Summer BBQ Wines

By Karen MacNeil

August 28, 2026

With Labor Day just around the corner, these wines will guarantee your final summer weekend cookouts are unforgettable. Grab a corkscrew because barbecue demands vibrant wines that can dance with smoke and char. Click on each wine to read my full review.

LUCY Rosé of Pinot Noir 2025 (Santa Lucia Highlands, CA) $24

SHYPOKE Chenin Blanc 2024 (Calistoga, Napa Valley, CA) $30

RESONANCE Pinot Noir 2023 (Willamette Valley, OR) $36

CLONAKILLA “O’Riada” Shiraz 2022 (Canberra District, New South Wales, AUS) $36

RIDGE VINEYARDS “Three Valleys” Zinfandel 2023 (Sonoma County, CA) $36

Sauvignon Blanc, grown in the Loire Valley, might carry the name of which appellation below?The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Muscadet

B. Menetou-Salon

C. Savennières

D. Vouvray

Fifty Pounds and a Gazillion Seeds

Lodi, the self-proclaimed “Zinfandel Capital of the World” (it produces over 40% of California’s zin), is also home to over 130 different grape varieties, more than any other California region. These include: The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.