Tailgating and Wine

Filed in archive Food and Wine , Wine Events on September 8, 2006

Personally, I'm not big on football or any sport for that matter. I find it kind of boring to sit there and watch a bunch of grown men run around with a ball, and don't even get me started on baseball aka nap time. But this time of year is football time and I'm already starting to see game after game on channel after channel. For football fans, this is also party time or tailgating if you are the type to go see the game in person.

While normally this sort of event might lend itself to a brewskie or two, lovers of the grape would prefer a nice glass of vino, even if you are grilling a hunk of meat in the back of a truck in some parking lot.

Publix.com gives some tips of tailgating with wine this football season:

The only question is: which wine to take to the tailgate? This depends on your tailgating style. A few suggestions:

Zinfandel for Grillmasters:
Whether you bring a simple little hibachi or go all out with fancy grills with all the bells and whistles, chances are you¿ll have some beef and pork sizzling over the coals. Red Zinfandel will go particularly well with such meaty, robust foods. Dark, thick and rich with berries and spice, fuller-bodied versions of this wine particularly sing with anything slathered in barbecue sauce.

Zinfandel also has the distinction of being an all-American wine-few countries outside the U.S. produce it. The wine's pleasant richness and heft will go best as the weather cools¿bring on the Zin when you pull out the sweaters.

Shiraz for Chips, Dips, Sandwiches and More:
Like Zin, Shiraz (also known as Syrah), will go great with anything hot off the grill; however, it's also a smart choice to bring to a potluck-style gathering when the menu will be anyone's guess! That¿s because Shiraz is one of the food-friendliest reds around. Its tantalizing berry-fruit flavors and peppery-spice notes mesh well with all kinds of party foods, from chili and pizza to hoagies and potato chips.

Shiraz has the added benefit of being available in boxes. This style of packaging means lots of good news for tailgaters: Boxes take up less space than bottles and are much more portable, plus they're practically unbreakable and offer terrific value for the money.

Fancy Sippers for Fancy Foods:
It's true-there's plenty of gourmet action going on at tailgates these days. If your style is more about world-class cheeses, high-end charcuterie and one-of-a-kind salads than about flipping burgers, a sparkling wine might just be in order. Yet this isn't the time to pull out the French Champagne (you'll want to be able to afford gas for the ride home, after all!). Instead, reach for Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain, or Prosecco, an Italian bubbly. Both are much less expensive than their French cousins.

Most sparkling wines buddy up beautifully with a variety of foods, and Cava and Prosecco are no exceptions. Reach for Cava if you like a more traditional, brut-style sparkling wine-it's toastier and drier than Prosecco, which can often be lighter and fruitier.