BBQ food makes people reach for beer, and fair enough. Beer works brilliantly with burgers, sausages, ribs and all the usual BBQ chaos. But wine can be great with BBQ food as well. Honestly, when it works, it really works.
The trick is not to get too clever with it. You do not need one bottle for every single thing on the grill. Nobody wants to stand in the garden holding a spreadsheet while someone is trying to rescue the sausages. You just need a few simple rules.
With BBQ food, the sauce usually guides the wine choice just as much as the meat. Sticky ribs, spicy chicken wings, smoky brisket, grilled fish and charred vegetables are all completely different things in your mouth.
That is why one perfect BBQ wine does not really exist. There are good all-rounders, definitely, but the best choice usually depends on whether the food is smoky, sweet, spicy, tangy or lighter.
If the BBQ food is smoky and meaty
For brisket, beef burgers, ribs, steak or anything with proper smoke and char, red wine is usually a good place to start.
Syrah, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Malbec, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and some Grenache-based blends can all be brilliant here. You want a red with enough fruit and flavour to stand up to the food, but not something so dry and heavy that it takes over the whole plate.
With brisket or ribs, Syrah or Shiraz is a lovely shout because you often get dark fruit, pepper, spice and sometimes a little smoky edge in the wine itself.
Malbec is another easy one for burgers and steak because it has plenty of flavour without needing too much explanation. People tend to recognise it, and it usually feels comfortable next to charred meat.
If the sauce is sweet and sticky
Sweet BBQ sauce changes the wine. This is where people sometimes go wrong. They open a very dry red with lots of tannin, pour it next to sticky ribs or sweet BBQ chicken, and suddenly the wine tastes bitter or harsh.
That is not because the wine is bad. It is because sweetness in the food makes dry wine feel even drier.
So if your BBQ sauce is sweet, go for a wine with plenty of ripe fruit or a touch of sweetness. Zinfandel, Grenache, Primitivo, juicy Malbec, off-dry Riesling or a bold rosé can all work well.
For pulled pork with a sweet and tangy sauce, I would not automatically go for the heaviest red on the table. A dry rosé, a juicy Pinot Noir, a lighter Zinfandel or even an off-dry Riesling can be much more enjoyable because they do not fight the sauce.
If the food is spicy
Spicy BBQ needs a bit of care. If you have chilli-heavy wings, spicy ribs, hot sausages or anything with a proper kick, be careful with high-alcohol reds and heavy tannin. They can make the heat feel hotter.
You are usually better off with something cooler, softer and brighter. Riesling is one of the best options here, especially if it has a little sweetness. Gewürztraminer can also work well if the spice is more aromatic.
A chilled Gamay, light Pinot Noir or juicy rosé can also be lovely if you want red or pink rather than white.
If the food is tangy or vinegar-based
Some BBQ sauces are sweet and smoky, but others are sharper. Think vinegar-based sauces, mustardy dressings, slaws, pickles, lemony marinades and all those sharp little bits that make a BBQ plate more interesting.
This is where acidity in wine really helps. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Albariño, Picpoul de Pinet, Chenin Blanc, Barbera and dry rosé can all work because they keep the food feeling fresh. They do a similar job to squeezing a lemon or using a sharp dressing. They lift the richness and stop everything from feeling too heavy.
What wine goes with burgers and ribs?
Burgers and ribs are usually red wine territory, especially if there is smoke, char, cheese or sticky sauce involved. For beef burgers, Malbec, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel or a Grenache blend will all do the job. For ribs, go Syrah or Shiraz if they are smoky and peppery, or Zinfandel and Grenache if they are sweeter and stickier. If the ribs are spicy, pull back from the heavier reds and go for Riesling, rosé or a softer chilled red.
What wine goes with grilled fish or seafood?
Grilled fish, prawns, scallops, sardines or seafood skewers usually work better with white wine, rosé or sparkling wine rather than fuller, richer reds.
Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Picpoul de Pinet, Pinot Gris, dry Riesling and unoaked Chardonnay are all good options. If the fish is richer, like salmon, rosé, sparkling wine or a light Pinot Noir can also work well.
The main thing is to keep the wine fresh and not too heavy, so it works with the fish rather than taking over the plate.
Quick BBQ wine cheat sheet
- Sweet BBQ sauce: Zinfandel, Grenache, Primitivo, bold rosé or off-dry Riesling.
- Spicy BBQ sauce: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, rosé, Gamay or a soft chilled red.
- Smoky beef or brisket: Syrah, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Malbec or Cabernet Franc.
- Ribs: Zinfandel, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Grenache or Sangiovese.
- BBQ chicken: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé or Riesling if it is spicy.
- Pulled pork: rosé, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Grenache or off-dry Riesling.
- Grilled fish: Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Picpoul de Pinet, Pinot Gris or sparkling wine.
- Grilled vegetables: rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Gamay.
- Best all-rounder: dry rosé.
- Best crowd-pleaser: sparkling wine.
- Best red for smoky meat: Syrah or Shiraz.
- Best wine for spicy BBQ: off-dry Riesling.
The best BBQ wine is not always the most expensive bottle, and it is definitely not the one with the fanciest label.
It is the bottle that makes the food taste better, keeps people going back for another glass and does not make anyone feel like they need to know loads about wine before they enjoy it.
If you are planning a BBQ soon, have a look at the Wine Night In cellar. You’ll find bottles that work brilliantly with grilled food, garden evenings and the sort of BBQs that start with “just a few people” and somehow turn into the whole afternoon.
