For most any American, the month of July immediately bring to mind “barbecue”. Celebrating independence from Britain (sorry about that whole tea thing) on the 4th means cooking up meat on an open flame for some reason. To go with this savage, smoke-tinged meat, the beverage of choice has typically been beer although as the years roll on, more diverse alcoholic options have been creeping in to the American palate.
There’s no reason that wine can’t be had with barbecue and in many ways, I’m of the opinion it’s a better choice given that the current trend of extremely hoppy, potent beers in the US can easily bash up against the smoky flavors. Not all wines will work (Riesling is a nonstarter for instance) but even if you’re having barbecued chicken, I’d still stick to a red wine although one of lighter body, youthful, and with crisp fruits to take on the big character of smoked meat.
