There was a time when you’d only ever write about what to drink with a barbecue in the summer, as if we Brits never had barbecues in any other season. But now that many appliances are more like outdoor ovens, we need to justify the cost by using them year-round, even when it’s chucking it down outside (which, of course, is perfectly likely on a bank holiday weekend).
It also calls for a bit of a rethink about what kind of wine to serve with them. Barbecue no longer necessarily means burgers, wings and sweet-sticky ribs. Anything that’s cooked over coals now qualifies. Think fresh sardines on a beach picnic. Or some smoky aubergines as part of a Middle Eastern feast. Or spicy, yoghurt-marinated kebabs and a couple of salads. And they’re all as likely to prompt a white, rosé or orange wine as a red one.
There are three other things to bear in mind. First, outdoor drinking tends to heighten the need for flavour (as it does when you’re on an aeroplane). Even if you’re averse to the more full-on expressions of sauvignon blanc such as the super-zesty Daschbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (£7.99, 12.5%) from Lidl’s latest Wine Tour, they really do work well in the open air. That doesn’t mean you have to drink the most alcoholic red you can lay your hands on, however. Personally, I quite like a medium- to light-bodied red with charred food, but it does require a wine with personality, such as the delicious Molmenti & Celot Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 2020 (£12.99 Wanderlust Wine, 12.5%) I had with brined pork in a Bristol restaurant the other day.
Second, there’s the issue of temperature, which is more of a problem in summer, but even in spring you will need some large ice buckets to keep your whites, rosés and, of course, beers cool. And, finally, there’s ease of serving. If you’re barbecuing anywhere other than your own back garden, it’s hard to beat canned wine from the point of view of convenience, if not necessarily quality, because they’re perfect to carry around in a cold bag. I’ll be looking at the latest releases again in a few weeks, but in the meantime, you could try the Vin du Can rosé I recommended last year.
Whatever you buy, this weekend is definitely a good time to stock up while the Easter promotions are still on. Morrisons, in particular, has some great reductions and is currently offering 25% off six bottles on top of that, which makes them as competitive as Aldi and Lidl.
Five bottles for an Easter weekend barbecue
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Coteaux de Giennois 2020 £8 (on offer, down from £11), 13%. A cheap alternative to sancerre to sip with prawns or other seafood.
M&S Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2021 £8, 12.5%. Drearily packaged, but very drinkable grenache-based rosé for less than the cost of the typical Provence rosé. Good picnic wine, too.
Torre de Ferro Dao Reserva 2019 £6.99 Lidl, 13.5%. Smooth, supple Portuguese red that would be great with grilled lamb.
Zarper Malbec Gran Reserva 2021 £7 (on offer, plus 25% off six bottles currently) Morrisons, 13.5%. Classic barbecue drinking: a terrific wallop of wine for the money.
Carpe Diem ‘Bad Boys’ 2018 £18.99 on mix-six (£21.99 otherwise) Majestic, 14%. A lush, full-bodied blend of Moldova’s saperavi and feteasca negra grapes. A great bottle to take to a barbecue, particularly if large chunks of meat are involved.
For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com
