Club Foody Wine Review – Part I – April 20th, 2016

With the warmer weather and the longer days comes the backyard BBQ and outdoor entertaining. Choice cuts of meat and sides along with cocktails and wine can get quite expensive when hosting an afternoon soirée. But lucky for you, it doesn’t have to! Great wine does not have to cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, there are many wines consistently available of outstanding quality for under $15.
 
I have compiled a list of both red and white wines that offer outstanding flavor to compliment a variety of summer fare from light, fresh afternoon salads to beautifully grilled meats.
 
These white wines are light, refreshing, easy drinking, available at your local wine merchant. They complement a wide range of summer fare and not one of them is over $12.00.
 
The first white wine in this four-part review is Goats do Roam White Blend, 2015 from West Cape South Africa – $11.95. The Goats is a blend of three different white grapes, very pale green in colour when poured. Upon tasting notes of apricot, pear and citrus surface, this wine is medium bodied with a playful acidity. The Goats drinks well as a party wine or a lunch/dinner companion. I would suggest pairing this with any creamy seafood dish, roasted corn salad or a chipotle fish taco.

In continuation, we move on to the Reds.

Red wines are what we think about when we grill a Rib Eye steak medium rare or when we rotisserie a cross rib roast all afternoon on the BBQ with a baked potato. In the wine world this is where most of our wine budget would be spent with just a couple of bottles of big bold beautiful reds.
 
I have put together a list of 4 reds that will not disappoint your palate or your pocket book. And like the white wines that I have suggested they are readily available at your local wine merchant. These reds come in at under $15.00 and are very good quality for the price. I would suggest decanting all of these wines and letting them stand for 15 to 20 minutes to allow them to breathe and open up, so you can enjoy them at their best.
 
The first red wine in this four-part review is Goats Do Roam 2014, Red Blend, West Cape South Africa – $12.95. Like the Goats White Blend, this red is a blend of about 6 varieties of grapes. A red blend with a higher alcohol % gives warmth and great intensity with notes of dark currents and rich plums, pepper and cinnamon. I really enjoyed this blend and I found it to be a casual wine great when paired with an Angus burger or BBQ baby back ribs when the sauce has been charred.

Corrie Robbins
Club Foody Wine Analyst