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It has become a family tradition to use the Char-Broil infrared smoker for our Canadian Thanksgiving meal.  In past years we have served up the traditional turkey but this year we also smoked baby-back pork ribs for this Wine Pairing Weekend  – #WinePW.

Smoking

The Big Easy Smoker Roaster & Grill lets you smoke, roast and grill – all in one.  The advantage of infrared smoking is speed.  Our smoker has many miles on it, being purchased when we lived in Phoenix.  There we used branches from our mesquite trees for the smokebox.  Now in Kelowna, there is an abundant supply of fruitwood to use.

You can cook a 20-pound turkey in under 3 hours and smoke ribs in less than 2 hours.  For the best ribs, you have to cover the meat in BBQ sauce and wrap the ribs in aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes to get that juicy, falling-off-the-bone result.  This year British Columbia Cherry Tree wood provided the smoke.

It was a cool fall day in the Okanagan Valley this Thanksgiving but the ribs were still finished in two hours.

The Meal

Smoked ribs with Guy Fieri Kansas City BBQ sauce were served with Fried Green Tomatoes topped with Crab Remoulade and Coleslaw.   Guy Fieri Kansas City barbecue sauce is your traditional rib sauce. Sweet, Smokey molasses, a hint of apple cider vinegar and a little black pepper heat.

You may have seen the green tomatoes in our garden pictured above!  They are an heirloom variety that ripens late.  You can find the recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab Remoulade here.

The Mission Hill Family Estate Wines

Kindle Merlot

It is difficult to believe this $9 Merlot is made from 100% VQA Merlot grapes from the Okanagan Valley.  A bold wine at 14.5 % Alcohol.  Mouthwatering aromas of plum and black cherry. Subtle notes of cocoa, coffee, vanilla with notes of allspice. Smooth, rich palate with a medium finish. 

One of the Best Value Merlot available in British Columbia, domestic or imported.

After we finished the delightful Kindle Merlot we moved up the food chain to the Quatrain Merlot dominant blend.

MIssion Hill Family Estate Quatrain 2013

Vintage 2013 was a season of change.  Early to start, late to finish but with exceptional favour potential.  A warmer than normal spring brought early bud break followed by an extremely rainy June that slowed vine growth.  The balance was restored with above average temperatures in July and August allowing grapes to mature along a normal ripening curve.  The warmest vintage since 2003 cooled off just in time for harvest.  In September, heavy rainfall caused signicant delays in the grape harvest resulting in our longest picking season ever.  Overall, fruit quality was
superb with the wines are showing excellent balance and character.

43% Merlot, 27% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Alcohol: 14.5% | Total Acidity: 6.0 g/l. Hand harvested from Osoyoos (90%) and  Oliver (10%) vineyards in October 2013.  Aged 15 months in small French Oak barrels.

The Merlot dominant, full-bodied wine has generous notes of black currant, dark plum, chocolate and thyme.  An excellent concentration of fruit and spice with firm tannins and nice structure.  It is very well balanced with a beautifully long finish.  Perfect with the ribs and Great for drinking right now.

You can find tasting notes for my Top 10 British Columbia Merlots here.

Wine Pair Weekend #WinePW

October is #MerlotMe month. For the past several years the #WinePW group has celebrated by sharing many high-quality Merlots for your drinking pleasure.  Please take a moment to learn more about #MerlotMe from these great articles:

• Jill at l’Occasion shares “#MerlotMe In The Kitchen“
• Cindy at Grape-Experiences writes “#MerlotMe with Family, Friends, and Food“
• Lori at Dracaena shares “ #MerlotMe and the Little Chef “
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares “Washington #MerlotMe Paired with Ahi Tuna and Salmon for #WinePW“
• Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “Celebrating #Merlotme with Duckhorn & L’Ecole 41”
  
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “So Many Merlots, So Many Pairings for #WinePW“
• Martin at Enofylz shares “Penne Boscaiola Paired with 2015 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot“
• David at Cooking Chat shares “BBQ Beef Stew with Three Palms Merlot“
• Michelle at Rockin Red Blog shares “Enough Already! Just Drink Merlot”
• Sarah at Curious Cuisiniere shares “Peking Duck and a Merlot Wine Pairing“
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares “Food Pairings for Merlot Lovers“
  
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “A month of #MerlotMe Wine and Food Pairings”
  
• Nicole at Somms Table shares “2 oz Pour: #MerlotMe Moments“
• Liz from What’s in that Bottle shares “I’ve Got #MerlotMe Mania”
• Jennifer at Vino Travels Italy shares “You Had me at #MerlotMe“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Merlot for Every Day of the Week”

I appreciate the opportunity to participate with the other Merlot loving wine bloggers.  Please join the Twitter chat tomorrow Saturday at 8 AM PDT by using #WinePW.  As you enjoy #MerlotMe October, tag me in your photos so I can share your joy.  Enjoy!