July 4th BBQ Wine Guide

The thing is, for Texans, BBQ means much more than just burgers and hot dogs on the grill. For most of us, it means spending hours (even overnight) smoking whole beef briskets. It means beef ribs, pork ribs, and all kinds of sausage. BBQ is its own kind of religion in Texas, so it’s essential that William Chris have wines to help wash down these smoke-flavored delights. Now, it’s important to note: the same qualities that make these wines great for Texas BBQ, make them an equally perfect compliment to your burgers and dogs.

2017 Cinsault - Lost Draw, William Chris Vineyards
This Southern Rhone variety grows incredibly well in Texas and produces a lighter red wine that, with a thirty minute chill, is the perfect way to cool off after standing in front of the hot grill. The grapes for this wine are from Lost Draw Vineyards in the Texas High Plains AVA, where cooler nights help maintain good acidity and freshness. To help preserve the freshness, we aged about 60% of the wine in concrete. Flavors of tart cherry, orange rind, and a hint of violet help this wine pair perfectly with all the smokey flavors on your plate, but especially pork ribs and hot dogs.

2017 Mourvèdre - Timmons Estate, William Chris Vineyards
While there are plenty of “good” pairings for BBQ, Mourvèdre reigns supreme. This variety brings meaty and savory notes, in addition to the typical fruit aromas. Sourced from the Timmons Estate just outside of Lubbock in the Texas High Plains AVA, this wine was made in the lighter, fresh style of Spain’s roble wines that spend much less time in oak than is typical for bigger, richer red wines. With only 8 months in mostly neutral oak, this wine shows flavors of candied raspberry, red plum, and a hint of thyme. It’s the ideal pairing for slow smoked beef brisket and grilled Angus bacon cheeseburgers, and should be served with a chill.