Best reds for barbecues

by Nicole Weston, Posted May 18th 2006 @ 2:02PM

Some might say that the best reds to have when barbecuing are red meats. Given that steaks and burgers are some of the top barbecue foods, there are few who might disagree entirely with that, but Food & Wine reminds readers not to forget the other reds: wines. I know that I usually think about drinks like soda, beer, margaritas, iced tea and lemonade as good choices for barbecues, as well as for dining outdoors in general. There's no reason not to add wines to that list, too.

According to F&W, a barbecue wine "shouldn't just be a fruit-bomb" and should mirror the smoky qualities of the grilled meat. Personally - most likely because I cook on a gas grill - I don't experience a whole lot of smokiness with all my grilled foods and would like something fruity to, in my opinion, enhance the juiciness of the meat. That's just me, though. Here are F&W's picks, all of which (except one) are under $20 a bottle"

2004 Pepperwood Grove Zinfandel ($8)
2004 Rocky Gully Shiraz-Viognier ($14)
2004 Frontier Red Lot No. 51 ($10)
2003 Santadi Grotta Rossa ($11)
2004 Woop Woop Shiraz ($11)
2002 DiBruno Santa Barbara County Sangiovese ($20)
2004 Alamos Malbec ($10)
2003 Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($22)

We like 2003 Ravenswood Zin, Il Valore Primitivo and, of course, Two Buck Chuck, as well.

Source

Filed Under: Magazines, Drink Recipes, Methods
Tags: barbecue, barbecuing, food and wine, grilling, magazine, red wine, summer, two buck chuck, wine, wines, zinfandel

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-18-2006 @3:00PM Luis Antonio said... I'm no wine expert, but for the usual "carne asada" that we make in the northern parts of Mexico, a good bodied cab or tempranillo does wonders for the meat grilled with just some salt.
Reply