BBQ and wine - recommendations

TheHojo

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A co employee is having brisket/sausage catered for her daughters wedding and asked about a red wine that would go with the above - I am a beer drinker so not much help on this end.

Does anyone have any recommendations of a red wine that goes well with smoked q -

Thank you
 
I had a wine and food pairing class at a JC a few years ago (yes, a real part of their culinary arts curriculum they opened up to anyone if you pay the fees). What l learned is it's not only what type of meat you're gonna serve, but what you season and sauce it with.

For steaks and beef in general- Cabernet Sauvignon.
Shiraz as mentioned would be fine too. Both that and a cab should pair well with savory offerings.
If their are gonna be some meat with a sweeter BBQ sauce, I would go for a Zinfandel (red) which some call the Labrador retriever of wines - "friendly with everything". Zin is always a safe choice and if you like bold flavor, get an old vine Zinfandel. Ravenswood is cheap and delicious.
 
I have Steve Raichlmen's Project Smoke cookbook at home, I think it has a wine pairing section in it. I'm not at home right now though so I can't verify. But what I'm getting at, is his website might have some info too.
 
Before reading the other reco's, I was going to say Shiraz and/or Malbec. Both great bang for the buck (choose Australian and Argentinian /(Chilean?) respectively). The Shiraz can tend to be stronger and heavier, so for a mixed crowd you might want both or favor the Malbec.
 
I googled around a bit, there's a lot of websites out there with suggestions. Of the half dozen I looked at, I liked this one:

http://winefolly.com/tutorial/wine-with-bbq/

Which reinforces a lot of what's already been said.
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Syrah/Shiraz is a pretty easy choice. You can usually find fruit forward, delicious, and well priced bottles from Australia or Cotes du Rhone.

If you're going to serve wine, you generally need to give a white wine choise as well. A dry Riesling is a good choice here - I like them from Alsace.

If it's going to outside and warm, a red wine that chills well might be a thought - a Beaujolais works well, again fruity, delicious, well priced.

Another option both for value and if heat is an issue is Sangria.

If you're really looking at a 'great' wine pairing then you'd want to look for flavors in the rub or in the sausage that you might highlight with the wine (or vice versa if you started by choosing the wine.) But for an event that's more of a party than a food/wine tasting I'd stick to fruity, easy to drink and value priced bottles. You want everyone toasting the happy couple, not dissecting the interaction between the wine and the food :)
 
I would go for, in this order:

Cotes du Rhone (primarily grenache, goes with everything - perfect food wine)

Zinfandel (getting pretty pricey though - they have one named BBQ that is decent for $10 a bottle)

Spanish reds - you name it, Tempranillo, Tinto, Mencia, Jumilla, but especially Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache) - if you get outside the Grenaches and Tempranillos you might be getting a little earthy for some folks. i like it, myself.

Malbec - great match, can be found reasonably everywhere

Shiraz/Syrah - Australians can be pretty inexpensive but a little jammy for my tastes
 
A co employee is having brisket/sausage catered for her daughters wedding and asked about a red wine that would go with the above - I am a beer drinker so not much help on this end.

Does anyone have any recommendations of a red wine that goes well with smoked q -

Thank you

Since it's for friends try Chateau Le Crock (Saint-Estèphe) 2003. It's a Bordeaux Blend. My wife says it pairs well with BBQ.
 

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Most people probably wouldn't know (if they are not huge wine people) to question anything you gave them :-D. I'm one of those people. I do like wine, but mostly bolder reds. Cabs don't do it for me and I don't dislike whites, but never buy them. So for me a bold red tastes good with about anything :becky:.

That being said I know a lot of time people will pair a more mild red with spicier meats to balance things out.
 
My red of choice is Blackstone Merlot. It's not sweet like most are. Malbec would work too.

But hard cider is the definitive match for BBQ, in my opinion.
 
Absolutely anything from the Yarra valley ! Get yourself a bottle of plonk from Helens hill or Billanook Estate, wrap your laughing gear around it and your troubles will melt away
 
I'll cast my votes for Zinfandel and Malbec. I drink these with BBQ and grilled meat all summer long.
 
Not a big wine drinker, but a Cabernet Sauvignon, or a red Zinfandel are always safe bets according to my Daughter.


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I drink a lot of wine with meals, but not really with BBQ.

That said, a full bodied Zin or Malbec would get my vote.
 
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