Fire up the BBQ!
Wines for the BBQ

Summer means outdoors, and barbequeing is the quintessential outdoor activity. The smell of food grilling and a nice wine to accompany the food, perfect. When you've got the perfect food ready to eat, there are many wines which can make the meal even that more pleasurable.

Summer wine is different from the wines we tend to drink in winter. In the heat of summer we are less critical, but we do expect a few things. First, the wine should be light, refreshing and thirst-quenching; and secondly, if you are barbequeing it should go with those dishes.

For summer sipping

As you lay by the pool or lounge in the backyard, low-alcohol wines that have lively acidity and distinctive fruit character are best suited. Try a Riesling in both dry and off-dry style, a Gewurztraminer, or a Sauvignon Blanc.

	BBQ & WINE PAIRINGS Zinfandel - Burgers, ribs, BBQ’s chicken with spicy tomato based sauce, steaks with lots of seasoning Australian Shiraz is another outstanding barbecue wine, great with spicy lamb and venison Chianti classico often makes an excellent match for T-bone steak rubbed with crushed black pepper, grilled and brushed with olive oil). Works equally well with rosemary lamb and chicken bbq’d dishes Tempranillo-based Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Rioja, are classic all purpose BBQ wine s. They are medium weight red wines that are spicy and fruity. Perfect with steak, burgers and other hearty meats.

For the BBQ

The wines to match with barbeued food are quite different from simple sipping wines.

A great wine with ribs and thick steaks is Baco Noir. This wine has heft to it - very complex flavors, with wood, spice, richness, texture. Definitely a long finish, something that can go with a rich BBQ ribs dish.

Are you more of a white wine person? If you're grilling up fresh seafood and serving salads, try a Chablis. A Chardonnay made in the Chablis region of France. This is the perfect accompaniment to oysters, seafood, and light poultry.

Do you have some visitors who aren't really wine drinkers? Sangria is the answer. This fresh, fruity punch is made by mixing red wine, brandy, fruits, ice, and cinnamon together and letting it sit overnight. See all the recipes here >>

Another popular wine favorite for grilled food has got to be Rioja. This is a medium-weight red wine that's spicy and fruity. Classic, bold, these wines taste mostly of their tempranillo roots and have a bright, fresh flavor to them. This goes extremely well with steak and other hearty meats.

Finally, a word about drinking wine in the sun. Keep both white and red wines cool. If they heat up above 20°C, the alcohol begins to evaporate and the wine will lose its structure and taste soupy. Serve red wines at around 61-64°F. If it's hot out, you might want to stick the bottle in the fridge for a few minutes. If you serve a red wine too warm, it tastes mostly of alcohol and you lose the great flavors. You can refresh it by sticking it in an ice bucket filled with water and ice cubes for ten minutes or so.