The 4th of July is right around the corner, and Americans are projected to spend over $8 billion on food for their Independence Day cookouts. That’s a lot of burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and corn on the cob!

As far as drinks go, the number one beverage choice for most cookouts is undoubtedly beer, but why not include wine this year? There are some terrific options to go with the classic cookout foods, although sometimes it’s confusing to choose a cookout wine because there can be many different flavors on the picnic table. (Thanksgiving poses the same problem.) Plus, smoky, grilled flavors need wines with enough character to stand up to them. 

So it’s important to remember that flexibility is the key when choosing wines for your Independence Day cookout.

Depending on what’s on your menu, you’ve got choices:

Burgers

Whether you’re topping your burgers with cheese, bacon, mushrooms, or all of the above, you’re going to get some wonderful rich savory flavors. That means a fuller-bodied red wine will pair well. Wines like:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Zinfandel
• Syrah/Shiraz

Hot dogs and bratwurst

Both hot dogs and sausages like bratwurst are wine-friendly, especially with a lighter, slightly-chilled red wine like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. The fruit flavors in these wines will also complement the flavor of the hot dogs and sausages.

If you prefer a non-red wine, you can’t go wrong by pairing a dry rosé or a dry or off-dry Riesling. If you like to pile on the relish, mustard, or other spicy toppings, then reach for the off-dry Riesling, which has a hint of sweetness that will balance the spice.

Barbeque

Barbeque can be smoky, spicy, sweet, or all three of these at once, and that calls for bold fruit flavors. You’ll get those in wines like Zinfandel and Malbec. If your barbeque is on the sweet side, you’ll want to avoid highly tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah because they will taste harsh against the sweetness of the barbeque.

Pairing with side dishes

Side dishes for any meal is where wine pairings can get interesting. Remember, wines with higher acidity can go really well to balance rich and creamy side dishes – potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans. Thinking about traditional cookout side dishes that you’re likely to see on any picnic table, here are my recommendations:

• Potato salad or Coleslaw: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or dry rosé
• Corn on the cob: Chardonnay or Viognier
• Baked Beans: Zinfandel or Grenache

What about dessert?

There’s nothing better than wrapping up a hot summer cookout with ice cream! But the reality is that most people don’t really want to be sipping wine while eating ice cream. I get it, so how about incorporating wine into your ice cream?

Now we’re talkin’!

My suggestion? Instead of a root beer float, try a Banyuls float. Banyuls is a French fortified red dessert wine made primarily from the Grenache grape. With strong fruit flavors of cherry, strawberry, and black currant, plus a hint of cocoa, it creates the perfect complement to your favorite vanilla ice cream. And if you want to go a little more decadent, trade the vanilla ice cream for chocolate. Take my word for it. You’ll be happy with this one!

So many dishes – so many pairings

I just named about a dozen different wines that could be on your picnic table. Having all of them isn’t very realistic for most people. So how do we winnow down our choices? 

Look for wines that can go with a variety of foods. If you want a couple of choices, I would opt for Riesling and Zinfandel. These are very versatile food wines, especially with your cookout flavors. Plus, having a white wine option and a red wine option will also satisfy most of your guests. But…

If you want to go with just one type of wine, your best bet is to choose a dry rosé. While I’ve specifically noted it only a couple times above, it really can go with just about any of the foods I’ve mentioned, and it also is super enjoyable in hot weather just on its own.

Remember, wine pairing doesn’t have to be complicated. Focus on wines that are versatile and refreshing. And if you’ve got a lot of guests, this would be a great time to opt for boxed wine. There are some very good reasons to do so!

What’s on your Independence Day cookout menu?