Birthday Dinner

[PMK719]

I'm cooking a special Birthday Dinner and I need help with some wines.
First Course is Crab Cocktail, I thinking of a South African Sauvigon Blanc. Any other suggestions would be helpful.
Next salad course of mixed greens, with beets and goat cheese. any suggestions???
Dinner course is strip steak on the grill and Asparagus with lemon and capers. Any suggestions?

My friends enjoy all wines we drink alot of zinfindels, merlots, pinotages, not real big on chardonnay. Help!! Thanks...

[Innkeeper]

Hi PMK, and welcome to the Wine Board. The SA SB sounds great for the first course. An Austrian Gruner Veltliner would go with the salad (be sure it is higher in alcohol, and therefore fuller than the SB). For the main course would go with a full California Barbera such as the wonderful one from Easton, or the new release from Gallo Sonoma.

[Thomas]

My only difference with IK on this is that I would go with a Cabernet Franc (Loire, Friuli, or New York) for the strip steak and asparagus course. That lemon/caper is what makes me want to do it.