It is that time of the year again. Everyone is outdoors with sunny smiles and breezy excitement. Summer doesn’t get any better than a good company with barbecue and a bottle of fine wine. Whatever your barbecue plans may be, here is a list of great wines that would add some divine flavors to your cookout.
Best Wines for your Summer Barbecue
Barbecue is already a delicate art. When done in summer, it should be an art to help you relax. Unfortunately, the pressure to do it right can make it more of a chore than an exciting encounter. This list saves you the trouble of adding poor wine choices to the mix:
Red For All
When it comes to delightful summer delicacies, you can never go wrong with some red wine. Not even with Barbecue. The rich flavor of this elixir draws out the latent flavor of meat, helping you savor what would have been an ordinary mix of spices.
These robust colored wines come in varying levels of sweetness and light. Sweeter brands like the Zinfandel are best to provide balance for hot dishes with sharper flavors. On the other hand, you can trust the French Petrus wine for a darker, more fruity tang to accompany your less spicy meals like steaks, barbecue ribs, or even beef tenderloins.
When in Doubt, You Can’t Miss with White Wine
White wine is the most straightforward choice for a summer barbecue with its smooth taste and soft flavor. The simple wine goes easily with seafood and poultry barbecue. Chardonnay is easily the best wine for shellfish and grilled corn. You can also pair your Riesling with grilled vegetables and barbecue chicken. But when it comes to smoked fish or chicken, nothing goes better than the Sauvignon Blanc.
A little Sparkling
This seems a little counterintuitive for BBQ food, but it is summer. Live a little! Sparkling wines are versatile and can be excellent choices for warmer seasons and spicy grilled food. Champagne may not be the most ideal for hot meals, but some Spanish Cava would pair nicely with your vegetables. You also can’t deny how great it would be to have your seafood with a glass of Prosecco.
Rosé for Vibes
It will not be a summer cookout if you don’t add some cool Rosé for excitement. The diversity in Rosé would make for a great pairing with your lighter dishes and are easily acceptable with bolder meals. In addition, some Pinot Noir will add some spirit to your cookout the same way a glass of Tavel will smoothen the edge of your spicy dishes.
How To Pair Wine With Barbecue
Pairing your barbecue with the right wine will save you from a clash of flavors and other horrible food experiences. Making a good pair requires a meeting point of the flavors and knowing where to contrast and complement the wine with the dishes.
Contrast
Here, the wine has to balance out the spice or flavor of the meal. Spicy dishes can be paired with darker wine to even out the taste. Barbecued meals tend to have more robust flavors than grilled ones, which should also be considered when choosing your wine.
The choice between a bottle of white wine and a red one could be whether the dish is salty seafood or spicy cured meat. These decisions are made to bring out varieties of flavors without making them clash. Red wine is perhaps your best choice when it comes to contrasting flavors.
Complement
Complimentary pairings are easier than contrasting ones. The trick here is to decide what wine finish would blend well with your meal. White wines are the best choices for complementing pairs; they don’t have overwhelming flavors and tend to incorporate well into your meals instead of pulling against them.
You can decide what wine complements your dish from the class of wine. For example, while fruit-flavored wine seems to pair well with grilled vegetables, the better blend would be something with some acidity and just enough sugar to mix with vegetables.
Keep It Simple
The best way to pair wine with barbecue is by keeping it simple. Grilling and smoking are already tedious enough, no need to make it more challenging with bad wine choices. Instead, get more BBQ ideas and spice them up with excellent wine.
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