Wines for BBQ

Laura Malesich has a run down of BBQ wine pairings from Natalie Mclean. Of course, what she really lists is grilled food and associated wine pairings. As usual, Natalie has excellent recommendations but its still not BBQ.

For real BBQ I usually recommend a Chambourcin, the berries and soft tannins complement the vinegar in the BBQ nicely. If you want to stick with North Carolina then you can't go wrong with the Chambourcin from Silk Hope winery, one of the oldest in North Carolina.

Sticking with Virginia wineries, I am partial to the Chambourcin at Fabbioli and Corcoran.

Nat Decants Mobile Matcher

I am a big fan of Natalie MacLean. Her monthly newsletter and columns are always fun to read. Now, she has introduced a new tool the iPhone and Blackberry called Mobile Matcher. From her website:

If you love pairing food and drink, you've just found the most comprehensive, trusted and delicious guide for the iPhone and BlackBerry. Natalie's best-selling Drinks Matcher application gives you more than 380,000 pairings at your fingertips.

You'll find matches for every dish, from appetizers and cheeses, to main courses and desserts. Never get stuck in a liquor store or restaurant wondering which bottle to choose again. It's like having a sommelier and a bartender in your pocket.

The tool looks really interesting...sadly I have a Google Phone (Android), so I won't be able to test it out for you all, but given the depth of Nat's knowledge of wine pairings I am sure it is excellent.

Room 11

There is a new wine bar opening up soon in Columbia Heights. Room 11 will be at the corner of 11th and Lamont. You can follow their progress on their construction blog.

I love the look of their patio...can't wait to do a wine club event there :)