WooEeee, Susan. That one sounds good. Sangria is a natural. But why reduce the amount you're making? Looks like 5 gallons will leave you just enough for a snort or two the next day (morning?).
Art: You started this thread. How's the foot?
Some successful wines we’ve had with barbecue:
With ribs (excellent): Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages (Les Grandes Vignes du Roy)
With any smoked food (great with smoked meatloaf): 2000 Delas (Saint-Esprit) Cotes-du Rhone
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Here are a few comments that I’ve collected on my computer:
ROSÉ AND BLUSH typically loves: Anchovies, shrimp, tuna, ham, sausage, smoked poultry, turkey, allspice, caraway, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, mild chili, nutmeg, BARBECUE, soy, Parmesan cheese, peanuts, bell peppers, carrots, cranberries, melons, strawberries, raspberries.
ZINFANDEL typically loves: Crab, hot-smoked salmon, mussels, bacon, beef, chicken, pork, basil, bay leaf, file, mild chile, oregano, paprika, balsamic sauce, BARBECUE SAUCE, mild salsa, blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, blackberries, corn, dried tomatoes, eggplant, figs, tomatoes
--- From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6/8/00, Source: "The Vintner's Table Cookbook" by Mary Evely.
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You might check:
www.winespectator.com
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WINES FOR BBQ
My personal favorite for grilled food has got to be RIOJA. This is a medium-weight red wine that's spicy and fruity. Classic, bold, these wines taste mostly of their tempranillo roots and have a bright, fresh flavor to them. This goes extremely well with steak and other hearty meats.
Serve red Riojas at around 61–64°F. If it's hot out, you might want to stick the bottle in the fridge for a few minutes. If you serve a red wine too warm, it tastes mostly of alcohol and you lose the great flavors.
Another great wine with ribs and thick steaks is BACO NOIR. What a red! None of this namby-pamby light stuff. This wine has heft to it – very complex flavors, with wood, spice, richness, texture. Definitely a long finish, something that can go with a rich BBQ ribs dish.
Best of all, with a Baco Noir there's the infamous Purple Mouth that results. You can offer this wine to unsuspecting friends and see if they notice each other’s tongues. Probably not, they'll be enraptured by the wine's flavor.
Are you more of a white wine person? If you're grilling up fresh seafood and serving salads, try for a CHABLIS – a Chardonnay made in the Chablis region of France. You're not doing this because you're anti-Californian! You're doing this because while in California Chardonnays tend to be very warm, oaky, and smooth, the Chablis version of Chardonnay is flinty, steely, fruity, and crisp. This is the perfect accompaniment to oysters, seafood, and light poultry.
Do you have some visitors who aren't really wine drinkers? SANGRIA is the answer! This fresh, fruity punch is made by dumping red wine, brandy, fruits, ice, and cinnamon together and letting it sit overnight. We have tons of recipes on line to help you mix the perfect batch.
Looking for more Sangria recipes or tips on pairing wine with your BBQ menu? Our discussion board is open 24 hours a day!
— From Lisa Shea, wine guide for About.com,
http://wine.about.com/library/weekly/aa062300.htm
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WINE AND SPICE PAIRING
Wine and Food pairings is an individual choice. Every person's sense of taste is different. In general, each person should decide for him or herself what combinations of wine and food taste good - don't worry about what anyone else says should work. However, I understand this is difficult when a wine drinker is just starting out. Hence, this listing.
Remember - these are only guidelines!! You will figure out quite quickly that your own tongue has its own idea of what goes well with what. Trust your own judgement, and eat and drink what you enjoy!
Typically, you want to drink light-to-dark, just as when you plan a meal you start with delicate tastes and work towards heavier tastes. For this reason, you tend to serve a white wine with appetizers or opening courses in a meal. White wines also go well with most lighter dishes - salads, fish, poultry, and so on.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON: bay leaf, parsley, nutmeg
CHARDONNAY: mustard, clove, ginger, sage
CHENIN BLANC: dill, parsley, clove, nutmeg
GEWURZTRAMINER: mint, black pepper, curry
MERLOT: basil, oregano, nutmeg
PINOT GRIS: thyme, chives, fennel, orange
PINOT NOIR: mint, sage, cinammon
RIESLING: dill, sage, clove, ginger
SAUVIGNON BLANC: garlic, oregano, black pepper
SEMILLON: dill, lemon thyme, cumin
SYRAH: tarragon, rosemary, juniper, white pepper
ZINFANDEL (RED): tarragon, thyme, black pepper, clove
— From Lisa Shea, wine guide for About.com,
http://wine.about.com/library/bl_food_sp.htm
