W&BBQ

Reader Greg sent me an email asking about wine paring possibilities with Carolina BBQ:

"We’re smoking a big butt this weekend in celebration of spring… Even though it’s 35* out!  We’ll also have baked beans and slaw.  Probably serve a vinegar sauce on the side – North Carolina style.  I guess I couldn’t go wrong with a big Zin, but I’d like to try something different. Yo! u have any suggestions?"

Now, believe it or not, I know from barbecue, having lived in North Cackalacky for a couple years.  What I know about Carolina barbecue is that it is slow-cooked, smoked pork (pulled or chopped) served with sauce, or 'dip,' made from a blend of the following: vinegar, hot peppers, ketchup and sugar/molasses.  This combo of smokey-spicy-sweet-tart flavors presents the wine lover with a bit of a challenge.

What's the solution?  Go big.  And by big, I mean big flavors, big tannins and big body.  This wine-pairing strategy is what I call, "fight fire with fire."  Some possibilities:

• An XL, spicy Zinfandel like this or this
• Inky, fruity, concentrated Petite Sirah
• The California version of Mourvedre - a Rhone grape

Now back to Greg.  So Greg, how was your dinner?

"A complete success!  The pork was incredible..We started with a bottle of Norman’s “The Monster” Zin and finished off with Royal B!tch cab.  The Monster meshed nicely with the smoke and spice flavors.  Neither the meat nor the wine overpowered one another.  As for the Royal Beyotch cab… it was better than I thought it would be, but I was a six pack and a glass of wine deep at that time! "

(photo: Greg J.)

What do you pair with your barbecue?

tags wine, barbecue, california wine

Comments

[John]

Definitely petite sirah! I've also recently paired BBQ well with big new world red blends like Phelps Pastiche or d'Arenberg Stump Jump. Oh, and tried BBQ once with the Coturri Carignane. It was kind of fun (mostly due to the oddity of the Coturri methods), but the carignane really didn't quite have enough weight or spice to match the BBQ.

[beau]

Good point John - I've been thinking a big ol' Aussie red would pair perfectly well with BBQ...cheers, beau

[Emily]

Blaufrankisch!

[beau]

Bingo!

[beau]

Paul White of Coturri Winery weighs in on John's comment (see above):
"John's post is right - our Carignane - and most other producers are way too light a wine to match with Carolina BBQ - we make 7 different types of Zinfandels that are big, huge, chewy and full bodied - that's what you want with BBQ."