Recipes for the 4th of July…with a few wine pairing ideas!

Here are some recipe and wine ideas for this fourth of July that are certain to make your celebration a delicious success. Many of these come from Cathy at the Noble Pig website, which is my favorite food blog and overall just an outstanding website with great pictures, stories and more! I highly recommend you check out her website and sign up for her feeds!!!

As for the dishes below, most are simple, all are delicious and are complete with wine pairing ideas.

Appetizers:

Cinghale Shrimp on Greens: Wine Pairing: I like the fruit, acidity and complexity of a nice Spatlese Riesling. My pick: 2002 J.J. Prum Riesling Himmelreich (Spatlese) ($30)

Blue Sky Potatoes: Wine Pairing: The slight oakiness of a good Chardonnay would go well with the bacon and creamy potatoes. My pick: 2006 Wente Chardonnay Arroyo Seco Riva Ranch ($13)

Shrimp Rockefeller Stuffed Mushrooms: Wine Pairing: This is a tougher dish to pair, there are a lot of big flavors and a variety of textures. I think a safe bet would be a crisp Sauvignon Blanc such as 2006 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($16).

Side Dishes:

Chicken, Nectarine and Red Onion Kebabs: Wine Pairing: A sparkling Rosé would go great with these- keeping you cool and your palate fresh. My pick: NV Roederer Estate Brut Rosé Anderson Valley ($26)

Salad on a stick: Wine Pairing: Alsacian Riesling would be great with this simple and delicious salad that Cathy came up with. My pick: the outstanding 2004 Hugel Alsace Riesling Jubilee ($35)

Mexican Salad with creamy Avacado Dressing: The salad calls for a white, the spice calls for something with acidity and a touch of sweet and spice. The go-to wine here? Gewurztraminer. Wine Pairing: 2006 Lucien Albrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace Réserve ($16)

Main course:

Pan-seared Ribeye or Grilled Dry-aged Ribeye: Wine pairing: Many options to go with here. The fattiness of the ribeye goes best with a steak that has a good amount of fruit and tannins. My top picks: Malbec (2006 Catena Malbec - $17), Bordeaux Blend (2005 Cinnabar Mercury Rising, $22), or a Barolo (2004 Massolino Barolo ($55)

Grilled Lamb Ribs: Lamb and Bordeaux is a divine pairing. Though a bit youthful, a few hours in a decanter will make this Bordeaux sing and make you smile. Wine pairing: 2004 Fleur Cardinale Bordeaux Blend ($25)

Pork Babyback Ribs: I love a good Zinfandel or Syrah with babyback ribs. My go-to producer for Zin is generally Ridge. The ‘06 Geyserville has concentrated, ripe dark fruits and nice spice notes that go great with the rub on these ribs. Wine pairing: 2006 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel ($27)

Dessert:

Firecracker Cupcakes: Look at these cupcakes! Can you picture a better dessert to celebrate our independence day? I can’t!!!

Mixed Cherry and Berry Clafoutis:

Lemon Squares: These are simple to make and come out divine- sure to be a crowd favorite at any fourth of July BBQ!