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Wines for Backyard Grilling

The casual nature of grilled food almost demands casual wines. There are exceptions though. A perfectly cooked steak or an equally serious piece of lamb would call for a big red such as Cabernet Sauvignon, a bigger style Zinfandel, Rhône reds and Australian Shirazes. The wines should have good structure and firm tannins. Ken Brown, winemaker and founder of Byron Vineyards & Winery in Santa Barbara County, Calif., notes that tannins in Syrah-based wines are not as harsh as those of Cabernet Sauvignon. “Syrah is also more complex, gamier and has more richness than Cabernet, he says.

In The Wine Bible, author Karen MacNeil recommends Sangiovese-based wines such as Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with steak. “Sangiovese, with its underlying bright acidity and hint of saltiness, is stunning when set off by the richness and fat of beef, she writes. I liked a Val Delle Rose Morellino di Scansano Reserva (a Sangiovese-based wine from southern Tuscany) with steak.

Hamburgers and Zinfandel
Hamburgers and Zinfandel have always been a natural combination, perhaps in part because both are quintessentially American. However, Jeff Cohn, winemaker at Rosenblum Cellars of Oakland, Calif., one of the best Zin producers, warns, “Zinfandel is a mixed bag. There are so many styles from high alcohol to high residual sugar. But it works as long as you know what you’re working with. For most barbecue that usually means balanced wines not too high in alcohol. In addition to Rosenblum, other reasonably priced Zin producers in that category include Cline, Dry Creek, Gallo of Sonoma, Kenwood, Kendall-Jackson, Murphy-Goode, Rancho Zabaco, and Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend.

Brown would recommend Syrah with burgers. Both Syrah and Zinfandel have enough fruit and richness to hold up to the gloppy condiments that so often accompany burgers and other grilled foods. Another wine that fits the bill is Beaujolais.

In Red Wine with Fish, authors David Rosengarten and Josh Wesson suggest a Ribera Del Duero red wine from Spain with grilled baby lamb chops. To that I’d also add Spanish reds from the Rioja region.

If that lamb or beef gets a spicy rub, you’ll want a wine with some oomph to stand up to it. Petite Sirah is a good choice here as are spicy versions of Shiraz or Zinfandel. Spicy doesn’t necessarily mean hot. The heat from chile peppers can be exacerbated by higher alcohol wines, as some Petite Sirahs and Zinfandels can be. Top Petite Sirah (or Syrah) producers include Bogle, Concannon, EOS, Foppiano, Guenoc, Parducci, Pedroncelli, and Rosenblum.

So far I’ve talked about red wines but whites are consumed more frequently in summer because they are cold and more refreshing. Marnie Old, a wine educator and beverage consultant in Philadelphia, says white wines with grilled food should have oak flavors that “echo and reinforce the character of the grill, but without sacrificing acidity. California Chardonnays tend to be shorter on acidity and sweeter than French Chardonnays from Burgundy. Sauvignon Blanc has more acidity than Chardonnay. So it made sense that a barrel-fermented and oak-aged Murphy-Goode Alexander Valley Reserve Fumé was a good match for grilled chicken.

On the other hand, Old says, “some wines can be too lean, too acidic, like a French Chablis or Sancerre. They’re not fat enough to handle the flavors of the grill.

A Match for Grilled Vegetables
Some grilled fish can take reds or whites. Grilled tuna is often touted as holding up to big red wines, though I think light- to medium-bodied reds work best. I particularly liked a California Pinot Noir, and a Moulin-a-Vent Cru Beaujolais. Zinfandel and Australian Shiraz are more appropriate for spicier presentations. But some whites also work well, including Italian Pinot Grigio and French St. Veran. Pinot Noir is the usual suspect when it comes to grilled salmon. But I prefer Alsatian Pinot Gris, which has more richness than versions from Oregon or California.

Because it is often characterized as herbal and grassy, Sauvignon Blanc is a good match for grilled vegetables, especially asparagus. But if the veggies have a sweeter quality (like carrots, onions, or sweet potatoes), a Beaujolais might be appropriate.

Many people like sweet barbecue sauces on grilled foods. The exuberant fruit in Zinfandel makes it a good choice here. Ditto for Australian or South African Shiraz. Sometimes you can go with a white, perhaps an off-dry Chenin Blanc or Riesling, especially German Rieslings because their higher acidity refreshes the palate. You could also try an extra dry (slightly sweet) Champagne or sparkling wines from California, which tend to be fruitier than Champagnes.

Real barbecue is long, slow cooking over a low fire versus the quick grill most of us do in our backyards. While purists believe that good barbecue does not need sauce, many barbecued ribs are covered with it. Such barbecue is often quite smoky. The combination of sweet and smoke, says Cohn, makes Syrah and Petite Sirah natural companions. “Most have a smoky, rustic component, he says. He also suggests Chateauneuf du Pape, in which Grenache is the main varietal. In my tastings with real barbecue, Grenache was best overall and Beckmen Grenache, in particular, outshone other wines.

But if I had to choose one wine to cover the barbecue/grilling gamut, it would be rosé, ideally one from the Rhône or made with Rhône varietals, which have more richness and body. Preston of Dry Creek in California makes an excellent Rhône-style rosé (or vin gris, as it is sometimes called) from Mourvédre and Cinsault.

Yet, wine isn’t the only grill-season complement. Some people, like Jerry Shriver, food and wine writer for USA Today, think the best wine with barbecue is sweetened iced tea.

Sam Gugino is the Tastes columnist for Wine Spectator and author of Low-Fat Cooking to Beat the Clock.