There are many styles of wine to enjoy during barbecue season, starting with fruity chenin blancs, chillable gamays and savoury sangioveses.zoranm/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Hearty red wines made from cabernet sauvignon, syrah/shiraz and malbec are suggested as ideal pairings for barbecued fare, but as temperatures increase I look for alternatives to full-bodied red wines.
Warm and sunny weather guides my attention to wines that offer refreshment and a sense of fun to the gathering. Luckily there are many other styles of wine to enjoy during barbecue season, starting with fruity chenin blancs, chillable gamays and savoury sangioveses.
Chenin Blanc
Serving white wine might run counter to popular opinion that suggests red wine is the match for grilled meat, but I enjoy how a delicious white refreshes your palate while cutting through the richness and smoky/spicy flavours from the barbecue. The ripe, fruity character of chenin blanc can stand up to the tangy and savoury aspects of what’s on the grill, while its mouthwatering acidity will cleanse your palate between bites. Selections from the Anjou, Saumur, and Vouvray appellations in the Loire Valley are often hard to find outside of specialty shops, but wines from good South African producers are widely available. Recommended wineries include Bellingham (The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc), Ken Forrester (Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc), Radford Dale, Reyneke (Organic Chenin Blanc), and Robertson.
Eight wines to enjoy in the summer
Gamay
Depending on where the grapes are grown and how they are fermented and aged, there’s a wide assortment of wine styles made with the gamay grape that are best enjoyed slightly chilled. For summer entertaining, I look toward Beaujolais-Villages or Cru Beaujolais from appellations like Fleurie, Juliénas or Moulin-à-Vent. Outside of large producers like Louis Jadot and George Duboeuf, selection will vary from store to store. There are also compelling gamays from Canadian producers to consider, such as 13th Street, Bachelder, Cave Spring, Fielding and Malivoire in Ontario and Blue Mountain, Orofino Vineyards and Three Sisters from British Columbia.
Canadian winemakers keep the party going for chardonnay
Sangiovese
Robust and refreshing red wines made with the sangiovese grape are extremely food-friendly in nature, working with a tremendous variety of dishes. More expensive bottles from Brunello are a steakhouse classic, but value hunters can find great expressions from Chianti Classico or Rosso di Montalcino that deliver freshness with the necessary complexity to match the depth of flavour of whatever’s on the menu. Recommended Chianti Classico producers include Antinori (Pèppoli), Brancaia, Frescobaldi (Nipozzano), Mazzei (Sur Lapo Riserva) and San Felice.
