Maybe it’s an old question in the South — when’s the best time to slather on the BBQ sauce, early or late? — but here in the West, we’re unburdened by either answer because we get to do with the sauce what we want.

BY BILL ST. JOHN
This is a sort of United Nations dish; Polish sausage, Italian pasta and greens & peppers in the mode of the southern U.S. We can pair food and wine by region. Would that there were Polish wines about. (A Polish pilsner would be nice.) But plenty of Italian wines fit well, as does a rich white from South Africa. The main element you’ll want to rely on, in any wine you choose, would be a refreshing acidity, to help clean up after the richness of the preparation.