I truly believe that wine and food don’t have to be perfectly paired to be delicious. However, wine is meant to complement food and having those “WOW” moments with food and wine are some of my favorite experiences. Food and wine pairings are subjective to each of our personal palates. No one pairing is going to be perfect for everyone. That said, the best way to learn what pairings work for your palate is to experiment, and I’ve got some fun summer BBQ wine experimentation for you.

One thing not to experiment with is the wine’s temperature. For summertime grilling, make sure your wine temperature is right. That means chilling your bottle, especially if it’s a red wine. Yes, you can and should chill red wine. Aim for it to be around 65°F / 18°C. Plan to chill your red wine for at least 15 minutes in the fridge before serving. If you serve a red wine warm, it will taste cooked – like a baked fruit pie. If your BBQ is outside in the summer heat, keep the bottle on top of ice – not in the ice like you would a white wine or Champagne. 

barbera wine pairing - the best wines for bbq

When you’re pairing any food, consider its acidity and sweetness. The two should be similar in both the food and the wine. Sauvignon Blanc has higher acidity, along with citrus and herb flavors. Thus, a lemon vinaigrette dressing or mustard-based BBQ sauce – with that kick of acidity – would be excellent together. Tomatoes are acidic, most tomato-based BBQ sauces will have a nice balance of acidity and sweetness; some easy go-tos are Chianti, Sangiovese, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir.

The rule of thumb has always been to pair red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. That’s the easy go-to. When you add barbecue sauce and smoke to your meats, it steps things up a level. Add in all the side dishes, and you have a kaleidoscope of flavors. You can still follow the rule of thumb, or experiment with flavors.

If we’re sticking with the rule of thumb, pork is a white meat, so you can definitely pair it with white wines. However, lighter-bodied, fruit-forward red wines can go just as well. If you are smoking pork and adding sweet and savory red BBQ sauce, a fruit-forward red wine (that’s been chilled) would be perfect. Think Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Barbara or a Rosé.

I do tend to stick with the rule of thumb when it comes to grilled red meats, only because I’ve done a lot of my own experimentation and find the tannins in red wine cut through the fat and umami in the red meat, making it that perfect “wow” bite. I will veer from the easy picks of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with BBQ, and suggest trying a chilled Chianti, Barbera, Barbaresco, Tempranillo or GSM blend (Grenache-Syrah- Mourvèdre). These wines are fun, different from your everyday sipping wines and will enhance the peppery and tobacco flavors in the red meat.

Cheat Sheet: BBQ Wine Pairings

Ribs and Brisket: Barbara, Barbaresco, Tempranillo, GSM blend, Nebbiolo

BBQ Chicken: Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay or my new summer favorite, Pinot Blanc  

Salmon and Shrimp: Chardonnay, Champagne, Pino Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir

Pork Chops: Dry Rosé, Barbara, Riesling,

Lobster: Gamay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (more wine and lobster wine pairings)

Hot Dogs and Hamburgers: Nebbiolo, Dry Rosé, Zinfandel, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir,

Veggie Skewers or Veggie Burger: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Dry Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay

When in doubt, drink Champagne or a dry rosé – they pair with almost everything. (NOT Prosecco, the sweetness and acidity are not the same as Champagne.) Seriously, when was the last time you had Champagne and a hamburger. The acidity cuts through the meat but the creaminess enhances the umami in the meat. It is simply exquisite.

A portion of this article appeared in Elaine Schoch’s column, The Pour on Vail Daily.