With warm weather just around the corner, this sweet and spicy dish is best prepared outside on the grill, although us city folks will have to make do with cooking the dish inside, hopefully on a grill pan.

No matter whether you’re inside or outside, one of the best ways to cook this dish is while sipping a fresh and lively Sauvignon Blanc, like the one from New Zealand’s Wairau River Winery.

The meaning of the word Wairau is “many waters” and so it comes as no surprise that, at 105 miles long, the Wairau River is one of the longest rivers in the country's South Island. The winery was established in 1978 at the edge of the river, only 10 miles from the sea into which it flows. Here you will find a special place where soil, climate and terrain come together to produce outstanding wines.

Sebastian Hampson, wine specialist at Great Little Vineyards Wine in Auckland, told me he visited the winery right before harvest on one of the hottest days of the year.

“At Wairau River you can really feel the heat radiating through the river stones that the vines grow on,” he says, “but even on the hottest of days, there is always a breeze coming in from the coast which lends itself incredibly well to Wairau River’s signature Sauvignon Blanc, and also to their other aromatic white varieties, like Albariño. The aromas in these wines are beautifully concentrated and crystal clear in expression, something not often found in a cooler climate like New Zealand’s.”

Wairau River’s very first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc in 1991 won a n’a tional trophy for the best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is all about ripe grapefruit, white nectarine, and tropical fruits, all wrapped up in an elegant and refreshing crispness—just what you’ll crave with chili pepper-laced chicken salad.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Sweet Chili Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, (white end only), finely chopped, optional

1 tablespoon palm sugar (light brown sugar can be substituted)

4 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoon soy sauce

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 6 oz each

Sweet Chili Dressing

1/2 cup palm or light brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper, minced

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salad Ingredients

Use whatever fresh vegetables and herbs you desire, enough for 4 to 6 people. Suggested items: lettuce, sliced radishes, diced cucumber, bean sprouts, sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, toasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds (reserving 2 teaspoons seeds to sprinkle on top of chicken when serving).

Instructions

1) Prepare marinade: Mix garlic, lemongrass (if using), sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Pour into ziplock bag and add chicken, making sure to coat meat on both sides. Seal plastic bag and place in refrigerator. Let chicken marinate for at least two hours.

2) Prepare dressing: In a small bowl, mix together sugar, ginger, garlic and chili pepper. Stir in vinegar, fish sauce, lemon or lime juice and vegetable oil.

3) Prepare salad: Mix together salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.

3) When chicken is done marinating, lay thighs on grill over direct medium-low heat and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165° F. While chicken is cooking, toss dressing with salad.

4) When chicken is finished cooking, place on cutting board and allow thighs to rest about 5 minutes, then slice on diagonal and place on top of dressed salad. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately with a glass of Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc.

Cheers!