In Episode 004, host Taryn Solie interviews Mary Cressler and Sean Martin of Vindulge, the food blog known for barbecue and grilling recipes paired with wine. They trace their journey from a wine-focused blog to recipe development, backyard grilling experiments, BBQ competitions, catering for local wineries, publishing a cookbook, and launching an online wine marketplace. The conversation emphasizes local sourcing in the Pacific Northwest, how regional ingredients and fruit woods shape flavor, and a range of approachable BBQ and smoked recipes the couple cooks for family and events.
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a condensed transcript.
Guest Details
Connect with Mary and Sean from Vindulge
Website: Vindulge | Instagram: @vindulge | Facebook: Vindulge
Bio: Mary Cressler and Sean Martin are a husband-and-wife team behind Vindulge, a site focused on barbecue, grilling and wine pairings. Together they bring two decades of experience in recipe development, professional cooking, entertaining, and food and wine writing. They also launched the Vindulge Wine Marketplace to curate wines that pair well with grilled and smoked foods.
Resources Mentioned
- Vindulge Wine Marketplace (no longer operational)
- Fire & Wine cookbook
- Big Green Egg kamado-style grill
- Weber kettle grill
- Traeger pellet grill
- Vindulge guides: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Champagne
Recipes Mentioned
Selected recipes Mary and Sean discuss—found on Vindulge:
- Smoked Whipped Cream
- Smoked Chocolate Pot de Crème
- Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Maple Chipotle Cedar-Planked Salmon
- Smoked Tri-Tip & Wine Pairing
- Smoked Beef Plate Ribs
- Smoked Whole Chicken
Transcript (Condensed)
Taryn Solie: Welcome. Today I’m talking with Mary and Sean from Vindulge, who combine barbecue and grilling with thoughtful wine pairings. Tell us how Vindulge began.
Mary Cressler: I started Vindulge in 2009 as a wine blog while studying for the Court of Master Sommeliers. Food came naturally alongside wine, and over time we focused on grilling and barbecue because that was our hobby and where site traffic grew. Wine has always remained part of our mission.
Sean Martin: For me it’s been evolving as we hang out on our deck—cooking, sipping, experimenting. Mary started with the wine background and we’ve built the food side together.
Taryn Solie: How did your grilling journey start?
Mary Cressler: We began with a basic Weber kettle after moving to Oregon, then added a gas grill (a regrettable purchase), a pellet grill, a Big Green Egg kamado, and an offset smoker like a Yoder. Each cooker expanded what we could make—from hot-and-fast grilling to low-and-slow smoking.
Taryn Solie: You’ve also done competitions, catering, and a cookbook. How did those stages unfold?
Mary Cressler: Early interest and positive feedback pushed us into barbecue competitions to test recipes. We found contests felt formulaic, and we preferred creative cooking, which led to catering local wineries and events. That work, plus freelance food and wine writing and media appearances, culminated in our cookbook Fire and Wine.
Sean Martin: The hands-on catering days made everything more real—logistics, timing, scaling recipes. It was a crash course and ultimately helped us grow Vindulge professionally.
Taryn Solie: How does the Pacific Northwest influence your BBQ and flavor choices?
Sean Martin: The region’s history and produce shape our approach. Traditional Indigenous smoking techniques and abundant local ingredients—seafood, berries, mushrooms, hazelnuts—encourage fusion and using local beef, lamb and chicken. We often use fruitwoods common here, and we challenge the idea that barbecue must look like any single regional style.
Mary Cressler: We want to show the variety possible with live-fire cooking: vegetables, desserts, seafood and more—not just ribs and brisket.
Taryn Solie: Any tips for people who want to cook more on the grill?
Mary Cressler: Start by moving something you normally roast or sear indoors to your grill—match the oven temperature and use cast iron if helpful. Vegetables and simple roasted dishes are forgiving and teach you how heat and smoke change flavor.
Sean Martin: Try approachable innovations like pork belly burnt ends or smoked desserts. Don’t be afraid to adapt techniques and take small creative risks.
Taryn Solie: Mary, what should people consider when pairing wine with grilled or smoked foods?
Mary Cressler: Think about smoke as an ingredient and whether a dish is sauced. Heavy sweet-spicy sauces can overwhelm wine, so balance is key. Otherwise, standard pairing principles apply: match weight to weight, consider acidity to cut richness, and use effervescence to refresh rich textures.
Mary Cressler: Example pairings we love: maple chipotle cedar-planked salmon with Riesling; grilled bone marrow with sparkling wine; tri-tip with Pinot Noir. Minimal saucing—like chimichurri or compound butter—lets the main protein shine and makes pairing easier.
Taryn Solie: Tell us about the cookbook and its second printing.
Mary Cressler: Fire and Wine, released in April 2020, contains 75 wood-fired recipes paired with wine. The initial print run sold out and a second edition was issued with minor updates. The book stemmed from our recipe work, catering experience, and media presence.
Taryn Solie: What are some favorite recipes from the book?
Mary Cressler: My picks include the maple chipotle cedar-planked salmon and grilled bone marrow. We also love smoked desserts like smoked chocolate pot de crème and smoked whipped cream.
Sean Martin: I’m partial to smoked plate (beef) ribs and a reverse-sear New York strip finished with a savory duck-fat granola. Our smoked babaganoush—charred eggplant turned into a smoky spread—is a crowd-pleaser too.
Taryn Solie: What do you cook most often?
Sean Martin: Beef plate ribs are a favorite—long smokes that reward attention and fire management.
Mary Cressler: We smoke whole chickens almost every Sunday. Smoked chicken is versatile—tacos, sandwiches, soups, enchiladas, salads—and the carcass makes great stock.
Taryn Solie: Where do you source meats?
Sean Martin: We favor locally sourced farms, specialty wholesalers and independent butchers who know their suppliers. There are also reputable online purveyors focusing on ethical sourcing.
Taryn Solie: Tell listeners about Vindulge Wine Marketplace.
Mary Cressler: We launched an online wine retail shop and club to make the small, sustainably-minded wines we recommend more accessible. The shop highlights Pacific Northwest and select California producers, many organic or biodynamic, and aims to tell each producer’s story.
Sean Martin: We offer curated quarterly and monthly clubs, shipping discounts, and live tastings and education. It’s our way of pairing great wines with the food we cook and share.
Taryn Solie: Final note: Mary and Sean offered a discount for listeners—use code GRILLING10 for 10% off a first order at the Vindulge wine shop.
Thanks to Mary and Sean for joining the show. For recipes and show notes, visit Hot Pan Kitchen’s podcast page or find the episode in your podcast player. Until next time, keep grilling like a mother.