BBQ WINES
It’s time to fire up the grill!
Here are our picks for the perfect wines to pair with whatever you’re tossing onto those coals. And might we suggest an easy-quaffing white while you wait for those briquets to get hot? Chill up a bottle of the JOHANN (just $12.50). This refreshing white wine is perfect for sipping while you wait for everything to cook!
GRILL IT AND PAIR IT:
RED WINES
Big and Bold
These spicy and hearty reds pair perfectly with all manner of grilled meats. The grape is Blaufrankisch, and we think there’s no other red grape out there which pairs better with BBQ. Think thick campfire steaks, slabs of ribs, and even your fat burgers and sausages.
Two picks which are drinking perfectly right now:
FEILER-ARTINGER UMRISS 2003 $19.99
WENZEL BANDKRAFTEN 2001 $24.99
MORIC NECKENMARKTER 2003 $28.99
Spicy and Full
These reds, while not quite as big as the first two we mentioned, have still got the spice and body required to stand up to your flame-grilling. Order the first pick, a Zweigelt, by the case (this wine is a serious bargain) and pour freely all summer long. The second is a mighty blend of Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and Merlot, which is basically the ultimate BBQ cuvee.
BRAUNSTEIN MITTERJOCH ZWEIGELT 2003 $12.99
GSELLMANN & GSELLMANN PANNOBILE 2001 $19.99
WHITE WINES
Paired with Seafood
Shrimp on the barbi just begs for a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. The Classic is a lighter styled Sav Blanc that is very fruit-forward, while the Poharnig has a more herbal and mineralic profile. Both would pair perfectly with grilled shrimp, oysters, lobster, clams or crab.
JAUNEGG CLASSIC 2004 $14.99
SABATHI POHARNIG 2005 $29.99
Any kind of fish (think salmon, swordfish, trout, halibut) pairs great with a not over-oaked (that is, not too heavy) Chardonnay. Our picks:
BRAUNSTEIN OXHOFT 2002 $17.50
VELICH DARSCHO 2001 $24.99
Go Grilled Veggies
Gruner Veltliner was made for pairing with grilled vegetables: zucchini, peppers, eggplant, onions, and particularly asparagus. With its kick of white pepper spice on the finish and its mineralic and fruit forward profile, you’ll be reaching for glass after glass. Be sure to serve it slightly chilled!
GRITSCH MAURITIUSHOF AXPOINT 2005 $12.99
HOGL SCHON GRUNER VELTLINER 2005 $14.99
DONABAUM SPITZER POINT 2005 $18.99
MELUSINE LYRA 2003 $58.99
Or you can just order up our pre-selected GRUNER VELTLINERS FOR GRILLING flight of three bottles at 20% off the individual bottle prices.
FOR DESSERT
Sweet Wines and Fresh Fruit
There’s so much gorgeous fresh produce this time of year, it would be a crime not to mention some of our favorite ways to pair those fruits with a few of our world-class sweet wines.
Try grilling up the best from the farmer’s stand: strawberries, watermelon, peaches, you name it. That’s right, grill it! Then serve it up with a chilled glass of dessert wine. It’s the perfect finish for your meal. The first pick here is just off-dry, and comes in a full bottle size. The second pick is a not-too-sweet Beerenauslese, which comes in a 500ml bottle:
FEILER-ARTINGER MUSCAT-OTTONEL SPATLESE 2003 $18.99
GSELLMANN & GSELLMANN BEERENAUSLESE 2001 $24.50
To be honest, any of our dessert wines, from Beerenauslese to Ice Wine to Ruster Ausbruch, would pair beautifully with a simple dish of fresh fruit. And of course, you should consider trying the always popular MELON KISS recipe.
Here’s to summer!
Love the BBQ wines piece! I am a giant fan of your wines and this site!
Here’s a question: If I am only going to buy, say TWO BBQ wines, one white and one red, which do you think are the most versatile? I’m serving ribs, chicken and salmon.
Also, are there such things as Austrian rosé wines?
Thanks!
Abby
Hi Abby,
Thanks for the kind words.
If I had to pick just two, I would go with the Feiler-Artinger Umriss Blaufrankisch 2003 for the red, and the Donabaum Loibner Garden Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2002 for the white.
The 2003 Umriss is drinking just beautifully right now, and that Gruner is from a vineyard on the lower part of the hill, so the wine is a bit fatter than those from the terraced vines higher up. That means it will complement your bigger flame-grilled chicken and salmon flavors while still pairing perfectly with any veggies you might serve on the side.
There are quite a few Austrian rosé wines, including the famous (or infamous, depending upon your experience) Schilcher wines of Western Styria, made from the Blauer Wildbacher grape. Schilcher is a bit of a specialty that might not translate well to the American palate- it’s quite acidic!
We are very much looking forward to a special rosé wine that we will be importing soon: a sekt made in the Champagnois method from winemaker Marion Ebner, who brought us the incredible Melusine Gruner Veltliner. She used 100% Pinot Noir grapes and let the skins stay in contact for justthislong, so the resulting sparkling wine has a mere blush of color. Of course, coming from Marion, this is a very limited production wine, so keep an eye out for it’s arrival!
Cheers!
Great piece on what to pair with grilled food. I have grown very fond of gruners with grilled fish (especially the very rich salmon) and chicken. I especially like the Donabaum Spitzer Point Smaragd 2002; which, by the way, has “wine diamonds” on the cork but not in the wine. Now I am ready to move on to the heartier reds with steaks and chops.
Thanks, Alma