The Wines To Choose If You're Eating Filipino BBQ

Eating Filipino BBQ can be a truly life-changing experience. While not all recipes are the same, getting to indulge in the oftentimes sweet and vibrant flavors that come via a uniquely crafted marinade (which, similar to Korean dishes, oftentimes features lemon-lime soda) is truly a must for any food lover, especially those with an affinity for grilled meat. However, for the meat lovers out there who also enjoy pairing their protein with the best wine possible, you might not know where to start when it comes to this culinary genre.

If this applies to you, you're in luck. As it turns out, even some longtime aficionados of Filipino BBQ aren't even fully aware of what wine pairs best with the unique and tasty food. That's why we here at The Takeout asked beloved celebrity chef Jordan Andino what his take was regarding what wine works best with Filipino BBQ. We grilled Andino about the subject at the Heritage Fire Fest in Miami, where he was working alongside Franciscan Estate wines when he gave the lowdown on Filipino BBQ and its perfect pairings.

"Filipino BBQ is known across the world for having rich flavors and unique marinades," Aldino said. "Following my recommendations for acidic marinade pairings for chicken or fish dishes, you can pair Filipino BBQ with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc."

Because the methods and ingredients that Filipino BBQ is comprised of can be used for countless different kinds of protein, there isn't a one-size-fits-all wine for anything and everything that falls under that classification. That said, Andino didn't shy away from giving a definitive answer.

Alongside Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (which are known to work well with fish and chicken dishes across the board), Aldino also revealed the red wine that he believes goes best with beef-centric Filipino BBQ meals. "When I'm preparing a more beef-focused dish, such as my Pineapple and Sprite Marinated Filipino Kalbi with Kimchi Coleslaw, I always pair it with... Cabernet."

Unfortunately, we didn't get the opportunity to ask Aldino about one highly popular meat used in Filipino BBQ — pork. The richness of Filipino BBQ flavors lends itself incredibly well to pork. But similar to beef, it's typically best to pair it with a red wine like Zinfandel, if possible. Or, if you want to change things up, BBQ pork is the perfect meat to pair with a beer like Corona or Stella Artois.