Barbecue & Grilling Wines
The backyard barbecue season is in full swing. But before we talk about barbecue wines, let’s get our terminology straight. Barbecue, real barbecue, is long, slow (up to eight hours) cooking over a low fire of cuts of meat like pulled pork shoulder or beef brisket. What most of us do in our backyards is grill, that is, cook rather quickly over a hot fire.
The casual nature of grilled food is such that it almost demands casual wines. There are exceptions though. A perfectly cooked steak or an equally serious piece of lamb would naturally call for a big red such as Cabernet Sauvignon, a bigger style Zinfandel, Rhone reds and Australian Shirazes. The wines should have good structure and firm tannins. Ken Brown, winemaker and founder of Byron Vineyards & Winery in Santa Barbara County, CA, notes that the tannins in Syrah-based wines are not as harsh as those of Cabernet Sauvignon. “Syrah is also more complex, gamier and has more richness than Cabernet,” he says.
In "The Wine Bible," author Karen MacNeil recommends Sangiovese-based wines such as Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with steak. “Sangiovese, with its underlying bright acidity and hint of saltiness, is stunning when set off by the richness and fat of beef,” she writes. I liked a Val Delle Rose Morellino di Scansano Reserva (a Sangiovese-based wine from southern Tuscany) with my steak, though I preferred a Morgan California Syrah.
Hamburgers and Zinfandel have always been a natural combination for many people, perhaps in part because both are quintessentially American. However, Jeff Cohn, winemaker at Rosenblum Cellars, one of the best Zin producers, warns, “Zinfandel is a mixed bag. There are so many styles from high alcohol to high residual sugar. But it works as long as you know what you’re working with.” For most barbecue, that usually means balanced wines not too high in alcohol. In addition to Rosenblum, other reasonably priced Zin producers in that category include Cline, Dry Creek, Gallo of Sonoma, Kenwood, Kendall-Jackson, Murphy-Goode, Rancho Zabaco, and Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend.
Brown would opt again for Syrah with burgers. Both Syrah and Zinfandel have enough fruit and richness to hold up to the gloppy condiments that so often accompany burgers and other grilled foods. Another wine that fits the bill is Beaujolais.
In Red Wine with Fish, authors David Rosengarten and Josh Wesson suggest a Ribera Del Duero red wine from Spain with grilled baby lamb chops. To that I’d add also add the Spanish reds from the Rioja region.
If that lamb or beef gets a spicy rub, you’ll want a wine with some oomph to stand up to it. Petite Sirah is a good choice here as are spicy versions of Shiraz or Zinfandel. Spicy doesn’t necessarily mean hot. The heat from chile peppers can be exacerbated by higher alcohol wines as some Petite Sirahs and Zinfandels can be. Top Petite Sirah (or Syrah) producers include Bogle, Concannon, EOS, Foppiano, Guenoc, Parducci, Pedroncelli, and Rosenblum.
So far I’ve talked about red wines, but whites are consumed more frequently in summer because they are cold and more refreshing. Generally, I tend to avoid oaky white wines. However, Marnie Old, a wine educator and beverage consultant in Philadelphia, says that white wines with grilled food should have oak flavors that “echo and reinforce the character of the grill” but without sacrificing acidity.
California Chardonnays tend to be shorter on acidity and sweeter (too sweet for my taste) than French Chardonnays from Burgundy. Sauvignon Blanc has more acidity than Chardonnay. So it made sense that a barrel-fermented and oak-aged Murphy-Goode Alexander Valley Reserve Fume was a good match for grilled chicken.
On the other hand, Old says, “Some wines can be too lean, too acidic, like a French Chablis or Sancerre. They’re not fat enough to handle the flavors of the grill.”
Some grilled fish can take reds or whites. Grilled tuna is often touted as holding up to big red wines, though I think light to medium bodied reds work best. I particularly liked a California Pinot Noir and a Moulin-a-Vent cru Beaujolais. Zinfandel and Australian Shiraz are more appropriate for spicier presentations. But some whites also work well, including Italian Pinot Grigio and French St. Veran. Pinot Noir is the usual suspect when it comes to grilled salmon. But I prefer Alsatian Pinot Gris, which has more richness than versions from Oregon or California.
Because it is often characterized as herbal and grassy, Sauvignon
Blanc is a good match for grilled vegetables, especially asparagus. But if
the veggies have a sweeter quality (like carrots, onions, or sweet potatoes),
a Beaujolais might be appropriate.
Many people like sweet barbecue sauces on grilled foods. The exuberant fruit
in Zinfandel makes it a good choice here. Ditto for Australian or South African
Shiraz. Sometimes you can go with a white, perhaps an off-dry Chenin Blanc
or Riesling (especially German Rieslings because their higher acidity refreshes
the palate). You could also try an extra dry (slightly sweet) Champagne or
sparkling wines from California, which tend to be fruitier than Champagnes.
Sweet sauces also bring us back to the concept of real barbecue. While purists believe that good barbecue doesn’t need sauce, many a barbecued rib is covered with it. Such barbecue is often quite smoky as well. The combination of sweet and smoke, says Cohn, makes Syrah and Petite Sirah natural companions. “Most have a smoky, rustic component,” he says. He also suggests Chateauneuf du Pape. Grenache is the main varietal in the Chateauneuf du Pape blend. In my tastings with real barbecue, I found that a Beckmen Grenache outshone all other wines.
But if I had to chose one wine to cover the barbecue/grilling waterfront, it would be a rose, ideally one from the Rhone or made with Rhone varietals, which have more richness and body. Preston of Dry Creek in California makes an excellent Rhone-style rose (or vin gris, as it is sometimes called) from Mourvedre and Cinsault.
Despite the plethora of wines mentioned above, some people, like my friend Jerry Shriver, food and wine writer for USA Today, think the best wine with barbecue is sweetened iced tea.
This article first appeared in the July 2004 issue of Specialty Food Magazine.