Here our Top 7 wines perfect to bring along to a Barbie this summer!
A rule some people like to observe when pairing food with a wine is to look at the local cuisine of the area from which the wine comes from. Having spent some time in the Rhone Valley myself I can confirm that they love their sausages over there! I can’t think of a better wine to sip alongside some grilled snags this summer than this beauty of an organic Cote du Rhone .
This wine is bursting with mouthwatering red and dark fruits, with a hint of pepperiness that will go stupendously with those sumptuous savoury cylinders. Expect a lovely soft mouthfeel and well-integrated soft tannins but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any va-va-voom here. Hints of leather and tobacco provide some alluring complexity.
You will be taken aback, heck you will be alarmed at how morish this wine is!
I have been talking non-stop about this wine recently as I am so in love with it! Seriously, any of my colleagues will tell you… they’re so sick of it (not of the wine though).
Rather fittingly I road tested it at a BBQ and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. We dined on some chicken and fish on the grill and oh boy was this wine the perfect accompaniment.
This natural South African Old Vine (Old Vine means that the wine’s flavour profile is more concentrated and intense) Chenin Blanc from Swartland boasts crisp green apple notes, a soft refreshing acidity, minerality that provides some nice texture and a creaminess that allows it to stand up to some of the big flavours found in the arena of a BBQ. The acidity means it is perfect with those more subtle flavours found within the salad bowl.
FUN FACT: Mielie is the Afrikaans word for ‘corn’ and an homage to the winemaker’s daughter, Milly.
Are you normally the one that brings the party? Are you the one that like to go for a more ‘out there’ option? Are you the one that goes against the grain and does their own thing? Then have we got the bottle for you!
This wine can serve many purposes at an alfresco dining occasion this summer. It can be quaffed as a pre meal livener, enjoyed with food or even to sip alongside a dessert. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of wines! That’s if Swiss Army Knives were Australian and made by a British Master of Wine by the name of Tim Wildman… I digress.
Once you’ve cracked open the crown cap you will be greeted by the ‘hissss’ of a subtle sparkle and wafts of grapefruit and peach that are even more front and centre on the palate. This wine uses a blend of three Italian white varieties and one red to create a truly unique fruit profile. A creamy flavour and texture dances on the palate long after you have put your glass down.
If this wine doesn’t get the party started then nothing will… there’s a rabbit in space on the label for goodness’ sake!
Fancy some more delicate flavours this summer? Thinking you might go for a feast of the seafood persuasion? Are you warming up your arm to chuck another shrimp on the barbie? Then let me direct your attention towards something rather special.
This Spanish organic and biodynamic white is made up of an exciting blend of fresh and aromatic grapes. They are Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Xarel-lo. The resulting wine is light and ‘dainty’. There is a lot of citrus and quince notes on the palate accompanied by a bouquet of floral notes on the nose. Despite this wine being very clean and fresh it certainly packs a punch in terms of complexity and concentration.
If fresh and delicate is where you want your BBQ to go then you have found it’s destination.
So it’s more of an upmarket and posh occasion this one? Feel like you should be bringing or supplying something bubbly for people to sup on before they tuck in to flame grilled delights? BUT you don’t really feel like spending Champagne kinds of prices?
Well this is where we come in to tell you about the worst kept secret in the world of wine… Cremant!
Cremant is made in the exact way as Champagne, just not within the Champagne region. This particular Cremant from Limoux, within the Languedoc region of France, uses Chardonnay (a grape used for Champagne) and Chenin Blanc grapes. The resulting wine has floral, white peach notes and pink grapefruit notes on the nose, with lemon and crunchy green apple on the palate.
This wine is absolutely delicious and incredibly good value for money! Plus you can look and sound like a proper wine buff dropping some of your new knowledge.
Two things that one can safely say the Australians have perfected is producing beautiful expressions and the art of Barbeques… Luckily these two things are a match made in heaven. If you are going to be giving it large and going big style on the coals with some hardcore meat selections such as steak or ribs then this ripper of a Barossa Shiraz is the very drop for you.
The Barossa Valley region of Australia truly took the Syrah/Shiraz grape and truly made it their own and transformed the way people viewed it.
This is an intense wine which will easily stand up to the intense meat flavour on your plate. Red plums, ripe blackberries, spicy pepper and hints of bramble and dark chocolate fly out of the glass at you. The finish just seems to go on and on.
This truly is a big wine made for big flavours!
Did you really think we would have a list of top BBQ wines without a Rosé on it? We were saving ourselves to tell you about this wine that we believe to be value for money of the obscene proportions.
Intense notes of strawberry and cranberry on the nose are followed by freshly crisp cherry, raspberry and strawberry on the palate. An extremely refreshing acidity makes this little organic ravishing Romanian absolutely perfect to enjoy outside on a hot day.
This wine is perfect for if you fancy trying something a little bit different to a classic Provencal Rosé.