Gathering with family and friends this holiday weekend? Turn up the heat with these three great takes on Labor Day wine and food.

The three-day weekend is the opportunity to go all out on the grill, pairing some of your favorite types and cuts of meat with late summer's abundance of tomatoes, peppers and stone fruits. And, if you're anything like us, you're a better (and happier) cook when you can brandish grilling tongs with one hand and wrap the other around a glass of juicy, supple single-vineyard wine. Preferably one with a long, mouth-filling finish.

Over the years our Executive Chef Trevor Eliason has tested and perfected a number of grilling recipes, from pork to lamb to every possible cut of beef available. We chose these three for their seasonal focus, and because they pair so beautifully with one (or more!) of our Single-Vineyard Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet selections.

Grilled Pork Chop with Pluot, Arugula and Almond-Goat Cheese Salad

Pair with, Nickel & Nickel Harris Vineyard Merlot, Oakville, Napa Valley

Grilled Flank Steak with Roasted Red and Yellow Pepper Couscous Salad

Pair with, Nickel & Nickel Darien Vineyard Syrah, Russian River Valley

Rosemary-Scented Lamb Chops with Lemon Peel and Thyme

Pair with, Nickel & Nickel Sori Bricco Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley

Although our focus at Nickel & Nickel is predominantly on Single-Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from acclaimed Napa Valley regions, including Oakville, Rutherford, Diamond Mountain, Stags Leap District and more, over the years we have added a small collection of Single-Vineyard Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay to our portfolio. They are each distinct expressions of the vineyards in which they're grown, and there isn't one of them we wouldn't take pleasure in pulling the cork on this holiday weekend. After all, few things bring people together quite like wine and food.

We wish you all a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Come learn more about our single-vineyard wines. To discover how they taste for yourself, come see our Nickel & Nickel wines.