As the song says "Voilà l'été, Voilà l'été" and nothing better than a barbecue to share a good time with friends. But which wine should you get out of your cellar for the event ?
Summary
A barbecue means several wines
This is the whole problem.... there are so many possibilities available when we want to make a barbecue. A barbecue, can be merguez and sausages, pork, vegetables, Fish… In short terms, each dish should be associated with a wine and that is the difficulty. To avoid writing a book right away, we are going to devote ourselves here to meats.
The barbecue being a simple and convivial meal, prefer wines with the same criteria: SIMPLE and CONVIVIAL !
The unbeatable sausages / merguez
For this kind of dish, the safe bet is rosé ! Take out your fresh and light rosé for the aperitif and you can calmly continue the meal with the same wine. You won't go wrong by opting for a rosé de Provence or a Languedoc.
If you prefer white wine, opt for a white wine that has seen the sun, like a white wine of the Rhone valley.
A red wine from the south of France like a Syrah can also work very well. It is possible to refine your choice according to the different varieties of sausages :
- Chipolatas : a round and aromatic white wine from the Rhône Valley is perfect ! Prefer the Côtes du Rhône appellation and its Bourboulenc grape variety, Clairette, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne or Grenache. The freshness will balance the fat of chipolata sausages.
- Sausages with herbs : try originality and surprise your friends with a Bordeaux Clairet, with soft tannins and aromas of red fruits that go very well with herbs. Merlot is the grape variety most often used to make Clairet, but you can also find a Clairet made with the other emblematic grape varieties of Bordeaux
- Merguez : the pronounced taste of merguez requires a red wine. You can opt for lightness and fruit with an Anjou or a Beaujolais or look for a little more power with a Corbières or Minervois. The spicy aromas of the Syrah grape variety are also an adequate solution to counterbalance the spices of the merguez.
Pork
Pork is a rather delicate meat and goes well with young red wines, fruity and light.
You can continue to drink the rosé you started with the sausages and merguez.
Better, you can choose a very fruity and light red wine like a Gamay from Beaujolais. If you want a little more power, go for a fairly young Pinot Noir from the Sancerre or Burgundy region. Red wine should be light, fruity, but also quite cool (between 12 to 14 °C).
If you are a fan of very grilled pork, you can easily serve it with a more robust wine. The young red Bordeaux will do the job perfectly !
Barbecue : Which wine with beef ?
Juicy, grilled beef goes perfectly with wines of the same stature : full-bodied . The power of the meat and the smoky notes transmitted by the grilling on the embers will go wonderfully well with a tannic red wine, with woody notes transmitted by aging in oak barrels : a Saint-Emilion or a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The order of service of food and wine
A good idea of side dish ?
What if you took advantage of your hot barbecue to cook some vegetables ? Tomatoes, button mushrooms, corn cobs, everything is possible !
You can also barbecue potatoes :
- After putting a pinch of coarse salt, wrap the potato in a piece of aluminum.
- Place the potato directly in the embers and cook for about 20 minutes, turning it from time to time.
- Remove the aluminum and open the potato in half to place a tablespoon of fresh cream with minced chives and pepper.
And There you go, it's ready to serve !
You can also put a Camembert in the barbecue. You just have to remove the paper from the Camembert before putting the cheese back in its wood box, then close and cover with foil. You can leave it only 10 minutes for the cheese to be warm and runny.
The best food and wine pairings with a barbecue !
Red meats
| Regions | Appellations |
|---|---|
| Bordeaux |
|
| South West |
|
| Languedoc |
|
| Rhone Valley |
|
White meats
| Regions | Appellations |
|---|---|
| Provence |
|
| Rhone Valley |
|
| Beaujolais |
|
| The Loire Valley |
|
| Provence |
|
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Thank you for these great ideas for wine and barbecue pairings.