BBQ Food & Wine Pairing
Sometimes wine at a barbecue seems a little out of place, kind of like the guest who shows up in knee-high leather boots when everyone lazing around the pool is in flip-flops. When we think of those brawny meats charring away on the grill, our immediate thought is to quench our thirst with a PBR from the ice chest. Sometimes, we might be handed a disposable cup filled with a friend's latest sangria experiment, or their too-boozy whiskey lemonade.
If there is a round of enthusiastic wine sipping happening on the patio while the potato salad is being made, typically that rapidly draining bottle will be rosé. There is perhaps no wine more emblematic of summer than this chilled, blush-colored beaut—make mine bone-dry, please. At the first glimmer of a hot day, along with the excitement of slipping into sundresses and shorts, comes the confident purchase of rosé. As soon as the nights grow cold again, it gets unfairly shunned, much like iced coffee, for warmer, toastier counterparts. I'll save the merits of sipping rosé on even the most frigid of January eves for another time. Right now, I'd like to point out that while rosé will be welcome at any alfresco fête, at least if you are hanging out with the right people, there are plenty of other bottles, white and red alike, that should be opened with relish as the steak sizzles in the background.
Best Wines for Grilled Veggies
Easy-to-sip Grüner Veltliner, Austria's star grape, snaps with grassy and apple notes. All those green overtones make it a good fit for any skewers stacked with vegetables, or a blackened ratatouille salad.
You may not immediately think washing down eggplant or grilled zucchini with Chardonnay is a good thing. After all, so many of them are heavy-handed with the oak. Yet many surprise, unfurling lovely flavors of lime, cantaloupe, and pineapple. Extend the farmer's market theme by looking for a Chardonnay that retains fresh fruit flavors by doing time in stainless steel.
Grilled Seafood
Pairing a seafood dish with white wine has long been tradition. For a piece of grilled fish, naked save for a few squirts of lemon and a light brushing of olive oil, seek out something complementary that ratchets up flavor instead of masking it.
A meatier fish, like say, a swordfish steak, does need some backbone, and that's when fresh, fragrant Grillo—Sicily's little known but delicious white grape—gushing mango, should be sought out. Traditionally, Grillo was used to produce Marsala, Italy's famous fortified wine. On its own, Grillo is full bodied and bright. When it gets paired with, say, a bit of oak-aged, floral Viognier, as in the case of one favorite, Dalila, it pops.
If you're grilling up a side of salmon or other softer-flavored fish, think of Pinot Gris. Unlike its usually flabby, one-dimensional cousin Pinot Grigio.
Grilled Chicken
Mostly deemed a blah substitute for the array of smoky meats favored on the grill, chicken can be its most flavorful when seared over coals. While an everyday roast chicken goes well with, say, a delicate Cabernet Franc or Pinot Noir, a bird's time on the grill provides intriguing contrast to easy-drinking whites. A yeasty Verdelho from Portugal, with aromatic peach and pear flavors, will do the trick.
Typically, a base for the country's impressive fortified wines, Verdelho now spawns some well-balanced whites wherein racy acidity offsets creaminess.
Sausages
A hearty red seems like a boon with grilled sausage. But given the meaty coils' predilection for spice and snap, Riesling—especially a dry Alsatian—provides a rush of acidity that enlivens like no other. Just think of all the sauerkraut-laden courthouse these German-speaking French eat with their Riesling day after day.
Red is not verboten, of course. Just consider one that is soft and lush, devoid of overpowering tannins, like those from Jura. Sommeliers from around the country have an obsession with the wines from this burgeoning region in eastern France for a reason. Sausage of the lamb variety, say, a zesty Moroccan merguez, is an ideal match for Jura's light, bright Poulsard grape.
Beefy Burgers
In general, though, burgers make a fine pair with Cru Beaujolais. Now, forget everything you think you know about the B word. Real Beaujolais is decidedly not Beaujolais Nouveau, an annual marketing gimmick meant for chugging and forgetting about until the following fall. Cru Beaujolais is a celebration of the thin-skinned Gamay grape that hails from France's south-of-Burgundy region of the same name. It is simultaneously earthy and bursting with red fruit, exactly what you want to wash down a pink-in-the-middle, protein-packed sphere redolent of charcoal. Cru Beaujolais is traditionally served slightly chilled, making it an even more appealing summer sip.
Other Burgers
Because not all diners are robust carnivores, you may be grilling up a turkey or veggie burger. The former does not demand a red, nor is a white the only option. This is when the season's ubiquitous rosé should make a cameo, adding much-needed fruity zing. If it's a veggie burger you're throwing on the grill, tangy Sauvignon Blanc, with its layers of puckering citrus, will invigorate a medley of veggies.
Steak
It's a familiar adage, one oft-repeated because it's true: steak and red wine make the best of buddies. It does not mean, however, that the red in question needs to be a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only does that varietal instantly conjure a roaring fireplace—which has no place in summertime daydreams—buying a good bottle is often a pricey investment. Remember, you're at a cookout eating off paper plates, not a white tablecloth steakhouse. This is a good opportunity, then, to savor the depth of more offbeat gems. Chilean Carménère, filled with violet and red cherry notes, is a suitable—and much more affordable—alternative to cut through a fatty, glistening steak. Or, reach for a bottle of Tempranillo. Spain's thick-skinned indigenous grape yields a ruby liquid both high on tannins and acid. The combination of earth and spice adds luster to each morsel of that melt-in-your-mouth meat.
If You Had to Pick Just One.
Yes, rosé should be in your kitchen at all times. But so should Lambrusco. This subtly sparkling red from Italy's Emilia-Romagna region has loads of fruit and acidity and magically goes well with almost everything—from summer squash to German brats. Prosecco often overshadows Lambrusco, but the latter's roundness and versatility make it a season mainstay—whether you're just waiting for the steaks to flip or you want to linger in the back yard all night.
Specific ideas are also available with the following choices. This is true weather you are using a smoker, briquettes, gas or propane to do your BBQ.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wines beat the heat and play well with almost any grilled food. Stick to the quaffable wines like Prosecco or Cava, or maybe a light-bodied California bubbly, and leave the vintage Champagne in the cellar.
White Wine
White wines are clearly suited to grilled fish and chicken, and some pork recipes, even those that call for blackened preparations or spice rubs. The high acidity in Sauvignon Blanc—or a cool Sancerre (made from the same grape)—pairs perfectly in this role. Choose a white Burgundy or another Chardonnay for the fattier fish, like tuna, trout, or rockfish. Chardonnay’s also the best pick for veggie burgers, and sometimes regular hamburgers that have a mushroom sauce.
Rosé
There’s no question that rosés add lift and ‘spirit’ to casual outdoor gatherings. Served brisk and cool, these wines have a bit more acidity than white wines to battle the grilled flavors of the food. Among the easy favorites in this category are Bandol from Provence, Tavel from the Rh?ne Valley, and some interesting rosé experiments in California made from the Sangiovese grape.
Red Wine
When pork or salmon is on the menu, Pinot Noir—from Oregon, the Russian River Valley or Burgundy—is best. The richer flavors rely on the Pinot Noir for weight and texture though they would get blotted out by heavier wines like Cabernet, Petit Sirah, or Barolo. Smoked meats—especially those with a bacon accent—are also best served with Pinot Noir, playing off the smoky, tea-leaf flavors of the wine.
If you’re serving hamburgers, steak, barbecued ribs, or beef tenderloin, only the big red wines will do. Bordeaux, California Cabernet, and Barolo are perfect matches, but if the spice turns the dish hot, zero in on Zinfandel or a similarly spicy Australian Shiraz or Argentine Malbec.
The key to successful wine-food pairing for outdoor dining is simplicity. Don’t choose a wine that requires too much thought because the setting doesn’t call for that. The wines should fit the food, but they should also fit the casual mood of the gathering.
P.S. Here’s an idea! Let’s talk about some killer tips for transporting those wines. Wine’s main delivery vehicle – the glass bottle – might be the single most cooler-unfriendly packaging ever devised. It’s rigid, bulky, and heavy, the exact opposite of what you want when lugging around a cooler to your next barbecue. Your best bet is to look for alternative packaging, such as wines in Tetra Pak or AstraPouch. Another option is bag-in-box wines, which have come a long way in terms of quality. Simply remove the internal bag of wine from the cardboard box, and place the bag in your cooler.
While it requires a bit of extra work, your best bet for cooler-readiness is to pick up a handful of inexpensive wine preservation bags, such as the PlatyPreserve. These flexible, light, collapsible bags can be filled with your favorite wine, then capped off after the excess air is squeezed out, taking up less space and putting far less weight in your cooler. There will be no heavy glass to lug around, and no disintegrating cardboard box. And don’t forget plastic glassware. Several available options are lightweight and still retain the tulip shape that works best for maximizing wine aromas.
The meat is a great place to start pairing, but it can end up in the spit bucket if you haven’t thought through to the end product on the plate. Knowing what you’re dipping those proteins in is a major factor in choosing the perfect wine for the meal.
?Spicy BBQ: Some of the hottest barbecue sauces, even though they’re delicious, can make choosing a wine hard. In this case, choose a semidry California Riesling or a chilled white Zinfandel. Plus, it might take the bite off those five-alarm chicken wings.
?Tangy Sauces: If the base of your sauce has molasses, brown sugar, or Asian influences like Hoisin or Korean BBQ, then be sure to pair with fruity wines like a jam-packed Shiraz or a Sonoma Syrah.
?Green Sauces: More of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices, sauces that feature mint, garlic rosemary or chimichurri can be a treat on BBQ favorites like kebabs or steak. Aim for a medium-tannin red with a smooth, fruity finish like a Malbec or other Spanish varietals.
Les Kincaid