BBQ Picks in Our Summer Sale
Summer barbecue and wine don't always get invited to the same party, but they should. Smoke, char, fat, and sweet glaze are big, bold flavours, and the right bottle can either cut through them or lean right into them.
Here's a lineup of five very different wines - all part of our Summer Sale - and the dishes we would put next to each one.
Discount included when added to basket.
The All-Day Sipper
2023 11 Minutes Rose, IGT Trevenezie, Pasqua
Was £38.95, Now £23.50
Named for the brief 11 minutes the skins stay in contact with the juice, this negroamaro-based rosé from Pasqua is built for exactly this kind of afternoon: pale, dry, and easy-drinking, with fresh red berry fruit and a crisp finish, plus the large format makes it perfect for a crowd.
Pair it with: keep it simple, this is your starter-course and all-day-sipping wine. Great with a charcuterie board while the grill heats up, grilled peaches, a tomato and burrata salad, or lighter grilled fish. It's also the wine to hand to guests who want something refreshing before the smokier reds come out.
Grilled Prawns or Seafood
Was £29.95, Now £15
Was £33.95, Now £20.50
Kelly Washington seek out growers who support old vines, high density planting, vineyards of altitude, organic and biodynamic farming. Samuel Billaud makes some of the most exciting wines in Chablis today, and this Bourgogne is a blend of 50% Chablis Chardonnay and 50% Chardonnay from a friend's plot in the Macconais.
Pair it with: Grilled prawns, corn with lime and chili butter - or anything off the barbecue that leans citrusy and spicy, particularly the Pinot blanc which will stand up to spice. The Burgundy will suit flavours with a bit less heat, as well as grilled chicken.
Grilled Salmon or Trout
Was £36.95, Now £18.50
Was £29.95, Now £18
The Altavins vineyards are located four hundred metres above sea level, the soil is rich in chalk and limestone, where the old vines (up to ninety years old) have deep roots to find just enough water reserves. The Bakkanali Rosso is 100% Sangiovese from a 3.5hectare vineyard at 600m in the Poggioferro. Grapes come from organically farmed land with low intervention winemaking using wild yeasts
Pair it with: A lighter red is perfect for grilled salmon or trout, or lighter fare like herb-marinated chicken and grilled mushrooms. Or if you want want to serve a white with fish, this Macabeu (aka Viura), sits somewhere between a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay in style, with textural fruit and touches of minerality.
Burgers, Sausages and Chicken
Was £29.95, Now 22.95
Was £39.95, Now £23.95
Fleurie is one of the ten crus of Beaujolais, made from gamay, and this particular bottle comes from real Burgundian pedigree: it's the side project of Frédéric and Chantal Lafarge, who also run Domaine Michel Lafarge in Volnay. Weinert was one of the pioneers of high-quality wine in Argentina, are made in a very traditional style, with plenty of extraction followed by long ageing in ancient oak casks before further bottle ageing until release.
Pair it with: These are your all-purpose grill red, fantastic with grilled sausages, burgers, barbecue chicken, or a plate of charred vegetables. The Fleurie is lighter in style, whilst a Malbec is a great-go to BBQ red.
Brisket and Ribs
Was £17.95, Now £9.95
Was £79, Now £50
Omnia — Latin for "all" — is Mounir and Rotem Saouma's blend of fruit from nine parcels across all five communes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Saoumas made their name at Lucien Le Moine in Burgundy, and they bring that same patient, hands-off approach here: long aging in foudre, cement, and barrel, with no fining or filtration. Located in the heartland of Coonawarra, Parker Estate was founded in 1985 by John Parker with the planting of Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the rich terra rossa soils of the 16-hectare Abbey vineyard.
Pair it with: the centerpiece meats — a smoked brisket, ribs with a dry rub, or lamb chops off the grill. For both wines, spice and dark fruit stand up to smoke and char without being overwhelmed, and there's enough structure here to handle a rich, fatty cut.
