BBQ Wines

From LoveToKnow Wine

Discover the BBQ wines that best complement the grilling season.

Check out the Food Wine Pairing Chart for other great pairings.

Summertime Barbeque

The best thing about summers to me is grilling on the barbeque. There is nothing like a summer evening setting in and the smell of charcoal getting started or a good piece of tri-tip or grilled veggies wafting through the air. Yeah, you know the smell. That smell is the official smell of summer around my house! And while we are on the subject of barbeque, it’s a good opportunity to talk about perfect wines to pair with barbeque’s distinct flavor profile.

Two Types of Grilling

Before we get into the wine specifics, I want to talk about grilling itself. There are two very distinctive types of outdoor grilling on the barbeque: propane and charcoal. By and large, most people use propane to grill because it’s easier and less messy. The other type is charcoal (where you have to set up the chimney or use fluid, light the stuff and wait for awhile to get the perfect heat). These two methods offer different types of flavor. I believe in both methods, but for me personally I think charcoal offers more of a rich, barbeque flavor. It’s worth the time to do—if you have not charcoal grilled in a long time, give it a try and taste the difference.

Barbeque is a Cuisine

The most difficult thing about trying to pair wines with “barbeque” is exactly which food we’re talking about. Barbeque is a type of cuisine, just like Cajun, Mexican, or Provencal. You can’t single out any one type of wine that goes with each of these cuisines, right? No, it’s all a type of food, not one specific food item. So many wines could fit the bill. Most people—I’ve noticed—tend to generalize barbeque as meat. While that is definitely a major part of outdoor grilling, there are many other food items to bring into the picture. I personally think asparagus, red bell pepper, zucchini, and green onions are absolute heaven on the grill too! So for you vegetarians out there, don’t think you have to miss out on this type of cooking! Grilled Portobello mushrooms and sliced onions, eggplant, etc. are stunning done on the barbeque as well. What all these foods do have in common, though, is the flavor infused from the barbeque: smoky, bold, spicy, seared-in flavor.

Types of Wine Pairings

So what types of wines tend to pair with barbeque? Well, if I generalize, I would say any “bigger style” wine. What this means: If you have a Chardonnay that is light, fruity, and fairly delicate, you would lose all of that if you paired it with veggies hot off the grill. The smoke and bold taste would bury the flavor of the wine. So rule #1 is "no wimpy wines" (to quote our friends at Ravenswood). The second general rule kind of follows the first one: no complex and deeply nuanced wines. This means save those aged Bordeaux’s or expensive Cabernets for other times. So yes, you could open an Opus One and impress all your friends, but you will be disappointed when that wine doesn’t deliver—it’s just been overpowered. The complexity and aromatics and other “yummy” characteristics will be, again, lost in the boldness of the smoky barbeque. So what does that leave you with wine-wise?

Cheap=Good!

Good news! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on barbeque wines! The wines you are looking for in a barbeque are bold (so it can stand up to the rich flavors) and uncomplicated (meaning that you don’t always have to go for the depth and complexity factor). This translates into inexpensive for you. A lot of times, instead of buying the more expensive appellation wines (such as Alexander, Napa, or Dry Creek Valleys), I go for the less expensive county designates or even just good ‘ol “California” on the label. The reason is simple…if you find a wine with good flavor and varietal characteristics, you’re good to go.

Specific Varietals

For specific varietials, I look for a couple of things. First off, if I am cooking red meat (steaks, hamburgers, etc.), I usually shop for a Zinfandel. The spicy zins stand up nicely to the BBQ flavor. I also will occasionally do a Cabernet too if I don’t over-spice the meat or use barbeque sauce. Again, I stay away from the lighter wines like Pinot Noir or Gamay. For other meats, like lamb or organ meats, I like to go with Syrah. Syrah tends to have the meaty, smoky flavors in it, so that pairs wonderfully with barbeque! For pork tenderloin or chicken, I might go for a zesty chardonnay with richer oak components so that can play in nicely with the smoke flavors, too.

Expanding Horizons

But you can also have some fun and step outside the lines. Lately I’ve been buying less main-stream varietals like Grenache, Carignane, and Sangiovese to pair with barbeque. I would also encourage you to experiment with “house red” wines that some wineries produce. These wines are typically labeled “Red Table Wine” and have a unique name to them the winery thinks will market well. This type of wine is basically an inexpensive red blend of grapes that don’t make it into their primary bottling, or something just for fun that the winery will produce. I’ve found that these wines tend to be an inexpensive (or just downright cheap) and tasty addition to great barbeque! Whatever you do, fire up your grill and don’t be afraid to get some inexpensive tasty wines to go with a great meal! Happy grilling!

Some Recommendations

Frontier Red from Fess Parker Winery, $7.99

This wine is truly a gem! This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and other Rhone varietals and it sure does deliver. Smoky and juicy red fruit qualities really shine through. This wine is always stocked up in my house during the summer.

Vinter’s Cuvee from Rosenblum Cellars, $7.99 (or less)

Kent Rosenblum always has done a Vintner’s Cuvee for the last 20 or so years. Each year he uses Roman Numerals to designate which one it is every year (he’s on 20+ now). It changes from year-to-year, but basically it’s almost always Zinfandel. Cheap, good, no frills red fruit. Who could ask for more with your BBQ?

Ravenswood Lodi or California Zin, $5.99

Another simple down-to-earth zin from Ravenswood. Joel Peterson has been making wine there since the beginning, so he knows a thing or two about good zin. For the price, the zinfandel fruit zings through, and honestly it’s really about the ripe, red fruit.

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Blend Chardonnay, $9.99

There is a reason this wine is the most popular selling white wine in the U.S. Chances are you’ve tasted it, or you still drink it. The characters in this zin blend well with vegetables or salt and peppered chicken. This Chard has a little residual sugar which pairs well with zesty foods, and the fair amount of oak truly matches up with smoky flavors from the grill.