Best Value
Reschke R-Series Malbec 2023
Limestone Coast, SA
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Food & wine pairing
Best wine with ribs
Sticky, smoky ribs want plush, low-tannin reds.
How are you cooking it?
Malbec
Plush and plummy, it soaks up sweet barbecue sauce.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Durif & Zinfandel
Big, ripe Durif and Zinfandel match smoky American-style ribs.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Firm tannin is softened by the fat and protein
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Lillypilly Estate Petit Verdot 2021
Riverina, NSW
$21.50per bottle
$129.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Poggio Anima Lilith Primitivo Salento 2023
Firenze, Italy
$23.50per bottle
$282.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Campbells Shiraz Durif Cabernet 2023
Rutherglen, VIC
$25.17per bottle
$151.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Rapid Crossing Zinfandel 2023
Barossa Valley, SA
$28.00per bottle
$168.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Grenache & GSM blends
Softer and spicier for pork ribs.
- Lighter than the dish: best with a lighter version of it
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Angove ESTD 1886 SMG Shiraz Mourvèdre Grenache 2024
Riverland, SA
$16.67per bottle
$100.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Mr Mick Grenache 2024
Clare Valley, SA
$18.17per bottle
$109.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Sister's Run Cow's Corner Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2022
Barossa, SA
$19.42per bottle
$233.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Cellier des Dauphins Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2024
Rhone Valley, France
$19.42per bottle
$233.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Rosé
A chilled rosé for Asian-style sticky ribs.
- Lighter than the dish: best with a lighter version of it
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Winesmiths Premium Dry Rosé 2000ml
SA
$7.94per 750ml equivalent
$127.00 for 6 × 2L
Cellars
Best Value
Rhythm and Rhyme Rosé NV
Riverland, SA
$11.00per bottle
$132.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Smith's Lane Estate Rose 2024
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Bonny Doon "Vin Gris de Cigare" Rosé 2021
California, USA
$12.50per bottle
$150.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Tip
Sweet sauces make dry wines taste thin, so lean towards riper, fruitier styles.
Best avoided
Lean, acidic whites and very tannic young reds.
About ribs and wine
Today’s picks run from $7.94 to $28.00 a bottle, chosen for value from 680 matching wines across the Australian retailers we compare. Six-packs and dozens are shown as a price per bottle.
Questions
What wine goes best with ribs?
Malbec, Durif & Zinfandel and Grenache & GSM blends are the best matches for ribs. Plush and plummy, it soaks up sweet barbecue sauce.
What’s a good cheap wine with ribs?
Winesmiths Premium Dry Rosé 2000ml is the cheapest of today’s picks at $7.94 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.
What wine should I avoid with ribs?
Lean, acidic whites and very tannic young reds.
