Wine Pairings with Red meat barbecue

Red meat barbecue: My personal podium

A red-meat barbecue is a triumph of intense flavours, chargrilled cooking and spiced seasonings. Whether it is steaks, rib-eyes, ribs or gourmet burgers, pairing with the right wine should enhance the succulence and the char of the meat. Let’s discover the best wines to pair with a red-meat barbecue.

Characteristics of Red Meat Barbecue and General Pairings

The choice of wine depends on several factors:
  • Type of meat: beef, lamb, pork or game.
  • Cut and cooking: rare steaks, glazed ribs, spicy burgers.
  • Seasonings: BBQ sauces, spice rubs, smoking.

Best Wine and Food Pairings for Red Meat Barbecue

Recommended Structured Red Wines

  • Syrah/Shiraz – Perfect for meat with spice rubs or smoked cooking.
  • Cabernet Sauvignon – Excellent with steaks and tasty cuts of beef.
  • Aglianico del Vulture DOC – Ideal for ribs with barbecue sauce.
  • Primitivo di Manduria DOC – Suited to fatty, tasty meat.

Recommended Spicy and Fruity Red Wines

  • Zinfandel – Excellent with spicy burgers or glazed grilled meat.
  • Nero d’Avola – Perfect with grilled lamb and cuts full of flavour.

Recommended Tannic Sparkling Wines

  • Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro – Ideal with fatty meat, it balances succulence and spices.

Mistakes to Avoid in Pairing

  • Avoid light or overly delicate wines, which would be overpowered by the meat.
  • Watch out for overly sweet wines, which do not harmonise with smoky or spicy flavours.
  • Avoid fresh white wines, which do not have enough structure for red meat.

Specific Pairings for Some Barbecue Dishes

  • Chargrilled rib steak → Cabernet Sauvignon, Aglianico del Vulture
  • Ribs with BBQ sauce → Primitivo di Manduria, Lambrusco Grasparossa
  • Gourmet burger with spices → Zinfandel, Syrah
  • Grilled lamb → Nero d’Avola, Australian Shiraz

Red meat barbecue: My personal podium

  • 1
    Savigny-Lès-Beaune Rouge 2020 - Le Grappin

    Savigny-Lès-Beaune Rouge 2020 - Le Grappin

    • Type: Red Wine
    • Region: Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France
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  • 2
    Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2022 - Yannick Alléno & Michel Chapoutier

    Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2022 - Yannick Alléno & Michel Chapoutier

    • Type: Red Wine
    • Region: Côtes du Rhône, France, Rhône
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  • 3
    Côte du Rhône Rouge “Les Argiles” 2022 - Domaine Raymond Usseglio

    Côte du Rhône Rouge “Les Argiles” 2022 - Domaine Raymond Usseglio

    • Type: Red Wine
    • Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhône
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All those I have tried