine’s from the historic center of the region, the heart. Using Chianti and Chianti Classico and their Sangiovese-based red wines as an example, Chianti is a rather large wine district within the Tuscany region. Chianti Classico is located withing Chianti as the central part and the one that originally existed. Back then this smaller region was actually called Chianti, but as the region grew the quality of the wine plummeted and the well-known characteristics of these red wines were watered down. The reputation took a hit and sales diminished. Eventually this led to the creation of Chianti Classico, which would be drawn from the original Chianti borders to recover the typicity of these wines. Today the quality of both Chianti and Chianti Classico have risen a lot due to modern techniques and knowledge about pruning, planting and temperature control in the winery.

Decoding the wine label: Classico

In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot's gripping memoir "FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation" reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world's most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

From Burgundy's Vineyards to the FBI's Most Wanted: A Winemaker's Quest for Justice

Chablis – one of the more popular styles of wine today and a region known by many. Most are familiar with the word Chablis and the light, fresh white wine with a touch of minerality it brings. Even though it’s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is.

Decoding the wine label: Chablis

Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they’re grown in, even though they’re exactly the same. The most famous example would be Syrah in France where the same grape is named Shiraz in Australia. Another variety with two names is Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris.

Decoding the wine label: Pinot Grigio

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

Robert Tas talks to Chris Phelps, winemaker and owner-operator of Ad Vivum in Napa Valley.

Josh Phelps on Ad Vivum

Robert Tas

Chris Phelps of Ad Vivum

Chris Phelps &ndash; Ad Vivum

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode, we typically review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. But today I have a special guest.

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Chris Phelps, founder and napa winemaker of Ad Vivum. He has an amazing wine pedigree. He studied viticulture and enology at both the University of Bordeaux and &amp; the University of CA at Davis. During the 1982 vintage, he lived and worked on the Right Bank (I was SUPPOSED to be at Petrus, which is part of the story. I returned during the 1984 harvest for 4 months, living &amp; working at Petrus...). In 1984 he became the founding winemaker at Dominus Estate in Napa, owned by Christian Moueix. Chris has worked at numerous notable wineries: like Caymus, Swanson, Inglenook, and consults throughout the west coast.

Chris, thank you for joining us here on CorkRules.

CP: &hellip;

So, Chris, let&rsquo;s start with talking about your wine Ad Vivum. I&rsquo;m super excited to try it. Can you share your story?

CP: Talk about the history, location, wine style, etc.

RT: How has your wine evolved from its first vintage to your latest release?

CP: &hellip;

RT: What&rsquo;s on the horizon? Where do you want to take it?

CP: &hellip;

RT: So, let&rsquo;s pivot a little to the state of the wine world. Where does CA wine-making stand today?

CP:

RT: There are some big challenges facing the wine world &ndash; climate, consumer changing habits, and distribution. Given where you sit, what are your thoughts?

CP:&hellip;

RT: How do you get your wine into the hands of new consumers?

CP:

RT: One of the challenges, I see how do we get younger people into wine? I read your parents, like mine, introduced you to wine at young age? What can the industry do to get your generation into wine?

CP:

RT:

RT: Chris, Thank you so this fabulous discussion about our restaurant (winemaking) industry. It&rsquo;s inspiring to be a part of this community. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@CorkRules.Com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form available.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for all our latest episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists and please download our app which has all your favorite restaurant wine lists, make personalized recommendations, and allows you to connect with your friends. &nbsp;&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

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Andrew Edmunds

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Matteo's

Grand Marchand is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Bordeaux, France. With a focus on quality and tradition, the winery produces some of the finest wines in the region.

Stylish rooftop hangout featuring modern American eats & craft cocktails, plus scenic city views.

Contento

homepage

CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

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