The classic Santa Maria Style Barbecue menu is all about homegrown flavors, from native red oak for the fuel to locally farmed pinquito beans on the side to Santa Maria strawberries for dessert.
To this list you can now add a glass of local wine. Indeed, in a relatively short span (commercial winemaking in Santa Barbara County didn’t really get rolling until the 1970s), our local Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County and Central Coast wines have become renowned as some of the world’s finest, adding yet another delicious layer to the local dining experience.
On that note, the iconic Qupé Winery–a fine wine pioneer here in the Santa Maria Valley–understands the local love for Santa Maria Style Barbecue and the art of pairing the right wines with this hearty meal.
In a recent memo titled, “Wines to Fire Up Your BBQ This Summer,” Qupé recommends three wines with which to pair your summer barbecues: The 2012 Syrah Ibarra-Young Vineyard, which exhibits notes of sandalwood and cardamom ($35); the 2012 Viognier Ibarra-Young Vineyard that offers refreshing flashes of mineral, citrus, peach and honeysuckle ($30); and the 2011 Grenache Sawyer Linquist Vineyard with its spicy, cherry and black pepper character ($35).
The most interesting wine on this list is the Viognier, which dares you to pair a white wine with your barbecue. Give it a try and see what you think!
