In the battle between a severe head cold and a wine review, the severe head cold won this weekend. I can’t give a fair assessment of a wine when my sinuses feel like they’re about to give birth.
So no wine review this week.
But I did make a discovery.
I served BBQ’d Spare Ribs with a spicy rub and a sweet sauce.
The standard pairing for BBQ is a big, fruity Zinfandel or Shiraz but this sauce was too sweet and the rub too spicy for those standard pairings. Every red wine I tried tasted sour or flat up against the Q.
It was Riesling to the rescue. Just a cheap, medium-sweet, German Riesling from Pfalz called Pölka Dot (for some unknown reason). Nothing special but sweet enough to stand up to the big flavors in the BBQ and plenty of acidity to provide balance and freshness.
I have yet to find a food for which Riesling fails to provide at least an acceptable pairing.
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 