I know that when you've got a big slab of meat smokin' on the barbecue, you want big, kick-butt, jump-start red wines, not wimpy reds. So stand back, here they come.

There are certain time-honored parameters, but no set formulas, for crafting a good barbecue red. The ones that stand out from the pack are generally not merlots (too wimpy). Nor are they cabernets (hard to find good ones cheap), and certainly not pinot noirs (too everything). Barbecue reds are not pedigreed, pampered or posh. They are often blends that have a lot of zinfandel or syrah/shiraz in them, and after that it's Katie bar the door, because anything and everything is going into the vat. These are what I think of as "mutt wines" or "kitchen sink" wines — the vinous equivalent of leftover stew.

Pick of the Week

Carchelo 2004 Monastrell ($8): The winner! From Jumilla, this rockin' Spanish red (monastrell is the same as mourvèdre) offers big, chunky fruits laced with spice, clove, mint and smoked ham. The finish is extraordinary. (Classical/Noble).

Other Recommended Barbecue Reds


High Altitude 2004 Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon ($11): The 2004 vintage of this outstanding Argentine red is especially fresh and acidic, with spicy, penetrating cranberry/red currant fruit flavors. But you can also find the excellent 2003 on sale for a couple of bucksless. (Pasternak/Unique).

Castillo de Jumilla 2003 Monastrell ($11): This offers the same flavor palate as the Carchelo, just a bit less intensity, with more acid and herb. (Millesime).

Don Miguel 2004 "Gascon" Malbec ($13): This Argentine red (malbec is the grape) has a meaty scent to it, along with spice and lanolin and pine needle. It's tart and sharp, but substantial, and they know something about grilled meats in Argentina. You'll find the 2003 vintage on sale for $9 if you look quickly. (Pasternak/Unique).

Aia Vecchia "Lagone" 2002 "Toscana" Red ($15): This is very Chianti-like, with plump sangiovese fruit blended with cab franc and merlot. Lots of pretty tobacco and leaf flavors, and plenty of acid as well. (Dalla Terra/Noble).

La Berta 2002 Solano ($13): Another sangio, this from Romagna, with spicy, high-toned scents of red fruits, mint and varnish. Quirky, pungent and powerful. I would try it with rosemary-spiced lamb. (Small/LBV).

Mas Carlot 2003 "Cuvée Tradition" Syrah-Grenache ($10): The grenache really cuts through this southern French red, showing big, spicy red fruit flavors that resonate across a long middle. By the way, it's pronounced "moss-car-low." (Kacher/Noble).

Martin Ray 2001 "Red" ($15): Packaged in a one-liter jug, with a screwcap and the word "Red" scribbled across the glass in red marker, this irresistible wine is smooth and firm, and you get a third more for the price, so it's equivalent to an $11 standard bottle. (Vehrs).

Another important aspect of a classic barbecue red is that it should be cheap. And not cheap and cheerful; it should be cheap and challenging. I want punch and power in it. These are going to be young wines, because you don't age cheap wines, nor are cheap wines made to be aged. They are designed to show off young, succulent, ripe fruit, and it should be acid and tannin that provide their backbone and structure, not new oak barrels.

New barrels are way too expensive for barbecue reds, and the oak-flavored chips and powders that some winemakers add to their budget wines don't belong in a barbecue red that wants to be taken seriously. I say keep your wood chips on the grill, smoking, where they belong, and stay the heck out of my wine.

Acid is important, as Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars (over in Leavenworth) points out. Newsom ought to know something about barbecue, having been born and raised in Louisiana, and when I queried him on the subject, he mainly said he wants plenty of acid in his barbecue wines.

"We're looking for acid on the finish for barbecue," he explains, "or the wine's gonna go under." What he's suggesting, and I totally agree, is that the acid in a good barbecue red cuts through the fat in the meat while providing lift to the smoke and spices and flavorings in the sauce. Fat or flabby wines can't stand up.

Boudreaux does not (so far anyway) make a barbecue wine, but Newsom did share with me his secret recipe for barbecue sauce — the best I've ever had. It's not mine to give to you; you'll have to badger Newsom for it. (While you're at it, you might want to inquire about his just-released 2003 "Bacchus, Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge" Merlot, a silky, substantial wine that you'll want to hide until the hot dogs are eaten and the guests have gone home. Then treat yourself.)

This week's lineup of tried-and-terrific red wines should make your grilled meats grin. The wines in this winners' circle convey a real sense of personal style. Some may be mutts, but they're good looking, proportionate and everything fits together smoothly.

Believe me, I have kissed a lot of frogs while compiling this list. And I've also had to leave off some worthy candidates. Some good wines are soft, sweet and tasty, but just don't have the acids to cut through the sauce. Others have plenty of acid and tannin, but they left out the fruit! And some very popular wines, loaded with residual sugar and vanilla flavors, don't seem much like wine at all to me.

Special mention goes to the ever-lengthening list of California wines named Red or Reds or Red-something. Many of them are quite good, and perennially make my short list of go-to summer wines. I'm thinking especially of Belvedere's "Jest Red," Laurel Glen's "Reds," Marietta's "Old Vine Red" and Martin Ray's classic one-liter, screwcapped jug wine with the word "Red" scrawled across it.

Among the recommended wines, the California labels offer sweet berry flavors that you'll want to pair with sweeter, fruit-driven barbecue sauces.

The wines from Spain, Argentina and France deliver stronger, more herbal flavors, and will perhaps be better suited to dry rubs and heavily spiced or vinegary sauces.

The Italian entries might actually be best with fried chicken, but they were just too good to leave out. If your favorite barbecue red is not on this list, please write and let me know, and we'll revisit the subject later in the summer.

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines." His column appears weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.