Memorial Day Weekend! Food & Wine for the Start of Summer

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Here are two of my favorite wines for summer! I picked these rolling into Memorial Day weekend because they are so versatile and perfect for the warm weather. The first is Broadbent Vinho Verde from Portugal, and the second is Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc. These are total crowd pleasers that work with so many dishes! I can’t wait to share these with my sister in law this weekend □ Happy almost Memorial Day Weekend aka the beginning of SUMMER!! Thanks so much @jolbarrett and @broadbentselections!

A post shared by The Wine Ship (@thewineship) on May 21, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT

Memorial Day weekend is always one of my favorite times of year! It's the kick-off to everything fun, and keeping our social distance doesn't mean we don't enjoy. For the weekend, I selected Broadbent Vinho Verde from Portugal and Secateurs Chenin Blanc from South Africa. Take a peek at the live video tasting I did with the amazing Jo Barrett of Broadbent, the importer that brings us these lovely wines. Read on for recipe pairings and tasting notes!

Broadbent Vinho Verde has been a go-to daytime white wine for me for a long time. This slightly spritzy wine has only 9% alcohol, so you can certainly enjoy a glass or two without undoing your entire day. Better yet, it sits right around the $10 mark on the shelf, so you can afford to sip on it daily.

I don't find it to be especially fruity. it's just a clean, refreshing wine with excellent acid structure. The acidity makes your mouth water and is an outstanding balancing act for food (think lemon juice or vinegar in cooking, but way more delish). The citrusy lemon-lime flavors always make me smile. 

Next, Secateurs Chenin Blanc is truly a chameleon wine! It goes with everything and makes both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc lovers happy (this is hard to do!!). It's a beautiful, balanced wine made by one of the absolute top South African winemakers, Adi Badenhorst. 

For the first pairing, I'm making this Avocado and Shrimp Ceviche recipe. I just know this is going to be amazing!! It's something I can whip up and snack on all weekend. It will be so easy throw in the cooler with tortilla chips and bring to the park or Sloan's Lake, or just enjoy on the patio. The acid in the vinho verde is going to create a stellar balance with the fatty avocado. So yum!
Click here to view the recipe from The Recipe Critic

I have been really into brining my poultry before cooking lately. I find that the simple process takes the flavors to an elevated place! it's so easy to do and really brings a pop to the dish. The grill is such a big part of my summer cooking routine, so I'm planning on combining the two: brining and grilling, with this easy chicken preparation.
Click here for the recipe from Fine Cooking

In addition to whatever protein is coming off the grill, I always like to prep a massive plate of veggies, especially zucchini. I'll snack on these all day! Veggies can be a little tricky to pair with wine, but I find that grilling them brings in more savory elements and helps balance the pure vegetal flavors. 
Click here for the recipe from Skinny Taste

The chicken and the zucchini should play wonderfully with both of these wines, as will the ceviche! There's no reason to get pigeon-holed in one type of cuisine, or to overthink the pairings. These are easy, on-the-go flavors that will let us sit back and enjoy being together! I hope you love them!