BBQ, rose, and malbec

Yesterday, in true Lush holiday style, we got up at 6:30, fired up the smoker, and cooked some ribs and brisket. We rarely BBQ without inviting the Luce’s, so they were of course in attendance. Being the thoughtful and planner food pairer Lucy is, she brought a bottle of Imagery Malbec. In the spirit of taking advantage of the abilty to have multiple bottles open, since we had multiple guests, I chose a bottle of rose, specifically the Pianetta Rosato. So we tried both.

Of course, there is something I must tell you about the Lush BBQ style-it’s a bit spicy. I wouldn’t call it “hot”, just spicy. While Mr. Lush is the grilling master of the house, I am the rub master and as any BBQer knows, you must have both to have really good BBQ. My rub is a mix of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. (Note the two spicy spices.) I put the rub on Sunday and let the meat soak in the rub overnight. The Lush sauce of choice is Super Smokers Championship Sauce, which also has a bit of spice.

Back to the food and wine, the Malbec was fantasic, but really picked up the spices. The Rosato was also good, but more complimentary to the spices. While Malbec is supposed to go wonderfully with BBQ, and we both loved the Malbec, Lucy and I decided we both preferred the Rosato as the better pairing. Which, being a $23 rose, it certainly should be able to hold up to some food, don't you think?

After some reflection, I have noticed this trend with much of the red wines we have tried with the Lush BBQ. I think in general, a less tannic, medium bodied wine goes best with spicy BBQ fare, but all in all I’d recommend both as a solid pairing choice.

Of course you can’t go wrong with good food, good wine, and good friends to share it with.