Wine Review: Give me the Red Guitar Sangria

Sangria is a heavy wine, a hearty wine for enjoying with cherished friends and loved ones. To me, Mother's Day seemed like just the occasion for an outdoor barbecue with a side of sangria.  (Although it's likely raining when you read this, it truly was a spectacularly sunny Mother's Day last weekend.)  Yes, the sangria paired nicely with fresh sliced tomatoes and spicy grilled corn on the cob!  The burgers weren't bad either.

Red Guitar is a Spanish brand of table wines, and who better to sell you a Sangria than a Spaniard?  The Red Guitar Sangria lives up to its description. It tastes like grapes, oranges, cherries and lemons.  It is a summer sipping wine.  Too heavy for fine dining but perfectly suited for casual, close-knit occasions like making mom feel special.  You can find it at Wegmans and PA liquor stores.

The Red Guitar Satisfaction Chart

Buying a Gibson Les Paul red guitar costs approximately $1600.00

Buying a bottle of Red Guitar Sangria comes in a lot cheaper at around $10.00

Recipe: Spicy Grilled Corn on the Cob

Do-ahead:  Boil the corn on the cob and set aside in a covered container directly after cooking.

Note: Boiling the corn before grilling will produce a softer, less crisp kernel of corn.  If you prefer a crunchier kernel: Try grilling the corn in the husk or else wrapped in aluminum foil.

Ready to cook:  Peel back the top inch of the wrapper of a brand new stick of butter.  Butter the corn with the stick of butter like you were applying lipstick.  Then rub the corn in the spice mixture before grilling.  Grilling will take a lot less time if the corn was boiled ahead of time, about 10 minutes.  If you are cooking fresh corn, allow 30 minutes.

Spice mixture:  Mix the spices in a bowl:  Salt (kosher), Smoked Spanish Paprika, Sugar (white), Cayenne Pepper or substitute red pepper flakes if you must, Dill and/or Chopped Cilantro else substitute chives if you must, Thyme