First my true love is barbecue but in the last 10 years barbecue has grown up. It use to be burgers on the Weber Kettle. Now it is ribeye steaks on a outside kitchen with a built in grill. As far as drinks it use to be beers and soda. Now it is kraft beers, flavored sparkling waters and wine. We also now do wine pairing
Now I am not a wine expert but through the magic of the internet you really do not have to be. In just a few minutes I found the outstanding article titled, Best wines for a barbecue on a website called Decanter. These are their recommendations or pairings when serving barbecue. I quote right from the article
“What are classic barbecue (BBQ) wine pairings?
Here are some of the top matches for classic barbecue dishes. For ease of use, we’ve overlooked the uses of marinades and sauces.
- Steak – Malbec, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel
- Burgers – Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Côtes du Rhone.
- Sausages – Beer, Malbec, Southern French, Tempranillo
- Chicken – Warmer climate Chardonnay
- Pork Chops – Cider, Valpolicella, Barbera, New World Pinot Noir, dry rosé, Riesling
- Salmon – Rosé Champagne or Cava, New World Pinot Noir, Gamay, dry rosé, New World Riesling, Pinot Gris
- Halloumi – Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Chenin Blanc, Chablis, Friulano, Verdejo, Assyrtiko, New World Riesling, dry rosé, Prosecco”
Another great resource is the Beringer Wine website. Here is some information about Beringer Wine.
Established in 1876 by brothers Frederick and Jacob Beringer, who believed that Napa could be a premier wine growing region like the Rhine Valley in Germany from which they hailed.
Beringer has built a legacy crafting renowned wines from a prized collection of Napa Valley, Knights Valley and Paso Robles vineyards, celebrating the uniqueness of each site and a remarkable winemaking tradition.
Beringer’s tradition of winemaking has earned it critical acclaim, including:
- Only winery to have won ‘Wine of the Year’ for both red and white wines from Wine Spectator.
- 12-time Top 100 Winery of the Year by Wine and Spirits.
- More Wine Spectator Top 100 list placements than any other winery in the world.
Beringer is not cheap wine (who wants to serve cheap wine) but they also have great deals. Right now you can get 20% off all their wines using the link and Coupon Code below.
The more you look into barbecue and wine you will find how both barbecue and wine are influenced by what region they come from. To understand the difference check out this article on The Four Styles of BBQ in the United States.
In closing you might think a great wine is too expensive but if you just spent over $180 for four Grass Fed Beef Tomahawk Steaks, a $35, 2013 Beringer Merlot Napa Valley bottle of wine might turn a good meal into a great one.
Bon Appetit