Thurs., June 30: Summer Fare

Summer Fare

Now that summer is in full swing, we're talking about outdoor eating and the foods and wines that go best with these sun soaked days and sultry nights. We'll be joined by Sheryl Julian, food editor at The Boston Globe and author of The Way We Cook, and Jonathan Alsop, founder of The Boston Wine School and author of Wine Lover’s Devotional: 365 Days of Knowledge, Advice, and Lore for the Ardent Afficionado.

Recipe: Sheryl's blueberry cake with streusel topping

Callie's Favorite Summer Wines:
Zinfandel: one of my favorite red wines because it isn't as heavy as Cabernet Sauvignon and has a bit of spice on the tongue. THE BBQ wine. ($10-14, often on sale)
Rosenblum
Ravenswood
7 Deadly Zins
Brown Estates Napa Valley Zinfandel: (not wallet friendly definitely special occasion $40-50)

Vinho Verde: this is a ‘green’ wine from Portugal it is slightly fizzy. I can’t get enough of it in summer ($5.99—less on sale—maybe as much as $8 depending on where you shop– Sooo cheap and delish!)
Casal Garcia -- readily available
Twin Vines—worth the search
Gazela

Rosé : this is dry pink wine.. sooo food friendly, goes with most everything you’ll eat this summer ($9 -$14)
Bonterra Rose (organic)
Francis Ford Coppola Sofia (pretty bottle perfect for hostess gift)
Tapena Rose’ (Spain)

Also yummy for summer:
Red:
Pinotage (South African) goes with everything grilled and particularly gereat with spicy, smoked, grilled meats. The South Africans do what they call ‘brai” which is a lot like our American BBQ. ($14ish)
Kanokop
Man Vintners

White:
Chenin Blanc: Lots of people drink the French Chenin and it is delish, but the South African is just as crisp and delicious and great with seafood like oysters ($8-$10)
“Yolanda” Chenin Blanc from 7 Sisters line
Ken Forrester Petit Chenin

Champagne and Sparkling Wine
Gruet from New Mexico is $14 thereabouts and about as good as any fine champagne you can drink (okay, maybe not Don Perignon, but you get my drift)
And what’s not to like about chilled Prosecco, Italian sparkling wine on a hot day?
($8-$10)