Wine for Dads Who Love Grilling

Bonfires, Boating, and Backyard Barbecues

Father’s Day is observed on the third Sunday in June, which is typically right around Summer Solstice – the official start to the season of bonfires on the beach, bare-footed boating, and backyard barbecues. From one coast to the other, sweet, savory, and smoky aromas fill the air as Dads hover over their grills, making sure their steaks are cooked just right for their family’s summer gatherings. 

Grill Season

When Dad fires up the grill this season, make sure he’s got the right wine to pair with his favorite barbecued meats. Whether he prefers a juicy, marbled ribeye or fresh-caught wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon, we’ve chosen three Sweet Cheeks wines that are the ultimate wines to pair with some of Dad’s favorite grilled meats. And there’s no better time to make sure his wine cellar is grill-ready than the day before Summer Solstice, which just happens to be Father’s Day this year. 

Pinot Noir + Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon

If your Dad appreciates the delicate flavors of grilled fish, then he’ll likely enjoy the finesse-filled flavors of Pinot Noir. The Pinot’s aromatic notes of cherries, earth and pie spice along with its silky mouthfeel compliment the moist, tender, mildly flavored salmon. A classic pairing that cannot be beaten is Cedar Plank Grilled Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with our 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir. In fact, any one of our Pinots will pair perfectly with any type of grilled salmon, just add Dad. My Dad uses a super simple, easy breezy recipe for Cedar Plank Salmon:  simply spread Dijon mustard all over the top of the salmon filet followed by a liberal sprinkling of brown sugar on top of the mustard. Lay the salmon on top of a soaked cedar plank and grill on indirect heat to desired doneness. There’s a good chance your dad will never make salmon any other way. 

Tempranillo + Grilled Brats

Tempranillo is known to be a rustic yet refined wine. Its fruity aromas and flavors of ripe strawberry, mulberry, and plum are followed by savory herbs, mushrooms, leather and spice. Oak aging adds a touch of vanilla, coconut, and spice on the lengthy finish, and the texture is rich, robust and luscious. My Dad makes Brats at least once a week in the summer, and Tempranillo is our family’s go-to Brat-wine-pairing – its super robust and full bodied characters easily stand up to the many spice flavors in Brats. 

Syrah + Grilled Ribeye

A Ribeye has more fat than most cuts of red meat; therefore, requiring a wine that’s rich and high in acidity –  enough to cut through the excess fat and to stand up to the richness of the meat.  A perfect choice for a grilled Ribeye, Syrah is dark purple in the glass with powerful and lively notes of boysenberry, plum skin, and dried cherry – followed by a cabinet of spices on the palate. Notes of savory clove, cedar, cocoa, and fresh cracked white pepper are front and center while lively acidity and tannins join in on the lengthy finish – a perfect match to the a rich, savory, juicy, tender cut of Ribeye  – grilled to perfection by Dad, of course. 

Purchasing the Wines for Dad

To purchase our Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Syrah, go to our online store here or visit our beautiful winery at 27007 Briggs Hill Rd., Eugene, 97405. 

Dad, Champion of the Grill – An Ode to Dads and Grilling

I came across this great read about Dads and grilling: “More than golf. More than recliner chairs. More than baseball and Rick Reilly columns and watching Arnold Schwarzenegger blow up a composite of type-cast, vaguely foreign villains twice a summer — the grill is the epicenter of You. The ground zero for dad-dom. It’s the best kind of reliable spontaneity. It’s like a snow day every lazy Sunday. It’s the dad, in his natural habitat.” Read the rest of An Ode to Dads and Grilling on thrillist.com .