In one section of my first book, Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book, I sought to address the single-biggest DM slide I get every summer: what wines to bring to a barbecue. And the reason this is my most common request is pretty simple: where I live, in London, being invited to a barbecue means you have a friend with a garden, whereas most of us are concertinaed into blocks of flats and house shares.
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The prospect of spending a hot afternoon outdoors and with a glass of something delicious is far more delightful than the idea of spending it in my sweaty room surrounded by black clothing (an excellent heat-insulating technique, by the way), especially if it involves an actual garden and generous pals. That’s an occasion to which you want to bring a bottle of something good.
In the book, I suggested a red Côtes du Rhône, and the thinking behind that is also simple: Côtes du Rhône is sublime when drunk slightly chilled (drag it out of the ice bucket 10 minutes before you want to pour), it pairs well with most things that you can chuck on a barbecue, and you can buy more than one bottle without completely rinsing your bank account. See also: gamay, barbera, barbaresco, pinot noir, malbec and darker rosés.
However, this year, I want to expand my horizons beyond the obvious pulls, not least because there’s a sincere satisfaction to be found in an unexpected but undeniably congruous wine and food pairing. So I asked a few friends in the know for their off-the-beaten-track recommendations.
Aleesha Hansel, a wine writer and broadcaster, offers this advice: “Barbecues aren’t the place to bring out your grand crus or the weird-and-wonderfuls. Wine people will usually recommend a wine to go with the food, which is often a red with a bit of spice or savouriness, but I think matching with the vibes is the best way to go, and méthode cap classique sparkling wines tick that box for me. Look for bottles that are a bit richer and rounder – they remind me of golden-hour sunlight with their ripe, stone fruit flavours.”
I also had to ask the sovereign of the grill, Christian Stevenson, AKA DJ BBQ, for his pointers on what to drink, because, well, if anyone knows what to drink with a barbecue, it’s him. He is likewise anti-red: “Vinho verdes and albariños are my go-to wines in summer. Lamb shoulder, pork shoulder, ribs, fish tacos and coal-roasted veg all rock nicely with those bottles. I’ll dive into a chewy red when it’s winter, but right now it’s summer, and I’m standing around hot coals in the sun.” Sounds like the man has a garden, so I’ll wait for my invitation in the post.
Four unexpected wines that work with a barbecue
Natural Mystic Vinho Verde £9.95 The Wine Society, 11.5%. With a touch of alvarinho, this is crisp, bright and citrussy.
Chapel Down English Rose £12.50 (on offer) Ocado, 12.5%. Eton mess fruit meets a creamy finish in this English rosé.
Tacherons Pinot Noir VdF £16 Uncharted Wines, 13%. A classic, easy-drinking red with a touch of oak to enjoy with grilled meat.
Journey’s End Méthode Cap Classique Brut Reserve NV £16.90 Tanners Wine Merchants, 11.5%. This really fits the vibe with apple, pear and full patisserie notes.