From cool salads to hot grills, the warmest months provide ample opportunity for great meals — and great wines to go with them! Below we focus on some of our Top 10 Wines of Summer and their perfect food pairings.
The White Wines
Floral, fruity and very food-friendly, Chenin-Chardonnay from Innovación is a natural for al fresco foods like burgers, fish tacos or shrimp kabobs. Apple in the wine’s clean, balanced finish goes perfectly with our Grilled Turkey Burgers with Gouda opens in a new tab recipe. Try a glass with creamy, tangy Cellars at Jasper Hill Harbison cheese — you’ll get lovely notes of lemon curd in the pairing.
Upfront grapefruit notes and a rosemary herbaciousness in Les Hauts de Bel Air Sauvignon Blanc shine with grilled seafood, stuffed peppers or veggie paninis. Citrus notes in the wine contrast nicely with the savory tahini dressing in our Spicy Celery Salad opens in a new tab. Soft-ripened Sevre et Belle Bucherondin cheese softens the wine’s acidity and brings a nice brininess.
Rich morsels like tarragon crabcakes, grilled oysters or creamy apple slaws complement the blend of toast and apple in our Louis Latour Grand Ardèche Chardonnay. Try it with grilled chicken or veggies and our Roasted Heirloom Tomato Butter opens in a new tab recipe. Creamy, subtly earthy Vermont Creamery Bonne Bouche brings out flavors of white peaches in the pairing.
The Red Wines
Pizzas, cheese boards and marinaras are the way to go with sultry, spicy Barbera from Montevina. The wine’s vibrant acidity and low tannins work perfectly with our savory and tangy Lamb Sliders with Celery-Yogurt Sauce opens in a new tab. Pleasantly briny and nutty, Taleggio Ca de Ambros cheese brings out hazelnut butter and savory umami notes in the pairing.
Made with organic grapes, Santa Rita’s Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon starts with herbal parsley notes and moves to ripe plum and black pepper. Perfect for charred steaks, black pepper chops and even gazpacho. Flank Steak Fajitas with Mango Chimichurri opens in a new tab bring a perfect smoky-sweet complexity to the pairing. Gabriel Coulet Roquefort softens the wine’s tannins, making room for enticing cooked cherry flavors when paired.
Aromatic and fruity with blackberries and cherries, Soleil des Garrigues Ventoux bumps up the flavor in blue cheese burgers, falafel wraps and cool, crunchy Greek salads. This subtly spicy easy-sipper matches nicely with Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herbs opens in a new tab. When paired with pungent, luscious Mons St. Soleil cheese, ripe cherry and sweet fruit notes emerge.
Find more great summertime food and cheese pairings at wholefoodsmarket.com/wine opens in a new tab. What wines do you like with your favorite summer foods? Let us know below!
