![]() With lightly smoked meat and chicken, a Cote Rotie from the Northern Rhone or a Rioja from Northern Spain can be magnificent. A good choice would be a Syrah, Petite Sirah or red Zinfandel. Accordingly, smoked meat needs a big wine with some spice and oakiness. ![]() Meanwhile, the heavy smoke flavor can dominate the flavors of the wine. The spice, depending on its sharpness, will tend to suppress the perception of acidity in the wine, lessening its liveliness and, if the spice is intense, making the wine taste flat and uninteresting. Hence, we have big, sweet, spicy, sometimes pungent, flavors permeating the rich, tender meat. It is then positioned in low, indirect heat and smoked for several hours more. If the meat is being smoked, it is generally marinated in a spicy dry rub or liquid solution for at least several hours. Now, let’s proceed to the more challenging front, one in which all of the taste characteristics discussed above are augmented by spice, herbs or sugar, or likely a combination thereof, and a heavier dose of smoke. A partial remedy is to squeeze a few drops of lemon juice (which is sour, not bitter) onto the charred area of the meat, which will reduce its bitter quality and enhance the meat flavors. Particularly in a tannic wine, the result can be quite unappealing. Bitterness in food accentuates, rather than tempers, the taste of bitterness in wine. My preference for the chicken, though, is a lovely white wine - a Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc (one from Sancerre or Pouilly Fume’ with their mineral, citrus and light smoke flavors would be ideal) or Viognier.Ī tip to remember when grilling - if the meat becomes charred in spots it will impart a bitter taste. These latter three wines also pair well with grilled chicken. If the smoke flavor is not too dominant, a Pinot Noir, Rioja, or Chianti can be a great pleasure, with the wine’s acidity serving as a refreshing counterpoint to the meat’s texture. In addition to New World cabernets, suitable partners include Syrah (which sometimes has a lovely note of smoke flavor), Merlot, and red Zinfandel. Most grilled red meat can be sumptuous with, and enhance, most red wine varietals, as long as the wine has sufficient body, depth of flavor, tannins and acid. The somewhat sweet fruit, tannins and full body, coupled with the vanilla or caramel flavor imparted by the charred oak barrels, complements the steak perfectly.Ĭreating the perfect match for simply grilled meat is not something that warrants obsession and anxiety. An obvious example is a grilled rib-eye steak paired with a big, fruit-forward Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine also needs an adequate level of acidity or tannins to contrast with, and cut through, the succulent texture of the meat. These four characteristics seek a wine with a lot of body, richness and depth of fruit flavor. Fat - providing depth of flavor and richness. ![]()
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