For seasonal food and wine perfection, few things can top a cookout. My favorite grill experience was at a tiny remote cottage with no electricity in Uruguay, the vacation retreat of Argentine celeb chef Francis Mallmann, who popularized traditional open-flame techniques internationally. Everything we ate was cooked on a hand-forged grill over a sparking fire surrounded by stones. Under a dark sky sprinkled with stars, at a table lit by candles of all sizes, we savored thick-crusted, sizzling steaks with tiny grilled potatoes and accompaniments all kissed with char. Later, Mallmann read from poetry books pulled from piles stacked precariously around the house. Naturally, there were reds and whites to match the mood, the weather, the food, the poems.
This summer I don’t expect to match his skill, but I will be grilling everything — steak, chicken, salmon, asparagus, fresh corn, firm peaches at the peak of ripeness, and even endive and lettuce. If you plan to as well, let the enticing, slightly bitter, and salty taste that smoke lends to the underlying flavors of grilled foods should tune your choice of what to drink.
Below you’ll find my list of nine no-fail wines that go great with a grilled meal, from least to most expensive in each category. If your local store doesn’t stock them, heed the following wine-pairing tips culled from my own experiences as well as from the expertise of Jordan Mackay, wine writer and co-author with Texas barbecue guru Aaron Franklin of the bestselling Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak, and the forthcoming Franklin Smoke.
Don’t pick wines that are too subtle or shy in flavor. This is Mackay’s biggest no-no. The robust flavor that grilling adds needs equally bold wines.
By which he means concentrated and with personality, but not heavy or high in alcohol. The nuances of a complex wine will be lost. Ditto whites, in my opinion, which is why none appear on my list below.
Opt for low-oak wines. You might think the no-brainer match would be seriously oaky wines with similar smoky overtones. Not the case, Mackay says, and I heartily concur. Instead of blending together, the smoky char makes the oak in wine stand out but not in a good way.
Consider the meat, the rub, and the sauce. Char-grilled steaks need a bold red with some tannin to break down the meat’s fat. Conversely, succulent pork ribs coated with a deep, sweet, tangy barbecue sauce or a spice-and-vinegar-rubbed chicken are best with a lively, high-acid, low-tannin red that can be chilled; pinot noir is a good choice.
Yes, rosé is an all-purpose winner. Like me, Mackay is “a bit bored” with those ubiquitous light pink wines that taste the same. Instead he suggests darker, richer examples with more fruit and character to counter the smokiness. They’ll be delicious with salmon and especially with vegetables such as zucchini.
