Jane's
Monthly Dozen: Wines with BBQ
by Jane Garvey
Guy
Luck (pronounced Ghee Luke) was an Alsacien whose restaurant,
Violette, still thrives at I-85 and Clairmont Road, where it’s
carefully tended by his longtime gal pal, Stephanie Belcher.
Guy had a passion for Southern barbecue, but couldn’t stand
iced tea (which is funny as it’s sold all over France in cans--yuck).
Anyway, Guy frequently waxed poetic about barbecue, how he loved
his face dripping in the rich juices as he savored a rib. “But
it needs zee beer,” he would intone, “not zees sweet iced tea,”
an opinion that usually came accompanied by a set of facial
expressions that conveyed everything from pleasure to disgust.
Well, beer is delightful with barbecue, no doubt, especially
on hot days like these. But I would point out that wine can
be quite enjoyable with barbecue, although the exact pairing
depends on the sauces, the rubs, and the meats. Korean and Chinese
barbecue can be great with rose-wines, while a friend likes
a Beaujolais with his very good Kansas City-style brisket, accompanied
by famous Gates tomato-based barbecue sauce, also from KC.
The key is to choose a red wine that has ample fruit, and this
means by and large to steer clear of Old World wines in favor
of the more robustly fruit-driven New World wines. Soft tannins
are a must, and in general high alcohol is not a good idea.
Zinfandel is the grape most folks reach for when pairing wine
with barbecue, and yes, it can work, if the alcohol is not wicked
high and the wine isn’t over-extracted as are so many. Big and
bold works with barbecue, yes, but up to a point. A tamer, more
elegant style of Zinfandel actually works better, as it allows
the flavors of the smoked meat to come shining through.
Sparkling wine cleanses the palate, and its higher acidity makes
it very useful with barbecue. This came to light a number of
years ago as I was preparing a class on the subject of wine
with barbecue and stumbled upon it with a rose cava and Zinfandel-glazed
ribs. The pairings was heavenly.
Mexican barbacoa is yet again another set of tastes,
and close on its heels, carne asada. Some authorities claim
Southern barbecue derives from Mexican sources, but I’m not
convinced. Burning meat is universal and millenia old, and it’s
difficult to claim origination in any one culture. California’s
Santa Maria style barbecue--based on a seasoning-rubbed tri-tip
or top sirloin--represents a totally different culinary experience
in the barbecue pantheon. Then there’s Texas barbecue, which
is beef-based, as is Argentina’s asado and the South
African braai. The latter two get closer to grilling
than to barbecue but still it’s a slow grill over low heat,
not over a wicked bright-orange flame. Argentinian “barbecue
sauce” is chimichurri, which certainly has Italian roots as
it’s olive oil, lemon juice or white wine vinegar, garlic, minced
parsley and salt and pepper. It’s used to dab onto the finished
meat.
Think you can’t do white wine with barbecue? Watch what happens
with Viognier and barbecue, especially with East Carolina-style
‘cue. And don’t’ forget the collard greens as Viognier and collard
greens are ideal companions.
Gewurztraminer also works well with this style of barbecue,
where the meat is paramount and just a dab of vinegar-based
peppery sauce moistens it. Then the add-ons might explore exotica,
such as dishes from Thailand, Indonesia, or India for curries.
To pair barbecue with wine, much depends on the sauces. The
purist will always want the sauce on the side, not already mixed
in with the chopped meat or slathered over the ribs. Pac-Asian
sauces that are heavy on tamarind are tough to pair with wines.
Vinegar-based sauces require a wine that shows good acidity,
otherwise the wine will taste flat. Sweet barbecue sauces are
equally troublesome, requiring a wine that has good fruit sweetness.
Residual sugar isn’t always a savior where sweet barbecue sauces
are concerned. The best sauce, whether for wine or just as a
basic principle, is balanced, with some tomato, some mustard
perhaps, some vinegar and pepper. Wicked hot sauces, no matter
how yummy, are out for wine; they need beer.
Explore Georgia wineries for your ideal barbecue wine as well.
Muscadine can be surprisingly good with barbecue, as Habersham‘s
Tom Slick proved to a skeptical me many moons ago. Shannon Vineyards’
Rouge Cache, blending Norton and Muscadine, makes a tasty pairing
with barbecue, as we proved with the barbecue from Fox Bros.
in Inman Park. Three Sisters’ “Fat Boy Red,” reviewed here previously,
does splendidly with barbecue as it has a slight bit of residual
sugar.
These are just a few ideas for your wine with barbecue explorations;
there may be many more out there, and I’d love to hear about
your experiences with ‘cue and vino. Such delicious work should
be shared!
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