FOURTH OF JULY SIPPING

Three bottles guaranteed to bring the revelry

By TYLER BALLIET

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This coming weekend, Americans get together, light things ranging from hot dogs to pontoon boats on fire, and drink the day away. Make sure you're adequately prepared with all the proper libations, but don't forget your vino. We've picked three great wines to drink with your Fourth of July crew.

Red for the Barbecue

There are only a few things more American than shaking off your hangover long enough to delicately toss a match into a barbecue pit filled with gasoline-soaked briquettes at 11am. While a cool, refreshing beer can be a great accompaniment to the act of grilling, we suggest switching up your beverages when the food's done. Whether you're making cheeseburgers and corn on the cob or getting fancy with some marinated steaks with baked potatoes, a nice, juicy Cabernet, made right here in the USA, is an excellent choice. We suggest the 2006 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon from the Three Thieves in California, available for $12.99 at Bauer Wine and Spirits [330 Newbury St., Boston. 617.262.0363. bauerwines.com]. With cherry fruit, a bit of spice and a touch of vanilla, this dry red wine is perfect for washing down all kinds of grilled treats.

Cool Off with a Refreshing White

Whether you're opting for the local seafood route or just want to sip on something crisp and cold, go for a bottle of California white wine. Taking both price and quality into consideration, the 2007 Honig Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley, Calif., available for $17.99 at Brookline Liquor Mart [1354 Comm. Ave., Allston. 617.734.7700. blmwine.com], is hard to beat. Not only is this a delicious wine, but it's also farmed sustainably. Since 2006, the Honig winery has been run on solar power, generating enough electricity to run the entire operation, including bottling. They also cultivate bats and birds in order to keep their rodent population in check and practice other environmentally friendly techniques in the fields. So feel good about yourself as you enjoy the clean flavors of grapefruit and melon in this dry white.

Make a Toast with French Bubbly

One could argue that if the French didn't hook us up during the Revolution, we'd all be drinking tea and eating crumpets right now. Take the opportunity on our nation's birthday to nod to our friends across the pond by popping a quality bottle of bubbly made in France. Authentic Champagne may be too classy for an outdoor soirée that will inevitably play host to a drunken sparkler-throwing contest. However, a crémant from Alsace will do just fine. Made the exact same way as Champagne only with different grapes grown a few hundred kilometers to the east, the NV Lucien Albrecht Brut Crémant d'Alsace—available for $15.99 at Gordon's Fine Wine & Liquors [894 Main St., Waltham. 781.893.1900. gordonswine.com]—offers up delicate and surprisingly complex flavors for a great price. This 100-percent Pinot Blanc sparkling wine will liven up your Fourth of July and makes a fantastic mid-afternoon toast.