Is there any wine that goes better with barbecue than rosé?
I think not.
Barbecue is hot, rich, spicy, fatty. Rosé (that doesn't suck) is chilled, lean, fruity, refreshing. It's a marriage meant to be celebrated in backyards and consummated over a rack of baby backs smeared with tart-sweet-fiery barbecue sauce.
Unfortunately, more people know about the marriage (or divorce) of Jon and Kate Dimwitty than the carnal and carnivorous pleasures of killer 'cue and a bottle of cold pink. That's perhaps because a lot of cheap, easily available rosés are as insipid as Kate's phony smile and as flabby as Jon's lame excuses.
Ah, but not the 2008 El Coto Rioja Rosado. This Spanish blend of Grenache and Tempranillo is a honeymoon all by itself, with aromas of strawberries, raspberries, and a hint of lime and flavors that kick off the party with berries, violets, and rose petals and close it down with a spritz of tart lemon. All for only 12 bucks, barbecue (and Dimwittys) not included.