You're Invited: Off the Grill and In the Glass #WinePW

Since we've wrapped the May Wine Pairing Weekend, I'm extending an invitation to the 37th event next month. Yep, we have been at this for three years. Wow. So grateful to David at Cooking Chat for starting this group and for each and every blogger who pairs and posts. I learn something new every month.

And I'm giving you plenty of lead time to play with different options. We have just under a month to plan, execute, photograph, and write!

You're Invited...

Our very first topic, back in June 2014, was grilled meats and wine. I didn't read the invitation very carefully and my duck was braised, not grilled. Whoops. But with summer just around the corner, I know people are dusting off their grills. I asked David if I could take the original topic and add a twist; he said yes.

Where our first event was specifically about grilled meats, I'm opening up the field. Get those grills out and share a wine pairing with whatever you toss on there! Think grilled veggies or even grilled fruit. But, definitely meat, fish, and chicken are fair game as well.

I'm excited to hear what you all come up with because I'm in a grilling-wine pairing rut. I usually open up a beer or a big, beefy red. But I think there's so many more possibilities and can't wait to be inspired by the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers.

Some Thoughts...

Grilled Veggies

Grüner Veltliner, Austria's star grape, is usually grassy with some apple notes which makes it a good fit for any veg-heavy skewers. While I think some vintners are a little heavy-handed with the oak, Chardonnay that's spend its time in stainless might go well with a grilled ratatouille salad.

Grilled Seafood or Grilled Birds

Marrying seafood and chicken with white wine seems like a no-brainer. But which white wine? A meatier fish might pop with a slightly floral Viognier while a softer, fattier fish might be better served with a mineral-rich Pinot Gris. Grilled chicken, or even quail, could also go well with an unfussy floral or fruity wine. Thinking a lean Vinho Verde might be just the ticket.

Grilled Sausages or Grilled Burgers

My first thought with juicy sausages and burgers would be a red, but I was thinking about a wine that goes well with sauerkraut and that brought me to a Riesling. But, on the Red side, I would look for a red that is softer and more lush. Cru Beaujolais, perhaps?

Grilled Steak

Steak and red wine are definitely bosom buddies. Think a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, a smoky Pinotage, or something more offbeat. Tempranillo? Carménère maybe?? I think the higher tannins and acids cut through a fatty, glistening piece of meat. But what do you think?

What will your pairing be? 

Details for participation

Are you ready to jump in and participate in the ninth #winePW? Here are the specifics…

Send an email to tell me you're in: Include your blog url, Twitter handle, link to your Pinterest profile, and any other social media detail. If you know your blog post title now, include that...but you can send me that a bit closer to the event, I'd like to get a sense of who's participating and give some shoutouts and links as we go. The email is constantmotioncamilla AT gmail.com.

Send your post title to me by Monday, June 5, to be included in the preview post. I will do a preview post shortly after getting the titles, linking to your blogs. Your title should include " #winePW " (Note: I'd like us all to use the hashtag in the title to make it easier to see the posts getting shared on Twitter).

Publish your post between 12:01 a.m-7:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday, June 10. You can always schedule your post in advance if you will be tied up around then.

Include a link to the other #winePW participants in your post, and a description of what the event is about. I'll provide the html code you can easily put in your initial post--which will link to people's general blog url--then updated code for the permanent links to everyone's #winePW posts.

Get social! After the posts go live, please visit your fellow bloggers posts' to comment and share. I'll follow-up later with some specific strategies for that social sharing.

Sponsored posts OK if clearly disclosed. Please be sure to disclose if your post is sponsored or if you are describing wine or other products for which you have received a free sample.

Live #winePW Twitter Chat June 10, 11 a.m. ET: Participating bloggers and others interested in the subject will connect via a live Twitter chat. It's a nice bring way to bring in others interested in the subject who didn't get a chance to share a blog post. You can definitely still join the blog event if you're not available for the live chat.