Great Wine & Barbecue

Purpose:
Our themed open houses provide our customers alternative ways to experience our wine and reinforces your shop as the place to go to for all their wine needs. During this open house our customers can enjoy our fine wines paired with grilling rubs.

To increase attendance at your open houses, try encouraging your existing customers to bring friends and family with them and to attract new customers. Talk up the open house during wine making sessions, as you speak with customers on the phone or with new walk-ins. You may also want to try adding the open house description to your answer machine recording.

Execution:
Have a maximum of four wines available to sample, but sample based on your attendance for the open house. It is recommended to have one pairing for each wine you are sampling. Use the Grilling Rub recipe cards for your wine pairing. You may choose to make the pairings for the open house or you can make the dry rubs and add some olive oil to the dry rub and simply sample it on white Italian bread. Read through the pairing suggestions below and become familiar with why each wine works with the particular pairing.


Steak Rub

Cru Select French Merlot
This Merlot is a full-bodied red wine with impressive aromas of farm fresh strawberries, violets and vanilla framed with soft silky tannins. On the palate, it presents powerful notes of ripe raspberries, cradled by notes of cherries and dark fruit to complete the graceful tasting experience.

Australian Cabernet Shiraz Merlot
Cabernet Shiraz Merlot Blend -The length of spicy flavor from the Cabernet, sweet berry fruit of the Shiraz and softening effects of the Merlot results in a tightly structured, well-balanced wine.

Why it works, the balance of fruit and acidity will not overwhelm the steak and rub. The fruit matches the sugar as the spices bridge to make and incredible pairing

Chianti Style
This blend is famous for its full, dry character and elegant flavors of cherries and blackberries. Sturdy and robust, with tangy undertones and a slight spiciness. Aging uncovers its complex depth of flavor.

Why it works, this as a classic pairing with a wine that has acidity and tannins to provide the palette cleansing to balance the fat of the steak., the spiceness of the wine bridges the spice of the rub.

Rib Rub

Tango Red
Deepened by rich flavors of ripe cherries and dried prunes, this Tango is also touched with a hint of chocolate or coffee. A a blend of French and American oak.
Why it works, this pairing really picks up on the ripe cherry and chocolate, the different oak adds complexity. The oak and the grill always works together, while them intense dark fruit enhance the spice form the chili, allspice and ginger. The sugars wrap this into a balanced pairing

Chilean Cabernet Carmenere Malbec
Strong notes of green pepper, dark fruit and leather define this rich dark wine. Smooth tannins grace the palate followed by blackberries and spice.

Why it works, the dark fruits against the spice and boldness of the rub, smooth tannis help with the fat of the ribs.

Italian Barolo Wine
.Medium-heavy in body with a luminous dark cherry color, tannin dominates the flavors initially, with intense grip and robust dryness in the finish. High acid, tannin and alcohol levels

Why it works, while it young this bold and big Italian red want intense food to help tame it. The rub and fat of the ribs will give this wine what it needs. On of the perfect pairing hitting all the notes of the rub.

Chicken Rub

All three of these wine will work with this chicken rub, picking up and enhancing certain flavors

French Viognier
The prime appeal of this dry, full-bodied wine is its powerful, rich and complex aroma of ripe apricots and orange blossoms. Its fresh and heady aroma also has an abundance of tropical fruit flavors and is balanced by a soft and creamy mouthfeel.

Why it works, the full body and tropical fruits flavors will play nicely against the nutmeg, clove and ginger, giving this pairing a subtle spice

German Mosel Valley Gewurztraminer
Gewürztraminer is quite full-bodied, more so than most any other white wine type and the combination of its strong and heady perfume, exotic lychee flavor and rich texture make it a powerful wine with an intense and memorable finish.

Why it works, the ripeness with the spice always handles a more intense pairing, this fruit forwardness of this wine will counter the slight heat of the peppers, ginger and mustard while bridging the other spices.

Chilean Pinot Noir
Chilean Pinot Noir is a bright ruby color wine with delicate aromas of red berry flavors. Medium bodied and supple with a hint of herbiness, the mouths their feel is very elegant with soft tannins and a subtle oak finish.

Why it works, the oak and the grilled brings the char out, the bay leaf, celery and cloves will be notes in the flavor of the wine, this is a wine that is not too heavy against the chicken


Seafood Rub

New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
A complex white wine with beguiling aromas of gooseberry, herbs, pink grapefruit, fresh-cut grass, asparagus, lime-leaf, tropical fruit, and passion fruit. Long, rich flavors, with grass and currant leaves, and a crisp dry finish

Why it works, the green notes in the wine and in the rub will balance very well, citrus is always a good pairing with fish and the grapefruit notes in the wine will work very well with the rub while the acidity will bring and added pop to the pairing

Verdicchio
A delicate aroma and clean, crisp flavor with a hint of fruit and almonds.
Why It works, the acidity and clean crisp flavors balance with the oils of the salmon, cleansing the palette. This becomes a full body earthy experience,

French Chardonnay
Pleasantly dry, with medium acidity balanced with subtle hints of citrus and fruit.
Why it works, acidity with hints of citrus will bring all of the flavors together. The citrus brightens the salmon as well as the acid, the body of the wine holds strong against the fish, as the spices strike a nice balance with the wine

Customer Take Away:
Print the recipe cards in color and on white card stock. Trim the recipe cards in half, so you have one card to give each customer. Encourage your customers to make the dishes, try the wine pairings and ask them to post pictures and share their comments on facebook.com/VintnerCircle.'

Neatly scattered the pairing/recipe cards on the tables or by the tasting bar.

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