'Wine Hack': Best Bets for Summer Wine & BBQ Pairings

Summer is nearly here and that means it's time for barbecue. While the menu may be pretty straightforward -- burgers, chicken, and ribs -- what to drink is another matter. Consider forgoing beer and pour wine instead for your next summer soir�e. Wine expert Jeffrey Schiller, author of "Wine Hack," offers his expert advice on pairing wine with your favorite summer foods.

Wine expert Jeffrey Schiller, author of the new book "Wine Hack," has a few tips and suggestions on how to enjoy and pair wine the right way at your next BBQ.

Burger: Merlot
Yes Merlot! Don't knock Merlot -- it's hearty enough to keep up with a burger and a respectable amount of toppings, and if you're using really great meat and fewer, fresher ingredients, then you get this great compliment of textures.

BBQ Chicken: Pinot Noir or Rose
If covered in a sweet BBQ sauce, you're going to want a sweet or off dry wine. Trying to drink a dry wine after eating something sweet is like taking sandpaper to your mouth. Try a tawny port or an off-dry rose. If you're going savory, Memphis style dry rub, or North Carolina style, the combination of fruit, acid and earthiness that Pinot Noir provides will take your BBQ to happy land.

Ribs: Zinfandel or Lambrusco
Again you have this sweet vs. savory issue, but given how flavorful ribs can get, you want to up the ante. For savory pork or beef ribs, Zinfandel and Primitivo make outstanding partners. If the ribs are sweeter -- go with a summer fling, Lambrusco. This sparkling red wine is a must when summer hits: it's rich and complex like a red wine, but cold, crisp and bubbly to battle back the hot days and humid nights.

Corn on the Cob: Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
Simply buttered and salted, a big oaky Chardonnay is unbeatable. Why? The saltiness of the corn (or potato chips even!) keeps the buttery, oaky flavors of the wine in check, and lets the fruit flavors shine. If you go Mexican style corn (crema + chili powder), Sauvignon Blanc from California will be a bright, crisp companion to cut through the richness.

Fruit Salad: Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc
Sweet foods need sweet wines. Reach for the off-dry wines of the Pacific Northwest. Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc from Oregon are delicate, aromatic wines that will reveal difference flavors as you work your way through the different flavors of the fruit salad.