The Taste

If you're wondering what wine to drink with barbecued foods, the options couldn't be simpler: Go red. Merlots, zinfandels, pinot noirs, cabernet sauvignons -- they all work. But if you like the taste of smoke -- and 'cue fans usually do -- nothing tastes better than a good syrah (a.k.a. shiraz), a grape and wine made famous in the Rhöne region of Southeastern France and now commonly produced in Australia, South America and the States.

Both the St. Francis and the MacRostie hail from Sonoma, Northern California's second most famous wine region. Both are deep, dark, inky purple in color and relatively high in alcohol: 14.5 percent and 14.3 percent respectively. But that's where the similarities end.

The St. Francis has many of the characteristics we have come to expect in a syrah: It is peppery, spicy and jammy with blueberry flavors strong in the finish. This wine is actually made from a blend of varietals, including grenache and sangiovese, and aged in oak unlike your typical syrah. Though reasonably tasty and tangy, the result is ultimately unexciting.

The MacRostie shows more depth, nuance and softness. There's an immediate sense of earthiness, which both suggests terroir and proves that the sustainable farming practices used by the winery may actually be making a difference. Made exclusively from syrah, this wine is silky, rich and displays a subtle smokiness. What could be better for a good barbecue?

-- James Oliver Cury