I’ve been chatting with a hoard of people this week about Swing the Fly and lots of other stuff; one of the best questions came yesterday.
After a long discussion with a guide friend in Montana about the groundswell of interest in swinging flies on the ‘big waters’ under the Big Sky, he said something along of needing help settling an argument with his lovely spouse.
They’re on tap to entertain a houseful of folks this weekend, forecast to probably be the warmest in about six or seven months where they live, and he’s hell bent on smoking a pork shoulder or ribs for the meal.
His wife is apparently insisting the meal be uptown enough to serve wine and by the account he rendered over the phone she couldn’t imagine how even good Q could pair with any wine choice. I told him to tell her ‘she couldn’t be more wrong’.
I can actually hear the more sophisticated members of our readership rolling their eyes and muttering something along the lines of ‘those dumb sons of bitches…’
Their misbehavior duly noted, so-called wine experts have over the years declared that some wines actually pair reasonably well with Q, pending of course what meat and what style sauce you’re serving.
Here’s the list I suggested for his pork-from-the-smoker-meal based on our redneck, primitive perspectives on the matter; note the list isn’t in any particular order of preference (though is actually sorted in an attempt to allay mocking from the oenophiles reading Chi Wulff today) –
- Petite Sirah or a Pinot (a big red can certainly work here, though we chill it just a bit)
- Lambrusco
- Riesling
- Zinfandel (hold the coughs and snickers please)
- Cotes-du-Rhone
- Dry Rose
- Other options around our camp would include a good Sangria and a tart hard cider.
Stand your ground, KB.
And serve the ribs.
[Disclosure – have never tasted a Chardonnay – Riesling blend but the label was too nifty to pass up.]
