With the holiday weekend ahead, of all the wines that could be served in backyard barbeque celebrations, if the evening temperatures cool and are moderate then Zinfandel should be one within easy reach.  

Widely planted throughout California, Zinfandel is the red varietal that perhaps comes in second presently to the famed Cabernet Sauvignon.   The varietals, however, naturally are distinct in personality.   Zinfandel is not a complex wine, but that is fine as there is a time and place for complexity.   While Zinfandels lack complexity, they are nice in that often times they are easy drinking.   Yet depending on where the vines are planted or how old the vines are, the varietal can surprise you and bring bold flavors to the table.   Sometimes you want something that grabs your palate’s attention immediately with its flash, fruit and spice.  It invigorates your taste buds and youthful hope springs anew.

Girard Winery, (“Girard”, with its tasting room located in Yountville), makes quality wines within affordable reach.   Depending on the vintage of Girard’s Old Vine Zinfandel that you either have or purchase, the composition of the bottling will vary.   For example, the 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel has a 23% mixed blend of black grapes (like Charbono).   The current available vintage has a small percentage of Petite Sirah added.  In any vintage, many of the vines cultivated are over a century old.   If you happen to have the 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel, its bouquet still amazes your nose as the bottle is opened as aromas of cherries, milk chocolate and mint unfold.   Despite the impressive nose, the wine casually ambles across the palate as it is graced by soft refined tannins and a silky texture.   Flavors of raspberry, cherry, plum and anise are enjoyed.

As the 4^th of July approaches, folks gather around the grill for the traditional burger or hot dog.  But what if a more seasonal approach is taken?   Stone fruit is continuing to ripen and grace California’s farmer’s markets and produce stands.   With this in mind, this week’s menu hosts:

1)      Hoisin Based Barbeque Shredded Chicken Open Face Sandwiches with Grilled Vidalia Onions, Plums and Apricots; and

2)     Fresh Peach-Almond Pie with Macademia Nut Crumb Topping.

Who says that grilling cannot incorporate some of California’s summer seasonal finest fruit?   Thick slices of freshly baked bread are coated in melted butter and olive oil before being placed into a hot oven to bake.   Chicken marinated in a homemade barbeque sauce of hoisin sauce, cinnamon, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice and other ingredients is placed atop a charcoal grill until moist and cooked enough to be roughly shredded.   Apricot and plum slices are quickly placed on the outer edges of the grill to heat.   The sandwich slices are stacked with these ingredients plus caramelized seasonal Vidalia onion and lime thyme harvested from the garden.

When paired with the wine, the tartness of the stone fruit pairs with the feisty nature of the Zinfandel.   The varietal surprisingly nicely entangles its raspberry flavors with the grilled stone fruit, acting like a ribbon destined to tie this palate-pleasing creation together.  Similarly the cinnamon in the barbeque sauce coaxes forward the anise spices found in the wine.

Despite the wine’s easy-going drinkability, one glass is really enough.   Like most California Zinfandels, its alcohol content reaches to 14.7% and if one is not careful, he or she will feel the heat of this varietal quickly.

For dessert, there is no better use of the newly arriving seasonal peach than to include it in a peach pie.   Nothing quite says summer than a fresh peach pie and to diversify the traditional recipe, sliced almonds are used and a crumb top is created.  The crumb top included cinnamon and ground macadamia nuts, which are both ingredients typically not found in such a pie topping.

With a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to finish the meal, a slice of pie is just the seasonal ticket for a warm late June or early July afternoon.

In the end, as summer holiday barbeques emerge on calendars nearly every weekend and seemingly at every turn, grab a bottle of your favorite Zinfandel to share.   Given the varietal’s long proven versatility, it is bound to pair with something by the grill no matter where you find yourself.