Best Wines for Barbacue and Picinic
Although the approaching May Day weekend is what inspired us to write this blog, you can save it and read it again whenever you need ideas in finding the perfect wine for a fun and delicious barbecue gathering. While thinking about grilled meat, fish or vegetables, what about the wine? How can we pair it with the bbq so everyone loves it?
How To Choose Wine for a Barbecue?
The answer depends largely on what we put on the grill. Here are some practical tips because every outing with friends or family is different. If we refer to May Day, as mentioned above, then it is very common to go out in nature and enjoy a picnic or a barbecue in the open air.
Because when we opt for nature outings we try to stick to strictly necessary items, sometimes bringing wine can be a bit of a hassle.
But don´t worry, we made it easy for you: Instead of bringing the picnic wine with a cork, you can always opt for the screw option.
Wines are equally nice and it is much easier to open them. Also, if you are a white wine lover, don´t forget about chilling the wine beforehand, as white wines are more enjoyable when served cold. Do not use plastic cups, as all the aromas and flavours of your great wine will be very hard to distinguish.
The next factor to think about when choosing wines is whether you want to choose a versatile wine that everyone can enjoy and can accompany different dishes, or whether you want to choose wines that enhance the flavours of the dishes.
You Can´t Go Wrong With These Wines
If you opt for easy-going, immediately lovable wines, we recommend fresh white wines or wines with a short time in barrel or rosé wines. White wines are fresh and refreshing. White wines that have been in the barrel briefly can pair well with grilled white meat dishes. Rosé wines can be paired with everything from vegetables to grilled meats.
If you want to choose red wine, go for a young one or one with a short time in the barrel. Young wines don't have intense flavours, so they're more likely to please everyone.
Barbacue and Picnic Wine Recommendations
Mar de Frades is a delicate and subtle Spanish Albariño wine with very special marine and mineral notes. It is a white wine characterised by the freshness it conveys as well as the fruity notes it offers. As it could not be otherwise, Mar de Frades is perfect for pairing with fish, seafood and grilled meats.
Pradorey is a Spanish white wine with seductive greenish tones, it displays a variety of flavours from the Verdejo variety, with a complex backdrop of exotic fruits and a hint of aniseed.
It offers a fleshy, fat mouthfeel with an excellent aftertaste. The wine spent a short time in barrel which gives it a mix of freshness and structure. Ideal for everything from appetizers, picnic snacks to grilled meats.
Condominio Joven ,as its name suggests, is a young Spanish wine. It has a clear, intense red-violet colour with a fine layer of bluish tints. The bouquet is intense with notes of fresh red fruit, strawberry and raspberry.
The palate is light and pleasant. It has even, persistent tannins in good balance with acidity. Ideal with white or red meat dishes.
Special Wines to Surprise Your Guests
We know that by the time the barbecue is ready there are a number of snacks on the table. These can be accompanied by chilled white wine or why not, a cava. Brought to an optimal temperature these two options will surprise your guests.
Then, depending on the grilled dishes, we can choose other wines. If you are grilling fish, seafood and/or vegetables it is advisable to choose fresh, fruity white wines, perhaps with a short time in the barrel.
These will enrich the flavour palette of the main dishes. Opt for white wines with maturation also when white meat is dominant on the grill. Some options that we love, in this case, would be Eguren Ugarte a Spanish white wine, La Ganivelle French wine or a Cava from Catalonia, Spain, Alegoria Reserva Brut.
If, on the other hand, you opt for red meat dishes, you should also consider spices or sauces. If the dishes are simple, and the predominant taste is that of meat, you can choose red wines from young to medium-aged.
In this case, you can opt for Garnacha wines because they have fruity notes but at the same time have enough strength to balance the flavours of the meat.
Two options in this case could be La Garnacha, a Spanish wine by Mustiguillo, or Senda Garnacha, an organic Spanish wine made in the D.O. Madrid.
But if the dishes are complex, the meat is aromatic or accompanied by various sauces, opt for medium and full-bodied wines.
The red wine in this case must have a good structure to support the full range of flavours. You can choose a Spanish red wine such as Dehesa del Carrizal Petit Verdot, a Portuguese one such as HDL Vinho Tinto or French red wine, Chateau la Landotte. All three are ideal for grilled meat dishes.
Now you may wonder why we haven't talked about the stars of every May Day barbecue, the mussels or the sausages. Well, as you know, garlic makes a good pair with wine, only when used in moderation.
Otherwise, there is a risk that garlic fundamentally alters the way flavours feel on the palate. If the mussels or sausages have a low garlic content, we can opt for astringent, complex and well-structured red wines to balance the flavours and enjoy both the flavours of the food and the wine.
Some of the best choices for these pairings include the Spanish wine Marques de Griñon Graciano, the Bordeaux wine Chateau Ampelia or Quinta da Valbom, an excellent Portuguese wine.
Whether you decide on a selection of light, versatile wines or make choices for each type of dish, always remember the importance of temperature and glassware even when opting for an outing in nature.
We hope you'll find inspiration here to make the right choices for May Day and all the other barbecues throughout the year. And if you want to explore all the options, do not forget to visit our shop.
See you next time, wine lovers,
Dis&Dis Team
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