Ditch the Heavy Cabernets and Grab Your Tongs: The Ultimate Wine Guide for Summer Grilling

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

Many of you will be cooking something on the grill this weekend, a popular activity for most American foodies. There is something about a weekend among guests, hovering over a sizzling grill that provokes excitement. Whether its smoked ribs, a sizzling steak or barbecue chicken, the grill is the place to be on the weekends.

Grab your tongs—and a glass of wine.

Grilled foods take our wine choices in new directions. Unless beef is on the menu, put away those tannic cabernet sauvignons. Think of something more fruit-forward, even slightly sweet, to match those ketchup-based sauces you may be considering for the ribs or chicken. Because grilled foods are often heavily seasoned or accompanied by sauces, matching wine is more about what goes on top of the food than the food itself.

The good news is that these wines are often inexpensive.

Here are our five wines for grilled foods:

Rosé. We like this fun wine for its bright acidity and versatility that matches so well with many foods: cheese, fresh vegetables, chicken, fish and nearly any appetizer. We like to start our guests with a pour just to set the mood as we put out light bites.

Zinfandel. The fruity character of California zinfandel is a good match with sweet barbecue sauces.

GSM. The blends of grenache, syrah and mourvedre are fruity, balanced with acidity, easy to drink and perfect with burgers, pizza, chicken and pulled port. Although common in southern France, they are now equally plentiful in Paso Robles.

Sauvignon blanc. We love chardonnay, but we usually turn to sauvignon blanc for grilled foods. The grapefruit, citrus and herbal nature of this grape variety marry well with chicken in particular. Many of our seasonings include herbs or citrus. Sauvignon blanc’s crisp acidity offsets salty foods too.

Pinot gris/pinot grigio. Native to France and Italy, these wines are easy to drink—light and crisp with pear, apple notes–and versatile with many outdoor foods.  Pinot gris is commonly found in Oregon and Washington.

Sangiovese. The primary grape grown in Tuscany, sangiovese wines are fruity with ripe red berry flavors. They go well with grilled pork, beef and sauced-ladened chicken.

Here are some selections of grill-ready wines we recently tasted:

Quinta Nova Unoaked Red Blend 2022 ($28). This luscious blend of native Portuguese grapes explodes with juicy plum and black cherry flavors. Easy tannins and a youthful appeal make it a terrific wine for grilled meats.

Cattleya “The Initiation” Syrah 2024 ($70). This producer has a range of wines but its Collection series shows a lot of substance. The single-vineyard Initiation comes from Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County.  Unfiltered and unfined, it has good extraction with a floral and herbal nose followed by blackberry  and sweet cherry flavors. Fine tannins make it a good wine to match with grilled meats.

Table Wine California Red 2025 ($30). An invention of Clos du Val, this blend of malbec, cabernet franc and merlot is simple but delicious with bright cherry notes. A week of carbonic maceration gives the wine a fresh lift to make it a spirited match with summer fare on the grill. You can easily chill this wine, and its relatively low alcohol (12.5 percent) allows for a second glass.  We love that the label lets you know that no additional sugar or concentrate is added.  Even the bottle shape says this doesn’t pretend to be anything but a table wine. Created by Clos du Val and led by third-generation owner Helen Goelet, Table Wine starts from a different place – not the cellar, but the table. It’s shaped by cooking, by hosting, and by the simple idea that wine should feel as natural and easy as the moments around it. Table Wine brings a lighter, joy-filled approach to wine, shaped by food, connection, and everyday life.

San Felice Chianti Classico 2022 ($16-$24). This sturdy sangiovese can stand up to smokey flavors, particularly burgers and ribs.  Good acidity helps with the match as well.

Cline Family Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel Contra Costa 2022 ($22). Cline continues to make superb zinfandel, but the Ancient Vines takes the grape to new levels.  Strawberry and raspberry notes with a dash of vanilla.

Davis wines

Mike and Sandy Davis are one of the many couples who left a successful technology business to pursue a dream of owning a winery.  They once were just tourists enjoying a glass of wine in Napa, musing what it would be like to operate a winery. Their dream came true in 2011 when they bought a 155-acre property along the Silverado Trail in Calistoga. This property isn’t just for vineyards, but for guests eager to enjoy their hospitality while sipping wine and soaking up the views of the Vaca Mountains.

The couple and their son Brandon make this a real family estate. Winemaker Walter Leiva gets consulting advice from the legendary Phillipe Melka in making wines that balance power with finesse. About 29 acres of the property are planted to vine, including the Davis Estates Home Vineyard. Other vineyards are in Carneros, Rutherford and Howell Mountain—all premium locations.

Here’s an introduction to a trio of their delicious wines:

Davis Estates Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2023 ($115). Generous aromatics of violets and raspberries with a spike of herbs. Blackberry and cherry flavors dominate a soft but durable palate accented by olives and tobacco.

Davis Estates Zephyr 2022 ($135). This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (53 percent), cabernet franc, merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Classic Bordeaux-like character with a dark color, herbal and dark fruit aromas, raspberry and black cherry flavors with a hint of dark chocolate. Very concentrated but enjoyable without further aging.

Davis Estates Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($155). One of the legendary sites for Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, Rutherford produces wines dark in color and earthy in character. We liked the concentrated flavors of black cherries and blackberries. Hint of licorice and mocha.

Wine pick

Cambria Txiki 2025 ($22). Looking for a light-bodied wine with low alcohol? This chardonnay at 10.5 percent alcohol might be your answer this summer. Pronounced ch-ee-k-ee, the wine is inspired by the effervescent wine of Spain’s Basque coast. It’s lively with just a touch of spritz and easy, clean white peach flavors. Don’t expect the same personality of your regular chardonnay, but it is a refreshing sipper that won’t get you in trouble.