Tom Raveret
TVWBB Pro
I love good wine and good BBQ and want to open a discussion of pairing wines with different types of BBQ. So what are your favorite wines to pair with your favorite Q?
What are your favorite wines to go with your Q
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Doug D
TVWBB Hall of Fame
With pork BBQ, a good, spicy Zinfandel. Also try the Italian Primitivo, long suspected to be a close Zin relative. Or Pinot Noir.
With beef, a full-bodied, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. Gundlach-Bundschu used to be a favorite because of its smoky character. Their Merlot shares that trait, but in a softer, rounder style.
With beef, a full-bodied, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. Gundlach-Bundschu used to be a favorite because of its smoky character. Their Merlot shares that trait, but in a softer, rounder style.
David Munson
TVWBB Super Fan
Home made hard cider. 2000 I think.
Norman Calhoun
TVWBB Member
Tom
Whenever I serve BBQ I round it out with a cold beer,and I have yet had anyone aask for wine. Tommorow I'am doing 6 racks of ribs one of my friends drinks wine most of the time but when he comes over he brings beer,but when he comes over I'll ask him what wine he would have and I'll get back to you /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
Norm /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif
Whenever I serve BBQ I round it out with a cold beer,and I have yet had anyone aask for wine. Tommorow I'am doing 6 racks of ribs one of my friends drinks wine most of the time but when he comes over he brings beer,but when he comes over I'll ask him what wine he would have and I'll get back to you /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
Norm /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif
Tom Raveret
TVWBB Pro
Dont get me wrong Norm, Beer is usually my beverage of choice with BBQ. I still love wine and was afraid that most wines will be so overpowered by BBQ I was looking for good choices to try. Great recommendation on the Gundlach-Bundschu Doug. I 'll look for that one. Thanks.
I'm hoping Konrad will weigh in on this one !!!
I'm hoping Konrad will weigh in on this one !!!
Doug D
TVWBB Hall of Fame
OK, here's one:
Search this site, or wherever, and find yourself a way to do pork spares with a cherry-flavored rub-- whether it be Mary's, or a yogurt-based rub as suggested here in the past. Go all-out and even use cherry wood for your smoke.
Then, for not a whole lot of money, pick up some Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. Anywhere from 1998-2000 will do just fine. A very up-front dry cherry flavor, coupled with very subdued tannins and good body-- in a drink-now style-- will be a perfect match for those ribs.
Spend a little more and try the 1997-1999 Sebastiani Sonoma Valley Cab, or the Beringer Knights Valley Cab in the same vintages. (p.s. If you have some '94 or '95 of either of these two, either drink it now or send it to me, OK?). /infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif
Search this site, or wherever, and find yourself a way to do pork spares with a cherry-flavored rub-- whether it be Mary's, or a yogurt-based rub as suggested here in the past. Go all-out and even use cherry wood for your smoke.
Then, for not a whole lot of money, pick up some Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. Anywhere from 1998-2000 will do just fine. A very up-front dry cherry flavor, coupled with very subdued tannins and good body-- in a drink-now style-- will be a perfect match for those ribs.
Spend a little more and try the 1997-1999 Sebastiani Sonoma Valley Cab, or the Beringer Knights Valley Cab in the same vintages. (p.s. If you have some '94 or '95 of either of these two, either drink it now or send it to me, OK?). /infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif
Tom Raveret
TVWBB Pro
Doug,
Funny you should mention it. I'm sitting on a half case fo the Knights Valley '94. I was going to keep it a couple more years. You say drink it now? (I know ...or send it to you)
Funny you should mention it. I'm sitting on a half case fo the Knights Valley '94. I was going to keep it a couple more years. You say drink it now? (I know ...or send it to you)
Doug D
TVWBB Hall of Fame
Most (not all) California Cabs of better quality are estimated to mature, if properly cellared, between 6 and 10 years. The Beringer '94 probably spent a couple years in the barrel, so its release was around 1997, putting it in the 6 year old category. I have recently had properly-cellared 1990 Knights Valley (10 years old), and found it fabulous. The key words, of course, are properly cellared. The dark corner of a Wisconsin basement would probably qualify. Under normal household environs, the wine matures more rapidly, but probably never reaches its best, as it would had it been cellared. OK, so just send me one for a test, and I'll get back to you. /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
Konrad Haskins
R.I.P. 3/23/2014
A great value from a great wine maker is the Ca'Del Solo Big House Red ($7.99 at Trader Joe's) http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/ It can handle Q just fine. Don't let the screw cap confuse you it is the latest in high tech closures for wine.
A good California Cab works, so does a good Italian Barbera (Familia Mondavi is a good choice). Zin is meant to be good but so far I've not found one I like, although I have a high rated bottle sitting in my collection I need to drink /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
The big hit at the 1st birthday party of TeddyBearBBQ.com on Saturday was my first batch of home made Chester's big red gundog hard lemonade. I'll post the recipe to the recipes section.
A good California Cab works, so does a good Italian Barbera (Familia Mondavi is a good choice). Zin is meant to be good but so far I've not found one I like, although I have a high rated bottle sitting in my collection I need to drink /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
The big hit at the 1st birthday party of TeddyBearBBQ.com on Saturday was my first batch of home made Chester's big red gundog hard lemonade. I'll post the recipe to the recipes section.
Henry Joe Peterson
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Konrad Haskins:
[qb] A great value from a great wine maker is the Ca'Del Solo Big House Red ($7.99 at Trader Joe's) http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/ It can handle Q just fine. Don't let the screw cap confuse you it is the latest in high tech closures for wine.
A good California Cab works, so does a good Italian Barbera (Familia Mondavi is a good choice). Zin is meant to be good but so far I've not found one I like, although I have a high rated bottle sitting in my collection I need to drink /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
The big hit at the 1st birthday party of TeddyBearBBQ.com on Saturday was my first batch of home made Chester's big red gundog hard lemonade. I'll post the recipe to the recipes section. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'll ditto on the Barbera! Also, with smoked chicken and sausages, and sometimes ribs I'll do a slightly swee, dry white. Something like a dry gurwurtztraminer or a vioginer.
I have a decent collection of cabs. but when I want to drink the aged, well cared for good stuff I stick with steak or prime rib, rather than a heavily smoked brikset. for me, the smoke can overwhelm the subtelties of a really great cab.
So for briskets, I go with beer. A good beer. A nice Anchor Steam, Anchor Liberty, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Oh, and for dessert a couple weekends ago, I had warm apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and a North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. What a great combo!
[qb] A great value from a great wine maker is the Ca'Del Solo Big House Red ($7.99 at Trader Joe's) http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/ It can handle Q just fine. Don't let the screw cap confuse you it is the latest in high tech closures for wine.
A good California Cab works, so does a good Italian Barbera (Familia Mondavi is a good choice). Zin is meant to be good but so far I've not found one I like, although I have a high rated bottle sitting in my collection I need to drink /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
The big hit at the 1st birthday party of TeddyBearBBQ.com on Saturday was my first batch of home made Chester's big red gundog hard lemonade. I'll post the recipe to the recipes section. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'll ditto on the Barbera! Also, with smoked chicken and sausages, and sometimes ribs I'll do a slightly swee, dry white. Something like a dry gurwurtztraminer or a vioginer.
I have a decent collection of cabs. but when I want to drink the aged, well cared for good stuff I stick with steak or prime rib, rather than a heavily smoked brikset. for me, the smoke can overwhelm the subtelties of a really great cab.
So for briskets, I go with beer. A good beer. A nice Anchor Steam, Anchor Liberty, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Oh, and for dessert a couple weekends ago, I had warm apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and a North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. What a great combo!
Doug D
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I only have really great Cabs with no outside interference, be it food, smoke, or any other palate killers. This philosophy stems from an incident many years ago with a once-in-a-lifetime Cabernet Franc. The host asked, "Cigar?", and I foolishly said yes. I'll never know how good it was. /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif When I pair wine with food, I'm looking for a synergy, wherein the wine makes the food better, and vice-versa.
Since this is Just Conversation, and we're touching on really great Cabs, what's the crown jewel of your current collection, and what will it take for you to actually open it? And I don't just mean the most expensive, I mean the most special.
Since this is Just Conversation, and we're touching on really great Cabs, what's the crown jewel of your current collection, and what will it take for you to actually open it? And I don't just mean the most expensive, I mean the most special.
Henry Joe Peterson
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Since this is Just Conversation, and we're touching on really great Cabs, what's the crown jewel of your current collection, and what will it take for you to actually open it? And I don't just mean the most expensive, I mean the most special. [/QB] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I got some 90, 91, and 92 Heitz Marthas
Some 92 Diamond Creek (all 3 Microclimates)
Some 97 Diamond Creeks.
And 2 97 Aurojos.
We bought our house in 01, which means a mortgage and a SERIOUS cutback in great cabs.
Also, I've cut down on my alcohol consumption considerably.
Since then though, I have not even thought about toching my good ones.
I buy respectable 20 dollar cabs now, mostly.
Some 92 Diamond Creek (all 3 Microclimates)
Some 97 Diamond Creeks.
And 2 97 Aurojos.
We bought our house in 01, which means a mortgage and a SERIOUS cutback in great cabs.
Also, I've cut down on my alcohol consumption considerably.
Since then though, I have not even thought about toching my good ones.
I buy respectable 20 dollar cabs now, mostly.
Henry Joe Peterson
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Doug D:
[qb] <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Henry Joe Peterson:
[qb]
[qb] <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Henry Joe Peterson:
[qb]
G
Guest
Guest
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Since this is Just Conversation, and we're touching on really great Cabs, what's the crown jewel of your current collection, and what will it take for you to actually open it? And I don't just mean the most expensive, I mean the most special.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>We recently opened my 91 Chateau Montelena Cab, the first really good bottle I ever bought, to celebrate two engagements and two new babies. Even though this was a really special occasion, I did cringe when I removed the cork, no going back. Definitely the best Cab I ever tasted.
Konrad,
If you haven't tried it yet, the Ridge Pagani Ranch is my favorite Zin out there, not cheap but worth it if you can find it.
Tim
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>We recently opened my 91 Chateau Montelena Cab, the first really good bottle I ever bought, to celebrate two engagements and two new babies. Even though this was a really special occasion, I did cringe when I removed the cork, no going back. Definitely the best Cab I ever tasted.
Konrad,
If you haven't tried it yet, the Ridge Pagani Ranch is my favorite Zin out there, not cheap but worth it if you can find it.
Tim
John Bergan
TVWBB Member
I am definitely more of a beer fan with BBQ, Victory Hop Devil is my favorite beer with BBQ.
If I was going to drink wine, it would be something like Ravenswood Vintners Blend, because of its price and drinkability. I'd save my better wines for fancier meals.
If I was going to drink wine, it would be something like Ravenswood Vintners Blend, because of its price and drinkability. I'd save my better wines for fancier meals.
Tom Raveret
TVWBB Pro
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Doug D:
[qb]
Since this is Just Conversation, and we're touching on really great Cabs, what's the crown jewel of your current collection, and what will it take for you to actually open it? And I don't just mean the most expensive, I mean the most special. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Some great wine ideas to pair with and play with. I agree that many...maybe most wines would be better drank either by themselves or with foods that complement not overpower the wines.
To doug D's note its not a Cab for me but a fine Burgundy that really tickles my palate and it has a great story behind it. Its a 1959 Chambertin that I tasted in Burgundy in the year 2000 when they were opening the cave of teh century at the wine festival in Beaune. I had the luck to stumble into this event and got to taste 10 or 12 1959 Grand Crus and then purchased two to bring home. (the other was a white Batard Montrachet)
It was a killer time the tasting took from 2:00- 6:0 then I went back to my hotel and changed for a 12 course dinner paired with wine at each course in the cave where these were cellared sinc they were locked up in 1959.
Heres the kicker. This was all happening on my birthday!!!
[qb]
Since this is Just Conversation, and we're touching on really great Cabs, what's the crown jewel of your current collection, and what will it take for you to actually open it? And I don't just mean the most expensive, I mean the most special. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Some great wine ideas to pair with and play with. I agree that many...maybe most wines would be better drank either by themselves or with foods that complement not overpower the wines.
To doug D's note its not a Cab for me but a fine Burgundy that really tickles my palate and it has a great story behind it. Its a 1959 Chambertin that I tasted in Burgundy in the year 2000 when they were opening the cave of teh century at the wine festival in Beaune. I had the luck to stumble into this event and got to taste 10 or 12 1959 Grand Crus and then purchased two to bring home. (the other was a white Batard Montrachet)
It was a killer time the tasting took from 2:00- 6:0 then I went back to my hotel and changed for a 12 course dinner paired with wine at each course in the cave where these were cellared sinc they were locked up in 1959.
Heres the kicker. This was all happening on my birthday!!!
Doug D
TVWBB Hall of Fame
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tom Raveret:
Some great wine ideas to pair with and play with. I agree that many... maybe most wines would be better drank either by themselves or with foods that complement not overpower the wines.
To doug D's note its not a Cab for me but a fine Burgundy that really tickles my palate and it has a great story behind it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>A good point. There are some wines whose subtleties, for me, make them candidates for appreciation sans food. I was fortunate enough to attend a Joseph Drouhin barrel-tasting of their 1998 Burgundy vintage in 2000, and, man, what an eye-opener. A flight of 9 whites, 9 reds, and 2 Beaujolais served as a master class in the French concept of "terroir". The delicate nuances that defined each of the wines in each of the flights was revelatory. And, although I'm sure there are foods that pair well with each of them, the opportunity to compare them on their own, side-by-side, was remarkable.
Some great wine ideas to pair with and play with. I agree that many... maybe most wines would be better drank either by themselves or with foods that complement not overpower the wines.
To doug D's note its not a Cab for me but a fine Burgundy that really tickles my palate and it has a great story behind it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>A good point. There are some wines whose subtleties, for me, make them candidates for appreciation sans food. I was fortunate enough to attend a Joseph Drouhin barrel-tasting of their 1998 Burgundy vintage in 2000, and, man, what an eye-opener. A flight of 9 whites, 9 reds, and 2 Beaujolais served as a master class in the French concept of "terroir". The delicate nuances that defined each of the wines in each of the flights was revelatory. And, although I'm sure there are foods that pair well with each of them, the opportunity to compare them on their own, side-by-side, was remarkable.
G
Guest
Guest
I note a few references to a Zinfandel above but with the same results that I have found. That is, they can have a cloying sweetness to them. I have found that most California Zins (expensive or not) have a great fruity start (strawberry, melon, etc), which is perfect for the heavier tastes of bbq but the sweetness stays on the palate, which I don't care for. I found a Zinfandel from British Columbia (Okanagan) that is suprisingly inexpensive, gives a great fruity start and they sweetness is not cloying. Apparently this is due to the colder climate of BC. I suspect that a Zin from a more northern state would exhibit the same qualities.
Randy Parr
TVWBB Super Fan
I'm surprised that none of you cab lovers have mentioned a Shiraz. These beauties from Australia
have become a new classic among lovers of meat and spicy food. 93,94,96,and 98 all seem to have been excellent harvests. Lots of names but will just mention a few...Rosemount Shyrah Balmoral 1998,94, Penfolds Grange 1990, Henschke Mount Edelstone 93,96. Price ranges from under 10 to the sky's the limit.
For you die-hard cab lovers...beware of the first sip, this is not your beloved cab, but give it a few more and I think you will be hooked.
After all...red wines from down under and Q...what could be more natural?
Let me know what you think.
have become a new classic among lovers of meat and spicy food. 93,94,96,and 98 all seem to have been excellent harvests. Lots of names but will just mention a few...Rosemount Shyrah Balmoral 1998,94, Penfolds Grange 1990, Henschke Mount Edelstone 93,96. Price ranges from under 10 to the sky's the limit.
For you die-hard cab lovers...beware of the first sip, this is not your beloved cab, but give it a few more and I think you will be hooked.
After all...red wines from down under and Q...what could be more natural?
Let me know what you think.
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