3 Ways to Barbecue With Wine
Labor Day is just around the corner, making it time to invite your friends and family over and prepare to fire up the barbecue! Break free from stereotypes this Labor Day – kick beer to the curb and make wine the star of the show. We’ve got three great ideas for you to get started, from wine-soaked recipes to the perfect bottle of wine to serve at a barbecue.
Homemade Red Wine BBQ Sauce
Most people take a trip to the store when they need barbecue sauce, but this staple is simple to make at home with ingredients you likely have on hand. It’s a classic barbecue sauce recipe made even better with the addition of a dry red wine.
We love this recipe from Food & Wine for Red Wine BBQ Chicken, and the sauce would be just as good on another of your favorite meats. The recipe calls for Pinot Noir, but any of our dry red wines would work well. So why not slather your food in red wine barbecue sauce – then pour yourself a glass!
Riesling Marinade for Grilled Veggies in a Zip
This recipe from the grill of our very own Eddie O’Keefe is a simple crowd-pleasing way to dress up grilled veggies. We highly recommend using it to marinate six ears of shucked local corn on the cob, but it works great for any type of hearty vegetable such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts or zucchini.
- ¼ cup Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsps. honey
- ½ tsp garlic powder or one clove of garlic, minced
- ½ tsp onion powder or ¼ of a medium yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Place washed vegetables in a large Ziploc bag and add all marinade ingredients. Close the bag and mix it around to be sure the ingredients are dispersed evenly. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, mixing occasionally while it marinates. Grill veggies until they’ve blackened slightly, basting occasionally with marinade. When cooked evenly, remove from grill and serve immediately.
Drink some wine, of course!
Last, but most certainly not least, there is no reason beer should reign king of barbecue drinks – wine is our preferred option for afternoons on the porch. Try a bottle of red if you’re grilling steaks. Our Gamay Noir is lighter than traditional reds, making it a refreshing choice for a day in the sun. If it’s a cold drink you’re after, we suggest a well-chilled light white or a colorful and fun rosé. Try our Pinot Grigio or Etcetera Rosé. And no, we won’t judge if you decide to keep it extra cold with an ice cube or two. Cheers!