Barbecues and delicate wines don’t go together. To compete with the rich smells and flavours of barbecued food you need a wine that tastes of berry fruit and chocolate. So what’s needed are robustly-flavoured reds.
Red wines made with the blackberry and cherry tasting grape varieties of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo work best with barbecued meats. The usual rather-burnt barbecued burger often comes topped with a fiery chilli relish. You’d think drinking a cold beer or chilled white wine with this would soothe the tongue, but a room-temperature red wine will cleanse the mouth and enable your taste buds to start registering again. Your burger will taste meaty and your red wine fruity.
PG Wine Reviews
La Nonna Spanish Rioja Joven 2013
£4.29 Tesco
Light plum and raspberry flavours. Would work as a replacement for rosé if served cool.
Carles Spanish Priorat 2010
£5.99 Lidl
This red wine from the lesser-known region Priorat is an ace wine at an ace price. Expect sour cherry and raspberry flavours initially, soon followed by perfumed violets and creamy damson. After the bottle’s been opened for about half an hour the flavours morph into chocolate and mocha coffee. Fab stuff.
Fetzer Bel Arbor Californian Zinfandel
£5.99 Ocado
Fetzer is one of the world’s most popular wine brands so you’ll be able to pick up a bottle of their reliable wines almost anywhere. This red Zinfandel is currently available at Asda at a pretty good price but your local corner shop or garage may also stock it. Expect flavours of raspberry sauce.
Bordiere Nord 2014 French Syrah Grenache
£6.99 Majestic
Raspberry and damson flavours with a hint of spice. Really nice stuff. Really good price.
Castellani Italian Chianti Classico 2011
£6.99 Tesco
Quality Chianti with light and dark notes. Expect redcurrant and cocoa flavours.
Tweet me a wine question @huxelrebe
© Paula Goddard 2015 www.paulagoddard.com
