There is just one more week until the unofficial start of summer, when all the kids are out of school and that plaintive cry..."I have nothing to do" begins. So, now is as good as time as any to take a look at a selection of wines and beers to enjoy over the summer season.

Typically we will be entertaining around the BBQ, enjoying the company of friends and family so pricing is essential. This is not the time to bring out the very special wines you have been cellaring. This is the time of year where value and flavour counts utmost in our buying patterns. What's more, during this time the food that shows up on our table is inclined to be fresh produce from the farm with the condiments being less heavy, the cooking becoming simpler and the wine and beer is fresher and lighter.

When considering pairing wine and beer with summer grilling, you should think about the style of the beverage, i.e. is it light-bodied or a heavier style. Both styles will determine the type of food to pair it with.

Beer can be as complex as wine and in some cases, even more so. Traditional comprised of four ingredients, water, malt, hops and yeast, the malt which is most always barley can be roasted to a certain degree, much like coffee beans, to produce a desired flavour. The addition of hops is a very key ingredient as there are many types of hops available with varying degrees of alpha acids, which is essential to the taste and finish of the beer.

When considering wines for summer, we seem to fall back to the standard of reds and whites but what about rosés. If you are in any of the great wine regions of the world on a blistering hot day, what people are drinking are rosés. These are the perfect patio wines to serve fresh, fruit-driven wines with crisp, lively acidity.

Sparkling wines seem to be always associated with a celebration of some sort whether it’s a wedding or New Years Eve. In fact, they are well suited to the summertime, seemingly able to quench the thirst and give more pleasure particularly ones produced by the Charmat method. These sparkling wines with their effervescence, crisp acidity and lighter weight make them wonderful dinner companions. The sparkle gives an added element that is superb with deep-fried foods like shrimp tempura or baked pastry. Sparkling wine also counterbalances the spiciness in hot peppers and its crisp acidity cuts cleanly through dishes that are rich or a little oily like salmon or caviar along with many soft cheeses.

Summer white wines fall into the same criteria as sparkling wines…they should be crisp, clean wines with vibrant, racy acidity that borders on a mouth-watering, thirst-quenching texture. Leave behind those heavy, oak-dominated Chardonnays and try a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from BC or New Zealand. A Riesling from BC or a Pinot Grigio from Italy or goes well with almost any light meat such as chicken, veal, pork, pheasant, turkey or quail.

Red wines are still the favourite for the backyard B-B-Q but instead of the heavy reds of winter opt for some of the lighter, fruit-driven styles that are available. Zinfandels are the perfect summer red with most being soft and fruit-driven wines. For grilled chicken or salmon fillets, go with a Pinot Noir. Or try a Gamay if you having burgers, pasta or grilled panini sandwiches. It even goes with fish. If an inch thick rib-eye is on the menu, check out a Carmenere from Chile or a Malbec from Argentina.

In Vino Veritas

Weekend Wine Picks:

The Pike Kilt-Lifter Scotch Ale ($17 per 6-pack) is a Single Malt Whisky drinker’s beer. An excellent tipple, this classic Scotch-styled ale pours out a dark-copper colour with a thick, fluffy beige coloured head. The aroma is super yummy with a rich malty goodness, rich dark caramel, a pleasant smokiness that is not overdone, and a terrific malty sweetness to it. The flavour follows suit with buckets of dark caramel and toffee sweetness, lightly hopped with a strong, sweet malt character and just a hint of peaty smokiness. Again the peat is there but not overwhelmingly smoky, it adds just enough for balance. The hops play an underlying role towards the finish with a slight crisp bite. Great feel, very well rounded, and smooth and the low carbonation makes this creamy beer a treat to drink.  Fantastic with sausages roasted over the campfire.

One of the finer sparkling wines made in the valley, the Summerhill Cipes Brut NV ($23 PWS) is a Riesling based sparkling wine, which makes for a decidedly more interesting drop of wine. There’s loads of fresh green apple here with peach, pear, apricot, citrus and a hint of toast with a refreshing sprinkling of effervescence and a balance of natural acidity on the crisp finish. Tart, dry and crisp with toasty, nutty, floral, baked apple and candied citrus peel flavours and a long mouth-watering finish.

The 2007 Undurraga Pinot Noir Reserva ($16-$18 PWS & GLS) boasts a deep, rich purple colour, great concentration of black plum, black cherry, and strawberry with creamy vanilla, licorice, smoky, toasted oak and a hint of earth. The texture on the palate is voluptuous with ripe red and black fruit flavours, toasty oak, licorice and a silky, mouth filling finish.

The 2007 Gabbiano Pinot Grigio ($14 PWS) is a straw-gold coloured wine with aromas of white flower, pear, honeydew melon and pineapple. A citrus flavour on the palate delivers complex characteristics of green apple, orange and hints of lemon-lime. The palate is lively and full created by the excellent harmony of fruit and acid. A light-bodied, with a long finish that reveals hints of citrus and almonds, it is best to be enjoyed with pasta primavera, or with grilled seafood.

Produced from 80 year-old vines, the 2007 Gnarly Head Old Vines ($22.90 PWS & GLS) is an opaque blackish purple red with deep purple streaks, a slightly crimson red rim with super high viscosity. Intense aromas of crushed black fruits, dominated by blackberries, toasty oak, beef jerky, spice rack, black licorice sticks, plum jam, black pepper and an earthy, mineral content. There are massive flavours of spicy black fruit with underlying licorice root, reductive black fruit stew, ripe plums, pepper with subtle vanilla from oak, massive tannin structure, a balanced firm mid-palate and a long finish, peppered with spice. Enjoy now-2010. Absolutely stunning!!!!

Sourced from a small block of vines planted in 1999 at the Sandhill Estate Vineyard, the 2007 Sandhill Gamay ($22-$24 PWS & GLS) boasts a rich, dark colour, the aromas of blackberry, licorice, menthol, chocolate and cedar leap out of the glass. Intensely flavoured with lush juicy black fruit, sweet licorice, balanced acidity and tannins, this wine tastes more like a big juicy Merlot than a soft Gamay but who cares…this is one superb wine. Beautifully balanced between the lush black fruit character, the velvety soft acidity and the firm tannins, this wine can be aged for another 2 years but it is delicious to enjoy now for its youth and vitality. Grilled meats are de rigueur for this wine.

Weekend Events:

This weekend, be sure to join in the fun at the 3rd Annual Smoke on the Water International BBQ Festival taking place at Waterfront Park on June 21st (Father’s Day). This fun-filled day has something for everyone from kids in the Kidzone to the BBQ Marketplace where you can purchase some of the sponsors authentic Southern BBQ’d food and a wide range of award winning hot sauces and BBQ sauces.

The highlight of the day is the Professional BBQ Competition, which is the central part of the entire Smoke on the Water Festival. Teams from B.C., Alberta, and the United States compete in four main categories (beef brisket, pork shoulder (pulled pork), chicken, pork ribs) including the “Iron Chef” competition where the teams are required to cook using a mystery ingredient that is not unveiled until competition starts.

For more info, go to:

Smoke on the Water