Bears' Return to Playoff Means Parties

#BBQ RIBS RECIPE#


Bears' Return to Playoff Means Parties


The Chicago Bears and the playoffs, now that's what I call a perfect pair!


This time of year to plan your football playoff games, whether you're tailgating at Soldier Field, or celebrating at home with friends. This month will be devoted to that part of tailgating food and wine to complement these spicy dishes and stand with these bold flavors.


Bears are "in" and the same is true in California Zin. "Other wines work are France's Rhone and South Australia Shiraz. I'll discuss these three red because they are fairly interchangeable and pair well with this menu. One of my goals this column is to introduce readers to new wine experiences. So I encourage you to try something new this year to the part of football.


Talking about wine


Nothing beats the combination of a great grilled steak and California Cabernet Sauvignons France and the wines of Bordeaux.


However, menus part of football tend to consist of chili, beef stew, meat and braised ribs. These flavors tend to be bold and spices. To counter this, jammy wines with loads of work and fruit.


The three wines, each worthy of its own column, will be briefly discussed today.


California (red) Zinfandel


Zinfandel is as unique as California. Its origins are European, but his lineage is exactly the subject of much debate. Zinfandel tends to be loaded with fruit, soft tannins and offers peppery spice notes. It is the second most widely planted red varieties in California, behind the Cabernet Sauvignon. Key areas include increasingly Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley, Napa's Spring Mountain District, Mendocino Anderson Valley and Paso Robles region of central California.


France Rhone South (based on syrah) Wines


The Rhone Valley of France is divided into two regions, north and south. The southern Rhone warming climate, influenced by the Mediterranean, tends to produce wines with more fruits are sweeter than in nature. Although only uses the northern Rhone syrah grapes in his red, southern Rhone reds are mainly a mixture of grenache and syrah, with small amounts of Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsaut. As syrah in the south does not have enough character on his own initiative, these other varieties are blended to add to the complexity of wine. Major names in the south of the Rhone region include Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Cotes-du-Rhone.


The Australia Shiraz


The southern coast of Australia is home to the country the wine industry. The Mediterranean sun, as the climate on the coast ensures a quality of most grape crops each year. Australia Shiraz is the main red grape variety, which is 40percent of its production of red grapes. Its origin is France with syrah grapes. Shiraz has been divided into two styles, warm and cool climate wines. The cooler climate tends to produce a more elegant style while warmer climates tend to produce wines that are bold and in your face. " Key areas include cultivation of South Australia Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra region. New South Wales' Hunter Valley, Victoria's Yarra Valley and West of Australia Margaret River region complete the list.


Mets-wine


What these three bodied, dark red wines have in common are loads of jammy fruit, lower levels of tannin and peppery spice notes that work well with menus part of football. As one of three wines football supplement your diet, there are subtle differences in optimal routes.


• Zinfandels: Great with chili, hamburgers, ribs, beef teriyaki.
• South Rhone: Great with ribs, beef stew, meat braised.
• Shiraz: Great with char-grilled steak au poivre, BBQ ribs, braised meat, stew beef.