Wines to Drink with Your Dad(s)

By TYLER BALLIET

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Give Dad two gifts this year by spending some time with him and giving him some quality vino. We've profiled a number of different dads and paired great bottles to give for Father's Day this Sunday, so head to your local store or watering hole, and get ready for some Sunday drinking.

Executive Dad

Get your suit-and-tie dad, whose Blackberry is constantly humming, a bottle that'll make him slow down a little bit. After a Sunday afternoon at the golf course, nothing is better than a simple, delicious dinner and solid bottle of wine. California Cabernet goes over quite well with the boardroom types, but don't worry about spending a fortune on the expensive wines from Napa. On the other side of the mountains is Sonoma Valley, home of awesome wines for half the price. The 2005 Dry Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, available for $23.99 at Brookline Liquor Mart [1354 Comm. Ave., Allston. 617.734.7700. blmwine.com], offers rich and concentrated flavors of black cherry and cocoa without costing too much. Drink with a steak or other grilled meats.

Sporty Dad

After a 40-mile bike ride, an afternoon of kitesurfing, a little kickboxing and a quick jaunt up the river in his kayak, Dad is going to want a little liquid refreshment. Put some zing on his palate and give him a little buzz at the same time with a crisp bottle of Spanish white. From La Mancha, Spain, the 2007 Paso a Paso Verdejo—available for $10.50 at Vinodivino [899 Walnut St., Newton. 617.527.8466. vinodivino.com]—has great flavors of peaches and citrus fruit coupled with a bright acidity that makes for fantastic outdoor sipping. Drink this wine with grilled fish, seafood salad or steamers.

Hippie Dad

After a packed day of driving the Prius to the trailhead, a day-hike though the Appalachian mountains and a left-handed cigarette or two, you and Dad are going to want some vino. Buy a bottle of biodynamic wine produced sustainably, without pesticides, and one that keeps the ecosystem in and around vineyard strong. The 2005 Chateau Peybonhomme les Tours, available for $20 at Downtown Wine and Spirits [225 Elm St., Davis Sq., Somerville. 617.625.7777. downtownwineandspirits.com], from France's Côtes de Blaye region, is a killer bottle of mega-earth-friendly goodness for a great price. This dry red wine has flavors of ripe red fruit and pairs nicely with roasted veggies, pork tenderloin or simple backyard-grilled burgers.

Your Two Dads

Two dads means a double whammy on Father's Day, so get them something you can all enjoy: pink bubbly! Yeah, it's pretty cliché to get your gay dads something pink, but the rosé sparklers offer some deeper flavors and a little more complexity than its colorless cousin. Plus, after you go to brunch, do some window shopping on Newbury Street and take a stroll through the Common, you'll be thirsty. Head on over to Eastern Standard [528 Comm. Ave., Boston. 617.532.9100. easternstandardboston.com] for the NV Codorníu Rosé Cava ($9/glass, $36/ bottle) from Penezes, Spain. This sparkler runs less than a bottle of French Champagne, yet packs in delicate but bright red fruit flavors. Drink with some oysters, a niçoise salad or all by itself on the patio.