The simplest pairs

Summer is here, or at least it is trying to be here, and when the seasons change we find that our taste in food and wine and the pairings we have with them changes quite a lot. We fire up the grill, dine outside with family and friends, and seek out some of our favorite light bodied varietals that seem somehow to go better with the warm weather.

When all this comes together it seems that the simplest wine and food pairings work the best for summer. They are easy to assemble, leaving us more time to relax and enjoy the sunshine and good times. One of those pairings we enjoy the most is a simply roasted chicken on the rotisserie of our outdoor grill and Pinot Noir. In France this pairing is raised to an art form despite its basic simplicity and ease of execution. Simply season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, if you want to add some complexity also sprinkle in some Herbs de Provence. Stuff the body of the chicken with two peeled onion quarters and some stalks of fresh celery, truss the chicken, season the bird all over the outside with more salt and pepper and set it up to grill on the rotisserie.

If you are unfamiliar with how to truss a chicken stop by the shop and we will share with you a simple method for this too. No rotisserie on your barbeque grill - no worries! Simply set up your grill for indirect heating, place the chicken breast side down between the heat sources and turn once or twice while it grills. If you want to add a little zip in the last half hour baste the chicken with equal parts Dijon mustard and olive oil, with your favorite herbs mixed in.

For pairing you just have to go to Pinot Noir. We recommend either the Pennywise for $10 or the Baileyana for $20, both well priced wines from California that show loads of cherry flavors and earth that will highlight the chicken perfectly while not breaking the bank.

Another of our favorites during summer is barbecued ribs. The staple of backyard chefs from coast to coast with so many recipes and interpretations we would never attempt to substitute one of our recipes for your favorite preparation. Here is a slightly different angle though. Try pairing the ribs the next time you cook up a batch with a Grenache or Grenache-based wine, but chill the bottle down for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator prior to pouring. Yep that is right red wine with a slight chill, with ribs you will be blown away with the pairing.

We recommend the Skylark Grenache for $31.50 or the Gigondas, a Grenache-based blend from the Perrin family in France for $37. Another good choice is the Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas for $38. While all of these choices are a little "spendy" you will be really happy not only with the quality of the wine but the delightful difference of having a slightly chilled red like this with ribs.

Another of our favorites is to grill up shellfish. Whether you like shrimp, scallops or lobster grilling them with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil, some salt and fresh ground pepper - there is nothing that says summer more, and shellfish is always great with Chardonnay. For summer though try going with a stainless steel fermented "Chard" to lighten things up a little. For a variation on the shellfish dry roast some onions, and add some heirloom tomatoes, place all of this and your grilled shellfish of choice atop some grilled sourdough bread and drizzle with more olive oil and some high quality balsamic vinegar, like the 6-year-old Saporoseo from Malpighi from Italy. Then top with some shredded basil and there you go. It will all be ready in about 15 minutes.

For the wine we suggest the Linen Chardonnay from Bergevin Lane for $9, or the Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay for $17, both wines are highlighted by lovely citrus notes to go with the more traditional apple notes Chardonnay is known for. With no oak treatment though you will find the wine to be crisper and better on a hot summer day.

All of these options offer wine consumers the chance to try some new combinations of food and wine while maintaining great simplicity in your menu and saving time so you can enjoy the summer. We are happy to provide more thorough recipes for any of the above recommendations, just stop by the shop or email us and we will send them to you.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party - a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and writes frequently for the online version of Coeur d'Alene Magazine at www.cdamagazine.com. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.