Halifax just hosted its first ever Ribfest! OMG, have I ever told you how much I love ribs. A group of us from work went down to the Halifax waterfront to enjoy some mouth watering ribs from professional ribbers from both Canada and the United States. But don’t wait once a year for Ribest, you can learn how to make your own perfect ribs on your own BBQ.
Do you know what goes great with ribs… you guessed it, wine! Here are some of my favorite pairings if you plan on firing up the grill and having a rack of ribs this week.
One of my favorite wines tops the list for best rib wine. Last week I called the Predator Old Vine Zinfandel the ultimate BBQ wine… it’s the ultimate rib wine. Zinfandel, if you’ve never had it before, is a juicy full-bodied wine with lots of jammy fruit flavors and a hint of smoky bacon. You can see how it’s a perfect match for BBQ ribs. If it’s a little too pricey, check out these other Zinfandel wines.
The Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel is another beauty, and some of the vines are 100 years old. It packs a punch at 15% alcohol, but the alcohol doesn’t over-power the taste of the wine. On their webpage the #1 food to pair it with is BBQ pork. Coincidence.. I think not! The other Old Vine Zinfandel is Gnarly Head, a tasty flavorful Zinfandel and great with ribs.
I’m also a big fan of having Zinfandel in a blend, like this Bogle Essential Red which is a Zinfandel Syrah blend. The Syrah really ads a hint of spice to the Zinfandel and I love the match. If you’re like me you probably like to add a bit of spice to your ribs, whether it’s black pepper or a spicy BBQ sauce. The spice of the ribs goes well with the spicy notes in the wine.
Do you know what also goes great with ribs? Merlot. Like this Dada Merlot out of Argentina. And at just $15.99 a bottle you’ll be cooking ribs any night of the week. This is also an organic Merlot wine and really delicious. Argentina is putting out some first class wines at fantastic prices.
I also love Merlot in a blend, like this Dreaming Tree Crush from California. This is a Merlot and Syrah blend, and again the Syrah adds a touch of spice to the plump juicy Merlot. This vineyard is owned by musician Dave Matthews and they are making incredible tasting wine. I also really like the fact his labels are made from recycled paper and he makes his bottles lighter to cut down on shipping costs and fuels. Plus the wine is delicious, so why wouldn’t we support this wonderful venture.
For my white wine loving friends, I would go with something rich like a Chardonnay. This Thomas Bachelder would fit the bill perfectly. Rich fruit, apple flavors and a hint of wood from the oak aging with make this a great wine for smoky ribs.
I’ve been told I make great ribs. It’s the one thing my parents and my nephews ask me to make, so here’s my recipe.
Dar’s BBQ Ribs
– Start with a rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs. Pre-heat your oven to a low temperature like 300-degrees, or use a slow-cooker. Slow cooking the ribs for 1 1/2 – 2 hours before you put them on the grill with ensure fall of the bone ribs.
– In a bowl combine half a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder, hot sauce (I use Frank’s), fresh ground pepper, a dash of salt and a squeeze of lime juice. Don’t worry about the hot sauce and spices, the heat will cook off and the flavor remains.
– Cook the ribs for two hours on low (3 – 4 if you are using a slow-cooker) and then heat up the grill. Turn the burner that the ribs will be over completely down and keep turning and basting with BBQ sauce for another 45 minutes. You’ll have those yummy grill marks and the additional basting makes for great flavor.
– Have fun and practice makes perfect. And think of how much fun you’ll have practicing and eating the ribs.
Till next week everyone, enjoy Summer cause it’s passing us by way too quickly. And fingers crossed Ribfest is back next year.
Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 
