A Guide To Wine Pairing This Summer BBQ Season
Often beer gets all the glory when it comes to BBQ season, but wine really has the potential to bring out the strong bold flavours enjoyed in BBQ grilled cuisine. Many people have questions about which wines pair best with their favourite BBQ’d fares, but in fact, the diversity of possibilities is surprising. With a bit of creativity and a few guidelines, you will be well on your way to creating satisfying combinations. Here we offer a by no means exhaustive analysis, to lend some insight into that all-important question, “What wine do I bring to the BBQ”?
Beef
Probably one of the most well known combinations involves pairing bolder red meat such as beef with fuller bodied red wines. For example, you may want to enjoy a cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, malbec, merlot or shiraz with a steak or beef burger. These higher tannin wines cut through the fat, and wines with a peppery and tobacco flavour work well with the boldness prominent in beef prepared on the BBQ.
Ex Nihilo Varietal to Consider:
Pork
There is a bit of a range here. In general, pork pairs well with higher fruit red wines with a little sweetness, as well as rosé and rich white wines, depending on what it is you are enjoying. In particular, pinot noir, or zinfandel can be a good choice for that cut of pork or ribs on the barbie, or you could go a different route and even try an icewine with a grilled pork roast. For a hotdog, a champagne or riesling might work well, cutting through the fat, and if adding mustard, a sauvignon blanc can highlight the ‘tang’ while combating the saltiness of the dog.
Ex Nihilo Varietal to Consider:
Chicken & Fish
Full flavoured white, rosé, and some reds can work in this area of the BBQ department, depending on the boldness of the item. Specifically, enjoy a rosé, chardonnay, or a lighter bodied red wine such as pinot noir for salmon. As for chicken, rosé can pair well with the chicken itself as well as the bbq sauce, if being used. Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are often a good choice as well for chicken, and interestingly, a malbec can work in cases where the chicken becomes bolder on the BBQ.
Ex Nihilo Varietals to Consider:
Grilled Vegetables
For that veggie kabob, crisp white wines like a pinot gris or sauvignon blanc are a good go-to. More earthy veggies such as eggplant & mushroom can also pair well with syrah, zinfandel, or even cabernet sauvignon, but this is really just a start as there is such variety in the veggie department.
We encourage further investigation depending on your particular vegetable choice.
Ex Nihilo Varietal to Consider:
A Note on Pairing with Sauce & Spice
Not only do we take the food we are cooking on the BBQ into account when pairing wine, but the spice and sauce is quite important as well. In terms of sauces, sweet bbq sauces are accentuated with a sweet wine. If a sauce or glaze is more tart or acidic, off-dry whites might be a good choice. BBQ sauces that are more “mustardy” go well with white or light reds.
In terms of spice rubs, we could devote a whole blog article to this but there are a few basic guidelines that may help. White wines tend to go better with “soft herbs”, which include tarragon, basil and dill. “Hard herbs” such as rosemary and thyme often pair well with red wines. Rosé and white wines work really well with fresh herbs in general, and when combining spices, go with the overall style of the dish - i.e. middle eastern, etc. If that dish is particularly spicy, a riesling or gewurztraminer might be in order.
Ex Nihilo’s Summer BBQ Wine Bundle
Back by popular demand, Ex Nihilo has a special BBQ bundle available for sale this summer. A fabulous sauce we sell in our winery has been paired with a variety of specially chosen wines. As an added perk, our chef has included some great Icewine recipes. For more information visit our online store or tasting room. Now you can’t go wrong when showing up for that next BBQ!
