Barbecue and Wines

With the holidays coming up, I've had a few questions about drinking wine with your barbeque. For some reason a lot of people are convinced that wine is somehow more festive than beer. While I scarf at that notion, our friends at Charbroil and Fetzer Vineyards have conveniently put together a great guide to wine and Q. Here you go, enjoy, but I'll have a beer thank you.

Starters (salads, cheeses, appetizers):

• Sparkling wine, Gerwurztraminer, Riesling, White Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio

Beef:

• Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel

Chicken:

• Dry Rose, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir

Pork:

• Dry Rose, Savignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir

Hamburgers:

• Dry Rose, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Savignon, Shiraz

Ribs:

• Dry Rose, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot

White fish or shellfish:

• Sparkling wine, Dry Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay

Salmon:

• Dry Rose, Sparkling wine, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Serving Tips:

• Use the same wine in recipes that you plan on serving with the course.
• Count on "five" 5oz. servings from a 750ml bottle of wine.
• Chill sparkling, white and blush wines to 40-45 degrees F
• Serve red wines at 65-68 degrees F - that means on a hot day, don't be afraid to keep them in a cool place!
• Keep wine bottles out of direct sunlight while storing.
• A five-ounce serving of wine (red or white) contains about 100 calories.
• Have iced-tea, lemonade and non-alcoholic frozen drinks as options for your guests.

Of course the best recommendation I have is to just drink what you like, just remember to do it responsibly.

If you're looking for a more in-depth discussion of wines I heartily recommend that you check out my friend and WhiteTrash BBQ's wine expert Lenn Thompson's blog Lenndevours or the great folks over at Wine Sediments which is part of the Well Fed Network. I'll have more news about the Well Fed Network in the upcoming days.