Wine For the Weekend of 9/13/19

BBQ Wines Are The Wine For The Weekend of 9/13/19

Summer is about to end, therefore let’s grill as much as possible beforehand! There are lots of wines that could fit this, but I am going to focus on some of the best choices. The wines are food friendly. They taste great with grilled meats and barbecue sauces. This is why BBQ wines are the wine for the weekend of 9/13/19. If you want to try some of the best ribs in the U.S., go to Charlie Vergos’ Rendevous in Memphis, Tennessee. You can buy their sauce and rubs online.

Barbera d’Asti and Barbera D’Alba

These two regions are similar to Napa and Sonoma in proximity and competitiveness. However, the wines are as different as Napas and Sonomas due to different terrior and winemaking styles. The towns are in the Piedmont region in the northeast. They both work well for barbecues. Barberas boast nice fruit flavors which are prominently cherries. They are deep red in color with a moderate amount of tannins. The wines exhibit beautiful floral aromas. Most of all, they love barbecues. Spend (min. $15).

Vietti Barbera d’Asti
Vietti Barbera d’Alba

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

The opposite side of Italy makes a great barbecue wine at great prices. This is the best wine I ever had with hamburgers! It has aromas of black cherries and blueberries. Montepulcianos taste like plums, sour cherries, oregano and a smokiness. Zaccagnini is good and easily recognizable with it’s signature piece of grapevine. Hint – You can spend less than $10 and get a good one. Do not confuse this wine with the town of Montepulciano which is in Tuscany. This wine is called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a RED wine. While you can drink white zinfandel at a barbecue, it won’t do you any favors eating it with meats. Zinfandel has aromas of licorice, smoke, and black pepper. It boasts fruit flavors of raspberry, black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, plum, raisin, fig and jam. Look for the lower priced versions as they are usually lighter and better for barbecue. Spend a minimum of $10. I love Ravenswood zins, especially the on from Lodi, California. Beware the alcohol content. Some can be 14-20% alcohol as the grape continues to perplex winemakers.