The Wines of BBQ Season

Across the UK it's officially barbecue season! Before it's all over, let’s talk about the wines that go best with grilled meats and fish and the tasty, chillable reds that will perfectly accompany your party.

Jauma Tikka The Cosmic Cat, McLaren Vale 2016

Tikka is made up of two organically farmed vineyard blocks in McLaren vale and one in Clarendon. Whole bunches of Shiraz and Grenache were co-fermented for 40 days on skins.  Oodles of flavour and drinkability with more earthy beetroot notes underlying the central fruit core of plums and briary blackberry juice, with a hint of lifted perfume of Campari, anise and raspberry from the Grenache.  It squares the circle – fruit, soda-like freshness and gentle heft of tannin. Drink it moderately chilled with marinated lamb steaks.

Foulards VDF Fond de L'Air Est Rouge 2016         

100% Cinsault, zero sulphur (and just 11% abv). Chill it down. Super moreish and perfect BBQ summer wine. Pair with: spicy sausages, lamb cutlets.

Charmoise Marionnet Gamay Touraine 2016      

An uncomplicated glugger. Bang it in the ice bucket and guzzle with impunity. Pair with: marinated chicken breasts.

Raisins Gaulois, Marie Lapierre 2016

This fruit-filled natural Gamay from the Lapierre stable, essentially young vines Morgon, is so versatile. Bright juicy blueberry fruit and the merest hint of herbs makes this a partner for sausages and chicken skewers. Serve chilled, of course!

Apostrophe Rose, Domaine Les Terres Promises 2016

This is both an exemplary rose and quite a serious wine (!). A blend of organically farmed Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan it displays a fresh nose of blossom and wild flowers with rich raspberry and honeyed peach notes. On the palate, the fruits continue to shine through and the zingy minerality appears: the characteristic of the limestone soils in which these vines grow. Perfect with grilled prawns.

Malvazija, Nando Winery, Slovenia 2014

Thrilling wine from the Italian/Slovenian border grown on “ponka” soils. A touch of skin contact gives texture to the crystalline fruit flavours and saline minerality. This is one of those wines that pairs with meat (pork or chicken), grilled fish (salmon) and cheese (marinated halloumi or feta).

Alicante, Ampeleia, Maremma 2015

The Alicante of Maremma is the Cannonau of Sardinia and the Garnacha of Spain. This comes from beautiful farming and a beautiful vineyard. The gently extracted fruit is velvety and perfumed with distinctive “garrigue” notes. With its supple tannins and herbal notes this would go down very well with steak.

Interested in any of the wines above? Contact us directly…

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