Wine pairing - Which wine goes well with a barbecue?

The question of which wine goes best with which food always arises. White wine, rosé, or red wine? Grilling often presents the same challenge. However, if you follow a few simple rules, food pairing becomes a breeze, even when grilling.

Grilling and barbecue (BBQ) are becoming almost a national culinary pastime. For many years now, the various facets of international grilling culture have also found their way to our shores: BBQ, smokers, etc. Not everyone likes beer. Nevertheless, it's not easy to decide which wine best complements grilled meat . "It depends..." say some wine connoisseurs.

To ensure your barbecue with wine pairing is a perfect experience, it's worth planning in advance what you'll be eating and which wine to pair with the grilled food. Not every wine goes well with every type of grilled food, which of course also applies to a regular dinner. The following magazine article offers some tips and recommendations on this topic.

Does wine go well with a barbecue?

If you want to offer your friends something truly special, choose wine. However, it's important to select the right wine pairing and to serve the wine correctly.

Proper temperature is crucial for wine. It's advisable to chill the wines by about 4-5°C below their usual temperature beforehand. Especially on very hot summer days, wines can warm up excessively. Decanters are a great way to serve wine perfectly; they not only look stylish but also emphasize its exclusivity. If it's extremely hot, a wine cooler filled with ice water is a good option, ensuring consistent cooling.

Especially on warm days, it's recommended that all guests drink plenty of water. Wine generally has about twice the alcohol content of beer and is therefore not at all suitable as a thirst quencher, unless it's served as a spritzer.

Which wine goes best with which grilled food?

If you're looking for tips, tricks, and recommendations for perfect food pairing, you've come to the right place. Besides the perfect grilled food, the wine selection is crucial for a successful outdoor event, whether it's a cozy family barbecue or a larger grill party. You'll certainly find that the subtle, diverse nuances of wines, both from local vineyards and popular holiday destinations like Italy, Austria, Spain, or France, are ideal companions for a barbecue menu. Wine and grilling – a perfect match !

Below you will find the top 10 tips for wine pairing for the upcoming barbecue season:

1. Schnitzel & pork steak : The ideal wine pairings are hearty Rieslings, Pinot Blancs, and dry rosé wines. Pinot Noir or Portugieser Weißherbst are also popular choices.
2. Beef : The standard menu now includes rump steak, filet mignon, and sirloin steak, marinated with herbs and pepper. For those wanting to offer their guests something truly special, a well-aged dry-aged beef is a good choice. The perfect wine pairings are a high-quality, mature red wine, preferably aged in oak barrels, such as Shiraz or Tempranillo, or full-bodied Pinot Noir or Blanc de Noir.
3. Beef fillet & entrecôte : High-quality grilled meats don't require as much time on the grill and therefore develop fewer roasted flavors. The perfect accompaniment is a classic Pinot Noir.
4. Lamb chops : A robust Lemberger or Dornfelder wine is recommended to accompany the Mediterranean-style grilled lamb. It's also perfectly acceptable if the wine has been aged in oak barrels.
5. Poultry : Typical suspects for grilling include chicken breast, turkey cutlets, or duck breast. Grilling gives tender meat a very intense flavor, which pairs perfectly with dry rosé wines.
6. Fish :
1. Baked fish: This delicacy includes fish such as trout, char, or sea bream. Due to the preparation method, these fish have a relatively mild and succulent flavor. Suitable wines to accompany this dish are Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, or Silvaner.
2. Grilled fish: Usually seasoned more robustly, or prepared directly on the grill or in a grill pan, grilled fish has a more intense flavor and tends to be less juicy. Due to the cooking method, a slightly chilled red wine, a full-bodied Riesling, or a Chardonnay is recommended to accompany it.
3. Whole fish: A whole fish, possibly prepared with herbs, goes well with a Pinot Gris, a Silvaner that also brings herbal aromas, or a not too strong red wine.
7. Seafood & Shellfish : A grill tray protects items like scampi or shrimp from excessive moisture loss. A fresh Pinot Blanc, Silvaner, Chardonnay, or Grenache is recommended for such seafood.
8. Vegetarian & vegan vegetables : Vegetable skewers made with cherry tomatoes, zucchini slices, and bell pepper strips are very trendy. Their rather subtle flavors are best complemented by a delicious Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, or dry rosé wine.
9. Sausages : Classics certainly include cheese sausages and Nuremberg bratwurst. For these, you'll need a robust white wine or even a rosé. The cheese and the strong spice blend, in particular, call for alcohol.
10. Asian dishes : A semi-dry Riesling is perfect for Asian grilled dishes. If the dish is quite spicy, a sweeter Riesling is a good choice, as it will temper the spiciness somewhat.

Further tip

• Free brochure from the German Wine Institute " 244 - Recipe Tips: Grilling and Wine " (Format: DIN A5, 12 pages) with great recipe ideas