Meat

Barbecue and smoked meats

The sweet, smoky sauce is the thing being paired with, not the meat — which is why a lean red tastes sour against it.

Bold fruity red

Classic

Ripe, generous, warm-climate reds with dark fruit and rounded tannin.

Sweet, smoky sauces need ripe fruit to meet them; a lean, austere red tastes sour against barbecue.

Try

Serve 15–18 °C

Adventurous

Whites with noticeable but not dessert-level sweetness, balanced by acidity.

With sweet-glazed ribs, a slightly sweet white cools chilli heat and matches the sauce.

Try

Serve 8–10 °C

Pairing suggestions are editorial, drawn from established convention rather than measurement.