Fresh, vivid and juicy: The best reds to go with barbecue
OUR expert heads for the garden with brilliant reds to brighten up a barbecue.
Our expert heads for the garden with brilliant reds to brighten up a barbecue
It’s that time of year when we feel tempted to fire up the barbecue at the first glimmer of sunshine. So whether your preference is for charcoal or gas, you’ll need some decent barbie reds to quaff. I’ve chosen seven that fit the bill: unpretentious but delicious wines that will match well with barbecued meat.
Taste the Difference Barbera D’Asti 2015 Piedmont, Italy £7, Sainsbury’s, 13.5% alcohol
Barbera is the grape variety here, and it makes a robust, blackberry and cherry fruited red with a bit of spicy grip and just a hint of rusticity, which makes it a great match for barbecued meats. It has a nice juicy finish, too.
Origin Pure No Sulphur Added Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Western Cape, South Africa £5.49, Aldi, 13.5% alcohol
This is ripe and sweet, but fresh and juicy too, with gorgeous raspberry and blackberry fruit. Lots of flavour here, along with some grip.
Château Le Fagé Rouge 2015, Bergerac, France £9.40, tanners-wines.co.uk (01743 234455), 14% alcohol
Here’s a well-balanced red full of spice-tinged blackcurrant and cherry flavours. There’s sweetness but also a savoury, structural dimension. Fresh and vivid, it’s so food friendly.
Leeuwenkuil Bushvine Cinsault 2016, Swartland, South Africa £8, Marks & Spencer, 12.5% alcohol
A vital and fresh wine, this has floral cherry fruit aromas with a fine herby twist. It tastes of bright cherries and plums, plus it has good acidity. It’s a simple, joyful, red with lots of appeal.
Emiliana Natura Carménère 2015, Central Valley, Chile £8.75, Oddbins, 13.5% alcohol
This dense red from Chile has fresh green herb and ginger notes, alongside pure blackcurrant fruit with a minty edge, some peppery spiciness and a sweet finish.
The Wine Atlas Feteasca Neagra NV, Romania £4.98, Asda, 13% alcohol
Appealing, juicy and vivid, this is a sweetly fruited red with flavours of raspberries and red cherries, as well as notes of pepper and spice.
Tesco Malbec NV Comté Tolosan, France £4.60, Tesco, 12.5% alcohol
With bright, floral, cherry aromatics, this fresh red captures the spirit of the malbec variety really well. There’s a bit of spicy grip underneath the fresh, juicy black fruits. It’s brilliant value for money and very quaffable.