Michael McCay talks baby backs

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McCay Cellars's Michael McCay barrel smoking his dry rub spiced baby back pork ribs.

Lodi is made for barbecue

The weather is warming up, folks, hitting the 80°s although in Lodi wine country we’re still enjoying those cool Delta breezes. Time to get out of the house, enjoy the rays of sun and cook up some barbecue!

For years now, Lodi winemaker/grower Mike McCay of McCay Cellars has made the perfecting of one of his personal specialties—dry rub seasoned smoked baby back pork ribs—one of his goals in life. I’ve had it enough times to know that he’s got it down. He can probably smoke ‘em in his sleep.

The big deal is this: Well seasoned baby back ribs are a match made in heaven with Lodi grown reds. You may think Zinfandel and Petite Sirah are the obvious choices, and in fact most Lodi Zinfandels and Petite Sirahs are round and fruit-forward enough to go beautifully with smoky, spicy baby back ribs.

Cluster of Mokelumne River-Lodi Grenache picked for McCay Cellars.

After all these years, however, McCay’s vino standbys are actually a good Lodi Grenache or Carignan. Asked why, he says, “Grenache and Carignan are hard to beat because there is a brightness in their fruit and a softness to those red wines. You may like a big Zin or Cabernet, but in the end I just think the ribs taste so much better with an easier, zestier, sassy style of red. Grenache and Carignan also handle the spices in the dry rub a little better.”

Lodi itself, as it were, is almost made for barbecue because of what a Frenchman would call terroir, the region's natural growing conditions. In the case of Lodi, an environment entailing a (mostly) super-sandy soil and Mediterranean climate in which days are warm and nights are cool, and the sun shines on grapes from the moment it peeks out from the Sierras to the last few seconds when it sinks slowly into the Delta. 

The California coastal regions, from Sonoma all the way down to Santa Barbara, also have a Mediterranean climate, but it’s different in Lodi because there are fewer clouds and no fogged-in times of day during the growing season. With the sandy soils, it all adds up to a specific sense of place gleaned through the glass: Red wines with considerably softer tannin (the hard or drying phenolic content derived from skins, seeds and stems), and more floral, red fruit toned aromas. 

Spices rubbed into baby back pork ribs, ready to go into the smoker.

Sure, if you love blacker fruit and heftier tannin, body and oak you may very well prefer a North Coast or Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot; red wines that go great with grilled steaks or roasted lamb. But in the context of barbecue ribs lavished with multiple spices that tickle the nostrils and touch all parts of the palate, a softer style of red wine is a more natural match. 

Adds Mr. McCay, “The thing about Lodi Grenache and Carignan is that they also grow to be considerably spicier [i.e., scents suggesting black pepper and kitchen seasonings] than the same grapes grown in other regions.” 

Expectations of more spice in heritage Lodi varietals, in fact, is something we’ve all learned from years of blind tasting Lodi reds alongside the same varietals from other parts of California. I think, none of us have ever been able to pinpoint a scientific reason why Lodi reds come out a little more peppery spiced—could be the soils, could be the climate, or just the way the fragrances interact with softer tannin structures. All we know is that they do, which of course, is why these wines are ideal with spice seasoned barbecues.

Dry rub seasonings.

Of course, the scoop: The two Lodi grown wines currently available from McCay Cellars are the 2019 Abba Vineyard Grenache ($40) and the 2020 Manassero Vineyard Carignan ($40); both grown in sandy Mokelumne River AVA soils, and the latter, sourced from a block of 66-year-old own-rooted vines.

Other excellent Grenache based reds from Lodi include the 2023 Rippey Family Vineyards Grenache ($34), the 2021 Bokisch Vineyards Terra Alta Vineyard Garnacha ($35), and 2023 Jeff Runquist Silvaspoons Vineyard Grenache ($29).

Carignan harvest in Lodi's Nicolini Ranch.

Because of the existence of a small number of heritage blocks of Carignan in the Lodi appellation—some of them over 100 years old—varietal bottlings of this zesty, fragrantly scented red have recently been making something of a comeback. Among the finest currently on the market: The 2023 Lorenza Rauser Vineyard Carignan ($36), 2022 Sandlands Lodi Carignan ($30), 2022 Markus Wine Co. "Ancient Blocks" Nicolini Ranch Carignan ($41), 2022 Precedent Spenker Ranch Carignan ($24), 2022 Christopher Cellars Mule Plane Vineyard Carignan ($32), 2023 Perlegos Family Mule Plane Vineyard Carignan ($30), 2022 Monte Rio Jessie's Grove Vineyard Carignan ($25), 2020 Marchelle 1900 Block-Jessie's Grove Vineyard Carignan ($48), 2020 Stonum Vineyards "Unbroken" Mule Plane Vineyard Carignan ($35), and 2023 Dent de Lion Carignan ($40).

The way, handed down from old-time Lodi grape farmers

So after all these years of eating and drinking at his table (someone has to do the research!), I decided to have a conversation with Mr. McCay about his baby back ribs. I told him it was important for all humankind. We can all stand to know a little more about barbecue to, you know, enrich our lives, spread peace and love throughout the planet.

Lid pulled off, a glimpse of baby back ribs hanging in the barrel.

First, the basics...

Dry rub seasonings:
4 Tbs. black pepper
4 Tbs. paprika
4 Tbs. sea salt
4 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated garlic
2 Tbs. granulated onion
2 Tbs. cayenne pepper 
2 Tbs ground coriander
2 Tbs. dill seeds
2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional or to taste)

Spray ribs with apple cider vinegar. Generously rub the ribs with dry rub seasoning.

Fire:
8 pounds of Kingsford coals
1 pound of favorite wood/chips (I typically use grape wood)
55-gallon steel barrel with lid (rusted and season by wood fire) |
3/8° rebar
12* stainless steel welding rods bent into hooks to hang the ribs

Dry rub baby back pork ribs, on the butcher block.

Start the fire (I use a all natural charcoal stater). When center of coals/mesquite/wood gets hot, hang the ribs and put the lid on the barrel (the only opening should be the gap created by the rebar).

Cook 1 hour and 45 minutes and pull ribs off. Wrap in BBQ paper for 15 minutes to rest, placed in large pan covered with a lid or tin foil. Cut and serve!

According to Mr. McCay, “I’ve let the ribs sit an hour or two on the dry rub, but this is not like marinated ribs, so it isn’t necessary. The reason I don’t do marinades with baby backs is because it drips and stokes the fire. That’s not a problem with dry rubs; you get just the right amount of heat and cooking.

“The combination of dry rub seasonings is perfect because, unlike chicken or steak, pork can be a little bland. The seasonings really pull out flavor in the ribs, which I also like because it has a little bit of tug in the mouth. Your really don’t want it to be fall-off-the-bone tender. If you cook it properly, it will still come out super-soft and tender.

“Quantity of your fire is important. If you don’t have 10, 11 pounds of fuel—lump charcoal plus about 2 lbs. mesquite, maybe a little cherry wood or grapevine dead wood—the fire is going to go out on you. At the same time, you don’t want too much, then the fire is too hot.

Old vine, own-rooted Manassero Vineyard Carignan, planted in 1960 and sourced by McCay Cellars.

“My slow barrel cooking is not entirely original. I was taught this way to barbecue by old grape farmers here in Lodi, literally about 40 years.

“As far as local meats, I’m a big fan of Payless Market out in Lockeford. Their beef is all Harris Ranch, but I’m not sure where they get their pork. When you shop, don’t ask the butcher to crack the ribs because they’ll fall into the fire.”

McCay is not oblivious to the fact that many people are now drinking rosés or white wines with everything, especially when the weather heats up. Although the spicy red berry varietal character of Grenache becomes diminished when made into rosé (juice is typically pressed off immediately from skins before fermentation to avoid deep color or tannin, and most red wine flavors are contained in skins), it does make as fresh and lively a dry rosé as any grape. Most rosés grown in Southern France as well as Lodi are made from Grenache, and Carignan (as well as Cinsaut and Mourvèdre) is often used as a blending grape in both regions (see our past post, A summary of the full range of Lodi dry rosés by grape variety and blends).

Michael McCay slicing up his specialty dry rub spiced baby back pork ribs.

If you opt for a white with the baby back ribs, however, McCay recommends a Roussanne because, he says, “it has the acidity and body to hold up to pork and spices, although I also like a barrel aged Chardonnay because the vanilla and char you get from the oak compliments the woody smoke of the ribs.”

This style of slow cooked baby back ribs is also great for, perhaps, the very reason why God made barbecue and grapes: To bring everyone together to talk and laugh. “The one thing I love about cooking in the barrel,” says McCay, “is you can set it up and forget it for 1 hour and 45 minutes [McCay’s precise recommended cooking time]. I also do tri-tips, which is best at just an hour and a half. 

“Just remember to let the ribs rest for 15 minutes, covered with foil, which allows them to soak in the moisture. Nothing is better for a party. You have time to sit around, sip and talk with your guests, all during and after the cooking!”