With the weather and the barbecue hotting up, it’s time to chill down some wine to enjoy with family and friends. Here are some of the barbecue-friendly summer wine options that we’ll be sipping this season.
Toro Loco Superior Red 2024
£6
This highly quaffable red, made from a blend of Tempranillo and Bobal grapes, is a great budget-conscious choice for pairing with burgers and steaks straight from the barbecue.
There are plenty of fresh, juicy strawberry notes and ripe cherry flavours, with a hint of peppery spice, giving it a lively kick. The tannins give a velvety texture, and the long, elegant finish will make a glass or two on a warm summer evening go down a treat.
It’s vibrant and easy to drink, with a refreshing dryness. A great barbecue-friendly summer wine that’s budget-savvy, too.
Abbotts & Delauney Malbec 2023
From £11
Another great pairing for freshly barbecued meat is this ruby red Malbec from Abbotts & Delauney. Full of dark fruits and just a hint of floral notes, it’s well balanced and structured, with spices in every mouthful.
On the nose, there are warm spices and liquorice, and on the palate, the spices and dark and red fruits lead to an elegant, long finish. Fresh and bright, it’s a delightful Malbec to sip this summer.
La P’tite Pierre 2022
£7.50
This inexpensive, approachable French white is made from a blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Gros Manseng grapes. A great all-rounder for the summer months, on the nose it brings white fruits and citrus together. On the palate, the fruits continue, along with hints of lemon zest.
Well-balanced, with a hint of acidity, this is a nice wine to drink well chilled with chicken or fish, or as a refreshing spritz on a hot summer afternoon.
Ormarine Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet 2025
From £10
If you love a crisp, fruity white wine, this Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet has to be on your list. Made with 100% Piquepoul Blanc grapes grown next to Languedoc’s Thau lagoon near Montpellier, the vines have been bathed in the salty mists and winds that rise from the lagoon and across the appellation.
With sun-ripened apples, lemons and touches of grapefruit, the flavours are crisp and clean. There’s also a minerality that brings a mouthwatering freshness that will win first-time tasters over.
This Picpoul de Pinet is at its best with fish or seafood, but is a lovely glass to enjoy chilled even without food. An excellent barbecue-friendly summer wine that you’ll keep coming back to.
Kendall-Jackson Vinter’s Reserve Chardonnay 2023
From £15.50
This family-run winery, founded in California in 1982, has been producing crowd-pleasing Chardonnay since the very beginning. Since the early 1990s, it has been the best-selling Chardonnay in the US, and having tasted it, I can see why.
The deep, golden colour invites you in, and on the nose you’ll find tropical notes of pineapple and mango with a slight citrus note. On the palate, the fruit is met with a burst of lemon and hints of oak and vanilla round out the flavour. There’s just a little spice in there, too, balancing things nicely. The finish is long and dry, with the acidity dropping away.
A beautiful Chardonnay that’s bright, well-rounded and pairs well with white meats and fish or a crisp summer salad.
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2023
£25.50
La Crema’s Monterey Chardonnay is vibrant and complex, characteristics which can be attributed to the cooling coastal influences of the region. The grapes are sourced from vineyards along the coastal benches, where slower-ripening fruit preserves vivid acidity.
On the nose, there is an abundance of citrus, charred pineapple and orange blossom. Once on the palate, white stone fruits and hints of melon develop, with a warm, buttery vanilla in the background. A touch of woody spice adds depth, bringing the mouthful nicely into balance. The finish is long, with a minerality that enlivens the taste buds, before melting away.
An elegant wine that will enhance any gathering, pair it with pasta, chicken or cheeses, and it will be a hit on your summer table.
Calvet Sauvignon Blanc Touraine 2024
£10
Hailing from Touraine in the Loire Valley, this Sauvignon Blanc offers a bright, fresh wine at an excellent price.
On the nose you’ll find gentle floral notes blending seamlessly with tropical fruits and hints of wild herbs. Once on the palate, a burst of crisp apples and zesty limes brings a hit of acidity, making the mouth water. The smooth finish sees the acidity drop away, leaving a tang of citrus behind.
It’s bright and refreshing and makes a great accompaniment to grilled fish and white meats, and the pale golden colour oozes summer, making it a great glassful to enjoy in the sunshine.
Calvet Chablis 2024
£21
Calvet’s Chablis vineyards, in northern Burgundy, are located on a limestone plateau, which provides the minerality found in this bright pale wine.
On the nose, this characteristic minerality brings complexity to the white fruits. On the palate, the crisp, tartness of green apple blends with the bright citrus notes of zesty lemons. It’s well balanced and very dry, and can be a little sharp when very cold.
Let the glass warm a little, and the flavour opens out to become softer and more well-rounded. The minerality remains in the long finish, alongside the citrus.
An excellent Chablis to accompany your summer barbecue, which pairs particularly well with fish.
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