A selection of red wines & varietals from the BBQ Smokehouse Catering Restaurant wine list.

Reds & Varietals Go with Any Smoked Meat!

In general, I find that wines served with the big flavors of BBQ must be assertive. Reds should be big, well balanced, smooth and not over the top in alcohol. I like red wines that have great fruit and balanced acidity. Luscious, ripe berry flavors and complex spice make an interesting counterpoint to BBQ.

I find that wines over 14.5% are often “hot” and they open your taste buds up wide and then the heat from the spice becomes very prominent and overwhelms other flavors.

Syrah/Shiraz: Same grape with a different name down under. A nice shiraz with silky, smoky tannins, red berry and ripe fruit flavors will work well with BBQ. Lately, from Sonoma County I’ve tried Benziger (over $20) and Roseblum as well as several Australian wines from Rosemount and Koonunmga Hill for under $15.

Zinfandels: The young spicy ones with lots of black pepper and raspberry work especially well with BBQ. Zin is also one of my favorite wines. Here in Sonoma County it’s hard to find one you won’t like. I recently had a bottle of Alexander Valley’s Sin Zin. It’s fairly priced and a good one. Other favorites come from Harvest Moon, Pezzi King, Preston and Blackstone. The Old Vine Zin from St. Francis Vineyards is also a winner. Anything from the Dry Creek area should also be terrific!

Cote Du Rhone is another good choice in the medium price range. Its smooth, well behaved tannins and smoky finish are just right with pulled pork and pork ribs.

Rioja is a great choice for BBQ. This Spanish red wine is spicy and fruity. Its bold, fresh flavors can really stand up to the assertive flavors of BBQ. Beef brisket, beef ribs and all grilled beef will work extremely well with this wine.
Riojas are intended to be drunk at a coolish temperature. 58 to 65 degrees is a good range. Try chilling it on ice or in the refrigerator. Use a food thermometer to get it right the first time and give you a reference point for the future. By chilling the wine you will disarm rough tannins and volatile alcohol.