Blazing summer gives way to prime grilling time in SWF

Up north, Labor Day signals the end of the grilling season, but here in Southwest Florida, it marks the beginning — more or less — of cooler nights that allow us to grill outdoors without getting charbroiled ourselves.

And so it's time to give some consideration to what wines to drink with all those deliciously smoky proteins.

Todd Johnson, chef-partner at Rumrunners Restaurant in Cape Coral, has an everchanging lineup of options.

"I go through phases with wine, and will get hot on a varietal," he says. "Right now I am drinking a lot of Rioja with sausages or other grilled meats. Another dish I like to grill is chicken thighs marinated in brine with sugar and buttermilk overnight, with any available spice, like Emeril's. This goes well with red Rioja, and the wine is so affordable. One of my current favorites is Muga."

Ruth Cohen, chef at the soon-to-open Mad Takeout in Fort Myers, says, "Through the summer I enjoyed drinking white wines instead of my usual reds. I recently tried a white cotes du Rhone, and white Hermitage. I especially like a fine chablis with fatty fish, like salmon. I also enjoy grilled oysters, clams and mussels with a nice mignonette sauce and fennel. The clean whites cut through the richer foods."

JIM McCRACKEN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Ruth Cohen Southwest Floridians can learn a thing or two from those Down Under, too.

Brad Rey, winemaker of Jip Jip Rocks Wines of Padthaway, Australia was in Naples last week and gave me the following advice:

"We grill about 99 percent of the time at home," he says. "Our properties include vineyards and a cattle ranch, so we enjoy scotch filet a lot (known in the United States as filet mignon). The Bryson Family, owners of the winery, also have property south near the Limestone Cliffs, the premier crayfish grounds in our country. When we grill crayfish I like to have an Australian Albarino, or a crisp Clare Valley riesling. With the beef, the (Jip Jip Rocks) shiraz-cabernet is my favorite."

Winemaker Daren Procsal of Arlas Peak in Napa Valley, recently told Lisa Morrison of KFOX-TV in El Paso, Tx., that weather has nothing to do with grilling as far as he's concerned.

"I refuse not to grill," he says, adding that he fires up the barbie come rain or shine or dark of night. "I do it year 'round. There are times when it's raining, and I am out there with the grill and steam is rising off of it. But that doesn't stop me."

Procsal lists pork ribs or a pork roast with a light-bodied sangiovese, and salmon with either a smoky chardonnay or a light pinot noir as great grill and wine pairings.

In "What to Drink with What you Eat" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, Piero Selvaggio, owner of Valentino Restaurant in Los Angeles says, "If a dish is grilled and has a smoky flavor, then you look to zinfandel, Rhone wines, and spicy Italian wines from southern Italy made from syrah or cabernet clone. These wines pick up a peppery flavor from their terroir that goes well with grilled foods."

Cohen also suggests the Hendry Napa Rose. "It's dry and crisp, made from cabernet sauvignon and other red grapes," she says. "Also Champagne goes with everything. Explore all options in wine."

Frank Pulice at Austin's Wine Cellar in Fort Myers is very selective about grilling. "Normally I enjoy a morsel of New York strip, done black-and-blue," he says. "I like pairing that with a syrah from the Rhone district such as St. Joseph."

He thinks Italian wines go well with steaks as well such as Dolcetto and Gattinara as well as a good chianti.

When it comes to fish, his favorites are tuna and salmon.

"If the seafood is naked I will try a pinot noir with that, but if there is a cream sauce involved then I find a slightly malolactic chardonnay works well," he says.

I like to grill skewered shrimp at home with a sweet chili sauce, and that goes well with a nice New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Another of our favorites is salmon brushed with a sauce of maple syrup, fresh ground coriander seed, balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil. Pinot noir is the preferred choice here, because it can stand up to the fat in the salmon, and after grilling, the glaze is less sweet and doesn't overpower the wine.

Obviously, everyone's tastes are different. As regular readers know, I wholeheartedly support wide-ranging experimentation.

So here are a few simple tips:

Drink what you like with what you like to eat. It might not initially seem like a good match, but you can never tell until you try it.

Match intensity of flavors. Never barbecue without a bottle (or two) of your favorite wine. It just makes sense.

Wine picks of the week

>>Bernardus Chardonnay Monterey County 2006: A good example of a nice chardonnay with malolactic fermentation. Rich layers of fruit, including apple, pear and hints of tropical fruit. About $20.

>>Hendry Napa Rose 2007: A Bordeaux-style blend along with zinfandel and primitive. A long cool fermentation brings out the strawberry color and flavors and a smooth finish. About $15.

>>Thorn-Clarke Shiraz Barossa Shotfire 2006: Deep red color, with raspberry, plum, currants and spice. Great depth of fruit, with some oak and structured tannins for a long finish. About $20.