Winemakers have a saying, “It takes a lot of beer to make good wine.” We at The Second Glass duly agree with this sentiment, as it’s easy to spot us quaffing suds around the Boston bar scene. We love beer, but we also love wine. We also think wine doesn’t require a nice dinner or a bottle of bubbly doesn’t need a celebration. So, in the spirit of Independence Day and for casual drinkers everywhere, we’ve chosen a number situations one would usually reach for a 6-pack and instead, we’ve swapped it with a fantastic wine substitute.
Barbecue
A large frozen mug of ice-cold beer seems like the perfect match for a rack of ribs slathered in barbeque sauce or a spicy, messy sandwich of pulled pork. While the beer might cool down the heat, a smoky and juicy Pinotage from South Africa is a great replacement. Since South Africa is, well, in Africa, their supermarkets better resemble our zoo than a place to purchase food. Needless to say, South African’s grill a lot of meat so the winemakers make this special hybrid grape, which they invented, to match their diet.
Hamburgers
Burgers in Boston range from the fast food like U Burger to gourmet, like the Schlow Burger at Radius. Regardless of your social economical standing a pint of beer seems like the perfect accompaniment to any all-beef patty. While this may be true, we urge you to mix things up and try a Malbec from Argentina instead. These wines are big, dry yet juicy wines are a natural combination whether you like take your burger plain or loaded with every vegetable in sight. Malbecs are also priced well, so instead of everyone getting a milk shake, pool your funds and get a bottle of the good stuff.
The Beach
Bringing a cooler of beer to the beach is as essential as sunscreen. This year, instead of cracking cans of cheap beer, bring along a few bottles of an inexpensive white wine. A light, crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc is made for the sun and is a great accompaniment to sea-air and bikini clad ladies. France’s Loire Valley cranks out a ton of great Sauvignon Blanc for only a few bucks. Grab a few bottles and a cooler full of ice as there is no better way to make friends than sharing a red Solo cup full of cold booze.
Spicy Thai Food
A big bottle Thailand’s most famous beer, Singha, is typically a smart order with a spicy curry or pad thai dish. However, in the spirit of change, a great way to cool the fire of Southwestern Asian cooking is a solid, German Gewürztraminer (Guh-verts-tra-mee-ner). This style has some body and the high amount of sugar that actually cuts through the spiciness to help cool things off. The flowery aromas and lychee flavors pair great with this style of food.
Glad you liked the pinotage. Pinotage was bred in South Africa and is a cross between pinot noir and the cinsaut grape, also known as hermitage. It is great with curries and chocolate, not just barbecue. SA also produces excellent cabernets and shirazes and stunning white wine including sauvignon blanc and chardonnay.
I hope you were joking when you suggested that South African supermarkets resemble American zoos. For decades we have had supermarkets and hypermarkets on a par with any in the world.Our animals live in our beautiful wild life reserves.