Wines for Grilling
SUMMER 2025
Burgers, chicken, salmon, pork chops, bratwursts, veggies skewers, BBQ – you name it, we've got a bunch of delicious wine pairings lined up for whoever is coming to dinner!
WINES FOR GRILLED BURGERS:
Hamburgers are moist & juicy with mild flavors of beef & umami — on a bun with lettuce, onion, tomatoes, a pickle, mayo, mustard & ketchup (which can be tangy). Whites, rosé & reds all work. Look for wines with medium-body so they won’t clobber the burger but with good acidity for balance. This pairing is a lob! You almost can’t miss:
Erste+Neue 2022 Pinot Grigio • Alto Adige, Italy • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Created in 1986 as a result of the merger of Erste Kellerei (1900) and Neue Kellerei (1925), this winery is dedicated to its Südtirol heritage with vineyards in the foothills of the Italian Alps.
Complex, top-notch Pinot Grigio. Mirabella plums, apple & pear orchards with lots of minerality. Long fresh finish. Killer Pinot Grigio! Would taste great with burgers!
André Brunel 2021 Côtes du Rhône Blanc • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Terrific blend of Roussanne 70%, Grenache Blanc 15%, Clairette Blanche 15%. White flowers on the nose with lots stone & orchard fruits. Flavors of ripe apples, peach, honeydew melon, with citrus to the finish. Well-done. Elegant. For a white Rhône, it's on the lighter side (but still medium-bodied compared to most whites). Yummy, easy-drinking. Perfect burger wine.
Mirabeau 2024 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé • Provence, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
First rosé of the 2024 vintage! Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend. Fresh, fruity, minerally, delicious. Just what you’d expect from Provence. Would pair beautifully with every meal on this page!
Casa Rossa 2023 Île de Beauté Rosé • Corsica, France • Reg $15.99 Mixed Case $12.79
Blend of Nielluccio (Sangiovese) & Syrah. Elder flowers, red fruit on the nose. Add in lots of melon on the palate. Wonderful balance & complexity. Fresh, minerally finish.
Cairdeas 2022 Diffraction Red • Washington State • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
Syrah, Petit Sirah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Counoise. Nose = Rhône garrigue notes. Black raspberries, black cherries with fun, herbal components. Palate = Fuller-bodied. Lots of fruits: black cherries, dark plums. Good acidity. Nice, long, spicy finish.
La Bastide Saint Dominique 2022 Rasteau • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Grenache/Mourvèdre 70/30. Very herbal, garrigue, red fruit on the nose. Old-style, classic, Rhône nose. Then the Mourvèdre kicks in on the palate: dark raspberries, black cherries, mulberries, herbal, rustic, barnyard on the back palate. So absolutely sexy & delicious.
WINES FOR GRILLED CHICKEN
It’s probably most common to grill dark meat, so thighs & legs, as they are a little richer and more moist, allowing them to soak up the smoky grill flavors and not go dry. Chicken is mild, savory meat, so go lighter with your wines so as not to overpower the chicken flavor. As always, good acidity for balance is a must.
Domaine de Bigonneau 2023 Quincy • Loire Valley, France • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Sauvignon Blanc from Quincy (near Sancerre). Soft ripe apple, citrus, white currant. Fresh, minerally, and elegant. Not overly fruity. Lovely wine and half the price of Sancerre.
Domaine Vetriccie 2024 Île de Beauté Rosé • Corsica, France • Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
Local blend of Nielluccio & Sciaccrello. Cranberries, raspberries, earthy notes. Flavors = strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate. Finishes with ruby red grapefruit. So fun. Perfect for grilled chicken!
Bodega Garzon 2022 Marselan Reserva • Maldonado, Uruguay • Reg $24.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
Marselan = French hybrid from Cabernet Sauvignon & Grenache.
Aromas of black fruit with dried herbs. Very inviting nose. Taste is wild blackberries — juicy & flavorful. Dark plums & black cherries. Soft, spicy finish with a lovely touch of mint. Medium-bodied. What a fun wine. Enjoy Uruguay!
Frank 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon • Western Cape, South Africa • Reg $14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Soft, fruity nose – blueberries, faint black currant with a little note of fennel seed (in a fun way). More pronounced flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, cassis with a hint licorice & pepper. Not super dry on the finish, but long and with lots of spice for the price. Great acidity. Black currants are the final note. Medium-bodied, so perfect with a grilled chicken thigh!
WINES FOR GRILLED SALMON
Seattle is salmon headquarters! We wait every year for the start of salmon season.
Salmon is a rich, oily, firm, flavorful fish. Rosé wines match in color, body and seashell minerality. Great choice. Whites need a little body to hold up and good acidity to cut the richness of the fish. Reds are just the opposite – choose a red with medium- or lighter-body so that it doesn't overpower the fish, and like the white, good acidity to balance the richness of the finsh. Check out some suggestions below:
Elk Cove 2023 Rosé • Willamette Valley, Oregon • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Pinot Noir. Soft rose petals, then a raspberry field on the nose. Flavors of black raspberries, red cherries, citrus. Great acidity. Pleasant finish.
Henri Gaillard 2023 Côtes de Provence Rosé • Provence, France • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Blend = Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache. "Brilliant rosé, the wine displays strawberry and raspberry notes with a touch of exotic fruit aromas. Bright and well-balanced." –importer notes. To that we'll add: luscious in style with good acidity and a nice, minerally finish. Perfect for salmon!
Ovum 2024 Big Salt • Umpqua Valley, Oregon • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
Blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc & Muscat. Known for its amazing aromatic nose, this wine is still citrusy-fresh in the mouth with a little sea salt spray on the finish.
Domaine Janasse 2023 Viognier • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $32.99 | Mixed Case $26.39
100% Viognier from sandy vineyards in the Principauté d'Orange to the east of Courthézon. Aged for 6 months – 60% in vats (on the lees) and 40% in barrels (25% new).
Nose of white flowers (really big!!), dried apricot, note of dried peach. The palate adds in pear with nutty notes. Fuller-bodied. Luscious with great acidity and a dry finish. Lovely curveball. This wine is full of surprises. Screaming for salmon off the grill!
Soléna 2022 Pinot Noir Grande Cuvée • Willamette Valley, Oregon • Reg $31.99 | Mixed Case $25.59
Full-on raspberries on the nose. Seriously intense! Spicy. Floral. Flavors are more cherries, still some raspberries. Full of flavor but still only 13.5% alc. Finish is long, spicy and fun! Everything I want from an Oregon Pinot! —Jens
Pala 2022 Oltreluna Monica • Sardinia, Italy • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
100% Monica from 30-year old vines located in southern Sardinia. Red berries, red plums, soft fresh earth. Silky smooth. Add in black cherries on the finish. Complex. Elegant. Harmonious. Smooth. Lighter in body. Great for salmon, especially if you want to try a grape you've never had.
WINES FOR GRILLED SAUSAGES
Bratwurst and other pork sausages usually have mild pork flavors which are enhanced with herbs, garlic, and the smokiness of the grill. The key is that the flavors are mild, so you want a wine that is complementary in body and flavors and won't overpower the sausage, but it still needs enough *umpfff* to manage the richness of the pork, which tends to have a lot of fat.
If ever in doubt, pair a wine from a country that eats the food you are enjoying, so in this case, choose wines from Germany, Austria, Alsace (France), Alto Adige/Südtirol (Italy) & more.
Marco Felluga 2022 Bianco • Friuli, Italy • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Crazy-fun blend of Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco. Minerals & earth on the nose in a super-inviting way. Stones, pebbles, soil. Some white flowers. Just a hint of orchard fruit. Taste = apples, earthy notes, minerals, then crunchy pears. Citrus on the finish. Note of salinity on the finish?? Jules says yes.
Weingut Sattlerhof 2018 Sauvignon Blanc • Gamlitz, Austria • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Very herbal on the nose. Flinty, citrus, wild grasses. Flavors of citrus, lime, a little grapefruit, tart apples, minerals. Pretty full-bodied for Sauvignon Blanc. The main white grape out of Austria is Grüner Veltliner (which would be tasty, too!), but their Sauvignon Blanc is interesting & delicious. Perfect for your next round of brats off the grill.
Rezabal 2023 Txakolina Rosé • Basque Country, Spain • Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
100% native grape Hondarrabi Beltza from Pais Vasco = Basque Country. Bright pink in color but dry! Notes of fresh, wild strawberries. Silky in texture. Perfect for grilled foods across the board.
Heyden 2022 Pinot Noir • Rheinhessen, Germany • Reg $26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
Oppenheimer (famous) single-vineyard. Nose is full of Wacholderbeeren = Juniper berry = special, earthy, berry smell, traditional to German Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied with lovely acidity & soft tannins. I absolutely dig this wine! –Jens. Perfect for brats off the grill.
Muri-Gries 2022 Lagrein • Alto Adige, Italy • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
100% Lagrein, a grape native to Alto Adige/Südtirol in northernmost Italy near the Dolomite Mountains. Violet perfume on the nose with some earth & sand. Flavors of black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries with spicy notes. Peppery, spicy, earthy finish. Medium-bodied. Good acid. Not super dry. Great summer red. Screaming for grilled sausages!
Mayr 2019 Zweigelt • Niederöstereich, Austria • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Zweigelt. Earthy, spicy, strawberries – raspberries on the nose. Fresh. Flavors of red/black plums. Raspberries. Earthy tones. Herbal notes. Absolutely delicious wine. Love, love, love!!!
WINES FOR GRILLED STEAK
What kind of steak you have matters! Richer cuts of steak (T-bone, rib-eye) need acid & tannins to cut the fat, creating balance on your palate. They also need bolder flavors and can handle higher alcohol and oak-enhanced notes in the wine. Leaner cuts of steak (filet mignon, sirloin) are happy with a more medium-bodied wine (but full is still okay). Important, though, is you still need the acid & tannins for balance. Try some of these suggestions:
Moulin de la Roque 2023 Bandol Rosé • Provence, France • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
Superb nose. Earth, minerals, strawberries. Flavors are different: raspberries, cherries on the mid-palate, white peach, dried apricot, cranberries to the finish. Fuller-bodied. Complex. Would be a wonderful, summer, steak pairing option.
Newsprint 2022 Chardonnay • Columbia Valley, Washington • Reg $26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
"Ripe pear, pineapple, lemon curd and honeysuckle on the nose. Swirl, sniff and sip and you’ll be greeted by notes of crème brulee and vanilla. This super fun wine was sourced from 30-year-old vines from Conner Lee Vineyard, and it spent 10 months on water-bent French oak before bottling." –winery notes
Plaisir d'Eulalie 2022 Minervois Rouge • Languedoc-Roussillon, France • Reg $21.99 |Mixed Case $17.59
Blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan. Garrigue, hint of lavender & rosemary on the nose. Raspberries, dark cherries, tayberries, the longer it goes on... blackberries. Great acidity, medium+ body, herbal, spicy notes. Peppery finish. Killer wine. Enjoy with leaner & medium cuts (e.g. NY Strip).
Chateau Platon 2022 Rouge • Bordeaux, France • Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
Classic Right Bank blend of Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 15%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%. Aged in concrete tanks. Tasty blackcurrant, plum, dark cherry fruit with some herbal notes. Soft tannins on the finish. Has a spicy, smooth, chocolatey note on the finish despite no oak. Great, classic (pleasantly dry) Bordeaux table wine which makes it a back-pocket pairing with steak!
Comboio do Vesúvio 2020 Douro Red • Douro Valley, Portugal • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
Blend: Touriga Franca 35%, Touriga Nacional 35%, Tinta Roriz 30%. Looks deep and rich in color. Nose is full of blueberries, black-berries, earth & leather, but lush. Flavors of blackberries, black cherries, purple plums, licorice. Fuller-bodied. Vibrant finish with fine tannins. No oak was used in this exquisite wine. Fantastic! Enjoy with a ribeye!
Domaine de Marcoux 2019 Côtes du Rhône Rouge • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
Blend = Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah – 80/10/10. Nose is earthy, herbal, typical Rhône fruit (dark raspberries). Flavors add in black plums, wild strawberries, and spice. Nice tannins on the long finish. Châteauneuf producer making a crazy-fun fuller-bodied Côtes du Rhône. Would be great with any steak off the grill!
GRILLED VEGGIES
Harvey & Harriet 2022 White Blend • San Luis Obispo, California • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Crazy-fun blend: Chardonnay, Albariño, Viognier, Pinot Gris. Aromas of tangerine, nectarine, green herbal notes. Palate adds in honeydew melon. Creamy mouthfeel, then a nice, citrusy, refreshing finish and a touch of salinity that makes you want more. This wine is phenomenal.
Tormaresca 2023 Calafuria Rosé • Puglia, Italy • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Negroamaro from Salento. Flowers, strawberries, cranberries, rhubarb. Very light and fresh with an almost effervescent acidity. Wonderful, refreshing, super-pleasant rosé.
Zorzettig 2021 Refosco • Friuli, Italy • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Refosco. Soft nose of plums, red fruit, a little spice, earth. Pleasantly bitter note on the finish that makes you want more. Lighter in body. 13% alcohol. Served slightly chilled in summer. Terrific wine.
WINES FOR BBQ
Grilled meats are easy as pie to pair. But BBQ (bristket, ribs & more) with its spicy-sweet sauce can be tricky. Rosé tastes great with almost any food on planet earth including spicy dishes and dishes that have an element of sweetness. So, your bases are coved with BBQ! Red wines are tricky with sweet elements as they can go tart, but some grapes (e.g. Zinfandel) are luscious and jammy and taste great. As well, whites need a touch of sweetness to taste good with BBQ. Riesling all the way, baby!!
Les Quatre Tours 2023 Aix-En-Provence Rosé • Provence, France • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Classic blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah. Nose of wild strawberries, raspberries & mineral notes. Flavors add in dried apricot, white peach, citrus and wonderful stony minerality, especially on the dry finish.
Römerhof 2022 Riesling Kabinett • Mosel, Germany • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Classic soft apple & pear flavors on the mid-palate, followed by a pleasant acidity on the finish. Great for spicy dishes, seafood, and BBQ! Any combo of salty, rich, sweet, spicy is what Riesling is made for. Great food pairing wine in general.
Bartholomew 2020 Primitivo • Horse Heaven Hills, Washington • Reg $26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
100% Primitivo = Zinfandel. Inviting nose. A lot of dark fruit: blackberries, blueberries, dark plums. Spicy, herbal note (nutmeg, black pepper). Flavors add in black cherries. Very plummy. Great acidity. Fuller-bodied. Smoky notes on the long, fresh finish. Great wine.
Turley 2021 Old Vines Zinfandel • California • Reg $41.99 | Mixed Case $33.59
Bramble on the nose. Sweet tobacco. Baking spices. All Zin so it has more of this jam quality plus black pepper. Lots of berries. Mulberries. Blackberries. Almost like a pie, but not a sweet one. And not a big wine. Medium- to full. Fantastic acidity! A little black tea at the end and then spicy on the finish.
Cheers to a beautiful Seattle summer! So many great wines for grilling… and these wines are the tip of the proverbial iceberg! Stop by, and we’ll get you set up.
Also, many thanks to our niece, Ella, for the amazing artwork!
Julie & Jens, co-owners
Portalis Wine Shop