Verjus is the juice of unripe grapes. Using it to supply most of the acidity is what makes this sauce more wine-friendly than a typical vinegar-based barbecue sauce. You’ll find verjus at specialty food stores and even on Amazon.com. Smoked Spanish paprika is another secret weapon in this sauce— it’s available at The Spanish Table in Berkeley and Mill Valley, at specialty food stores and, increasingly, in the spice section of your local supermarket.
1 cup chardonnay verjus
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera dulce)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, for example Tabasco sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, combine the verjus, vinegar, soy sauce, paprika, sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, hot sauce and pepper to taste. Store refrigerated up to several months (the flavor will develop overnight).