What's the best match for a barbecue?

Should it be wine or beer - or even a cocktail? Last year I asked the Twitter community what their favourite barbecue bevvy was and this is what they came up with . . .

@HarryReginald covered all the options with his prescription:

On a hot day: bubbly, followed by bubbly and then some Chenin and a solid Pinot. Or simply cold, hoppy, beers.

There was a fair amount of support for Sparkling Shiraz

Sparkling Shiraz like Peter Lehmann Black Queen, Rockford Black, Majella - especially with chargrilled and marinated meats and ribs @nywines. @robertgiorgione @rovingsommelier agreed

And for light reds . . .

Lightly chilled Austrian Zweigelt/Blaufrankisch @robertgiorgione

Chilled Beaujolais like Brouilly and other Gamay @scandilicious @goodshoeday (if the BBQ is not too spicy @spicespoon)

Cold Valpolicella Allegrini @Lardis

Leg of lamb with juicy, chilled Loire Cab Franc @foodwinediarist

How about a nice juicy Grenache w/ bbq foods? Not too heavy for hot weather. @TheWineyard

but not much for more full-bodied reds except for @HawksmoorLondon who tipped Super Tuscan wines with chargrilled steak

A couple mentioned whites, especially with fish

Hunter Valley Semillon and oysters @SomeSomm @DanSims (not typical UK barbie fare but a great idea)

Catalan Grenache Blanc with grilled sardines and red peppers @foodwinediarist

Others went in a more aromatic direction

Hilltop Estates Cserszegi from @thewinesociety with home made piri piri BBQ chicken @LouiseHerring

Chicken brochette in the Pakistani manner with Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris @SpiceSpoon

A nice crisp chilled wine like an Alsace Riesling for me @eatlikeagirl @aforkful. @scandilicious agreed: "nice Riesling or Grüner Veltliner w/BBQ fish or prawns"

Surprisingly few went for rosé, one of my own BBQ favourites

Dry rosé like Chapel Down (with butterflied lamb) @goodshoeday - although she also mentioned Peronelles, a kir-like blush cider from Aspalls

There were other fans of cider

Ashridge Devon cider @BistroWineMan

I do like cider at a bbq - its a good gutsy match to bacon rolls which are another bbq must have! @KateWild

But far more fans of beer

Beer fizzy and cold from my shed fridge @crownbrewerstu

BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, CIDER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER @MelissaCole

What matches caramelised and charred BBQ flavours better than roasted malt flavours? Got to be beer everytime! @WBandBEER

I'm liking dark beers with BBQs at the mo - BrewDog Zeitgeist, a decent Dark Mild, a porter, all served cold @markdredge. @HawksmoorLondon suggested Porter too.

Chimay for a spicy BBQ @spicespoon and Rodenbach Grand Cru for BBQd meats @scandilicious

@Hoegaarden @goodshoeday

not a #twitmatch but a #twecipe-Young's Bitter & Ginger marinade 4 bbq'd spatchcocked poussin @jo_dring

A couple mentioned cocktails (another personal favourite, especially margaritas and rum punches)

Jugs of Bloody Marys @rovingsommelier

A remojito (fino or manzanilla topped up w soda water, mint leaves, ice and lemon) @taralstevens (love the sound of this)

and @bluedoorbakery just went for sherry

@aforkful came up with a great non-alcoholic option: "try this delicious cordial if staying off the booze"

There was even a recommendation for ‘cool water’ from @howardggoldberg (the first - and I hope not the last - #twitmatch linked to a song)

Thanks all, for the great ideas.

Which wines and beers to pair with asparagus

This month I asked my fellow Tweeters to tackle the subject of wine with asparagus - supposed to be a tricky combination, but as @cuvee_corner put it “Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the difficulty.” (It isn't just you. There are plenty of options!)

Sauvignon and Chardonnay were probably under-represented in the feedback because I asked for less usual pairings but it was fascinating to see which other wines you’d found successful.

If you didn’t take part in the survey on Twitter and have a successful asparagus pairing you’re dying to share email me at fionaATmatchingfoodandwineDOTcom

Asparagus whites
* Simple is best, steamed and served with butter and a glass of Muscadet @emmausglos
* Cellar Springs Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc (Co-op 5) is my favourite with asparagus so far this season @Perrin124
* Always love a good NZ Sauv Blanc, Margaret River Sem/Sauv or Cava with asparagus @wine2010
* a good NZ or Chilean Sauv Blanc @finewinedrew
* I like sauvignon blanc with asparagus, especially if chevre & mint are along for the ride @ericvellend
* White Bordeaux? To go with hollandaise? @benpaustin
* A vinho verde with high proportion of Loureiro, very mineral and refreshing! @CasaLeal
* Posh Aligot like Coche Dury @OstreaEdulis (I would also consider Goisot, Ramonet and Aubert de Villaine for good Aligot added @RobertGiorgione)
* Grilled or oven baked asparagus with Chenin Blanc from South Africa or the Loire @iWineReview
*I like my asparagus with melted butter so prefer Chardonnay to Sauvignon but that's personal preference. Or how about a bit of Chenin Blanc or Menetou Salon? @FallowfieldsUK
* Arneis with asparagus, esp with parmigiano atop (the asparagus, that is) @memmw
* I had a Petite Arvine (Swiss white wine) with a dish of asparagus, turkey, ham, egg and a light creamy sauce with curry powder. Good combination! @Wijnkronieken
* Quinta da Cardo Siria from Beiras in Portugal. Has slight taste of gunpowder! but excellent with asparagus @Portovinowines
* White asparagus with Alsace Pinot Blanc. My favourite combination. Reminds me of home in Holland @pieterrosenthal
* I like to serve a dry muscat/moscato giallo/muskateller e.g Alsace, Alto-Adige, Germany or Austrian @robertgiorgione
* Not-so-common matches (so far as I can make out) would be a dry muscat from Alsace and a straight smillon. I love muscat in all forms and would gamble on that. @howardggoldberg
* Sylvaner's a good match for the basic taste of green asparagus @howardvann
* Austria's Riesling Domaine Gobelsburg 2008 is lovely with British asparagus and hollandaise sauce http://bit.ly/bvCNcs @TheWineSociety
* Viognier perhaps? @bkwineper
* Barrel-vinified Mauzac with green asparagus, wild or cultivated @RivesBlanques
* Asp/feta/mint frittata is good with Rueda Verdejo. Also aspergeade + Rolle blends from Provence (Vermentino in Corsica) @foodwinediarist
* In winter when our asparagus comes from Peru I like to serve them chopped over penne with dried morels in mustard cream & nutmeg. I’d pair that with Weiburgunder from the Sdliche Weinstrae end of the Pfalz, Silvaner from Franken, WB or really opulent GV from Austria said @auslese55, adding “and last night we had Kremstal dry muscat w an asparagus/chevre salad. Neuburger is also quite good w Spargel.”
* @spicespoon and @cheeserus were also Gruner fans “something like Werner Michlits Meinklang which has a classic savoury pea/celery flavour” said @cheeserus
* Asparagus, basil ice cream, and ripe cherry tomatoes with top South African sparkles (Graham Beck Cuvee Clive was one). @HarryReginald

And with red wine . . .
* I recall having an asparagus (and parmigiano) risotto with a delicate sliver of black truffle accompanied by a soft Tempranillo @harshalshah
* Lacrima di Morro d'Alba by Badiali, a red wine from a small DOC in central Italy with asparagus with a creamy but not lemony sauce @slowgrapes
(I’m surprised more reds weren’t suggested. I’ve found that if you grill asparagus and serve it with olive oil or with sauted mushrooms (a good accompaniment for steak) you can happily serve a light red like a Cabernet Franc (FB)

And even dessert wine (though I remain to be convinced ;-)
* Can recommend Sauternes - had a wonderful 1999 Rieussec last Saturday which matched up beautifully! @SauternesSteve (though he revealed it was served as a vegetable with a spicy lamb dish)

Beer ideas
There was almost as much enthusiasm about pairing beer with asparagus as wine. I’ve always tended to go for witbier but several of you suggested a richer, sweeter style which I'm going to have to try.

* Saison Dupont is a fantastic asparagus match @thornbridgekel (@BrisBeerFactory agreed, “especially with hollandaise”.)
* @thornbridgekel also remembered “a lovely, slightly tart Berlin-Style Wheat Ale by The Bruery in US called Hottenroth”
* Griddled asparagus with Westmalle Triple "totally delicious!" @ZakAvery (you can see Zak’s fascinating video on pairing wine with asparagus on YouTube here)
* Try a dressing of raspberry or cherry beer with fresh tarragon or tarragon mustard for a little kick! @BertinetKitchen
* I had a simple dish of asparagus with lemon butter and black pepper with Paulaner Wheat Beer last night. It shared the same green citrus and aromatic notes @DomLane

My own favourite new asparagus pairing btw is Deutz Champagne with asparagus served with soft boiled eggs, shelled and rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried as served at Racine in Knightsbridge which made me think that bubbles might be a way to go with asparagus and hollandaise too.

Thank you all for your great suggestions. Next month I’ll be looking for the best drink for a barbecue!

Which wines and beers match best with Chinese food

With Chinese New Year coming up this weekend you may be planning a trip to a Chinese restaurant or planning a Chinese meal at home. But which wine to serve?

I’ve talked to Chinese chefs and food writers about their own personal preferences and you’d be surprised how many of them reach for a full bodied red rather than the floral whites that are usually recommended. My own personal failsafe recommendation if you want to pick just one wine is a fruity rosé - the Merlot based ones from Bordeaux such as Château de Sours are perfect.

Better still treat a Chinese meal like any Western meal and serve a lighter wine with the lighter dishes and a more robust one with more robust dishes such as glazed ribs or dishes in black bean sauce

• Delicate dishes such as dim sum and steamed or stir-fried vegetable dishes

Champagne or sparkling wine is the ideal answer with dim sum - both the steamed and deep fried variety, especially when stuffed with shellfish. It also goes well with lighter stir fries and steamed fish and vegetable and with the more delicate flavours of Cantonese food.

A clean minerally citrussy Sauvignon Blanc (rather than a grassy, herbaceous one is also a good match with seafood - just as it is in other cuisines - and dry Rieslings such as those from Germany, Austria and Alsace work well with these kinds of dishes too.

• Sweet-sour dishes

This is where off-dry wines score best and why fruity rosé works so well. Even those who don’t like White Zinfandel concede that it’s in its natural element with these types of dishes. Aromatic whites such as Riesling, Pinot Gris and Austrian Grüner Veltliner are good matches as is Argentinian Torrontes. And if you’re feeling extravagant ‘rich’ Champagnes like Roederer’s and Veuve Clicquot’s also handle sweetness well.

• Duck

The wine-friendliest dish of all in the Chinese repertoire, fabulous with lighter reds such as Beaujolais (or the very similar Australian Tarrango) and Pinot Noir as well as more intensely flavoured Merlots (including Merlot-dominated blends from Bordeaux) and lush Australian Shiraz. (The latter two wines benefit from a couple of years of bottle age to mellow the tannins)

Duck is also in my view the best partner for Gewürztraminer which can overwhelm some of the more delicate elements of a typical Chinese meal.

• Powerful dishes with sticky sauces

Such as glazed ribs or crab in black bean sauce. Here fruity reds again come into play. When leading Chinese Food writer Ken Hom introduced a range of varietal wines to go with Chinese food a couple of years ago he picked a Mourvèdre and a Grenache, both big wines but without excessive tannins. Ripe fruity reds certainly tend to deal best with the hotter, spicier dishes like Szechuan beef

If you prefer a white wine consultant and MW Peter McCombie who has worked with a number of oriental restaurants favours rich waxy Pinot Gris from Alsace, Oregon or New Zealand which he has found works with tricky-to-match customers such as eel and black beans. He put together the list at London’s fashionable Bar Shu

Another Chinese restaurant where the wine list is exceptionally well thought out is Hakkasan where buyer Christine Parkinson pairs all the wines she considers with food before she puts them on her list

Which beers match best
I haven’t done as much research on beer as I have on wine with Chinese food but I’ve found that light wheat beers such as witbiers and Bavarian weissbiers generally work well with Chinese-style snacks such as prawn dumplings and spring rolls and can also handle sweet and sour flavours.

Belgian ‘brune’ beers like Leffe Brune are a good match for duck with hoisin sauce. Dishes like glazed ribs or beef in black bean sauce also pair well with brown ales and Belgian triple beers.

And what about tea?
The Chinese drink tea all day long, just as we would drink water says Edward Eisler of specialist importers Jing Tea and that obviously includes meals too. With lighter foods he recommends a green tea like Dragonwell or jasmine tea like Jasmine Silver Needle. Fried or heavier foods go well with aged teas like Puerh while rich and sticky dishes like ribs benefit from a dark high-fired Oolong tea such as Great Red Cloak.

Image credit: Cats Coming