Delicious food, simply prepared using fresh seasonal ingredients, this is the hallmark of wine-country cooking. Here you'll find a menu that makes the most of the summer's bounty.

Begin with spicy eggplant dip and prosciutto-stuffed figs, then savor a salad of vine-ripened tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers and tangy feta cheese. Mustard-crusted racks of lamb are paired with warm white beans laced with fresh herbs. For the perfect wine, we recommend a French Châteauneuf-du-Pape or California Rhone blend, which matches the meatiness of the lamb and the intensity of the other seasonings.

Whether the setting is in the vineyards or in your backyard garden, this menu is ideal for a leisurely alfresco meal.