Yahoo Movies The best-value red wines for a summer barbecue
I admit to being a seasonal drinker – I rarely open rosé in the winter, for example. At this time of year there’s only one occasion that will see me reaching for the biggest, heartiest reds; a red meat barbecue.
Last week’s heat wave gave us a chance to cook and eat outside for the first time this year, and to crack open solidly built, fully ripe, no-nonsense reds to go with chargrilled steak. This week’s weather has seen many more opportunities.
There are several styles of full-bodied red that particularly shine with a barbecued steak. Ask a roomful of wine lovers which they’d pick and many of them will yell ‘malbec!’ – indeed, they’d be right. The ripe black cherry and blueberry of Argentina’s malbec in particular makes a superb match for a juicy steak. If you like the wood-spice and vanilla of an oak-aged malbec, that’s all the better with smoky, chargrilled meat.
Other options include New World shiraz (or syrah, to give this grape its French name; some international winemakers prefer to use it). The rich blackcurrant and spicy twists of Aussie shiraz go brilliantly with a peppered steak. Spain’s red Rioja is another star, but the table reds made in port country, the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, have the edge with grilled steak for my money (classic oaky Rioja’s better meat match is with lamb).
And finally, premium California cabernet sauvignon is a joy as a partner. I’d avoid the cheaper ones though, which can taste a little too sweet. Wait for a special occasion and celebrate with a premium West Coast cab and a really good steak, cooked outdoors on a hot evening. What a summer treat.
Try these...
Caminada malbec 2020
Mendoza, Argentina (13.5%, Sainsbury’s £5.50)
If you’re looking for a bargain malbec, bag this. It’s ever-so-slightly too jammy but there’s plenty of appealing fresh blueberry and damson, and hints of toffee, wood-spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. For little more than a fiver it’s a decent barbecue party wine bottled, conveniently, under screw-cap.
The Black shiraz 2021
South Eastern Australia (14.5%, The Co-op, £8.50 down to £7.25 until 28 June)
Here’s a great big grunty Aussie shiraz, deep purple and bristling with blackberries and the flavour of black wine gums. It’s balanced though with rounded tannins and a dash of wood-spice, not too jammily sweet. Ideal with a peppered steak.
Carlos Lucas Heredias tinto 2020
Douro, Portugal (13.5%, The Wine Society, £9.95)
A new wine made from a blend of port varieties in port country. It’s unoaked so the fruit flavours of these indigenous grapes really shine through. Deep garnet, it has delicious, plump and juicy red cherries and blueberries with some complex notes of spice, liquorice and dark chocolate.
D’Arenberg The Footbolt shiraz 2019
McLaren Vale, Australia (14.5%, Tesco, £12, down to £10 for Clubcard holders until 4 July)
Super-ripe, mulberry and blackcurrant-packed shiraz from the excellent d’Arenberg winery which uses traditional winemaking techniques like foot-treading the grapes and basket presses. There’s enough freshness to balance the richness here and a savoury hint that’s fab with an aged steak.
Louis M. Martini cabernet sauvignon 2018
Sonoma County, California USA (14%, Majestic, £19.99 or £17.99 as part of mixed six, down to £15.99 as part of mixed six from June 30)
Louis M. Martini winery was one of the first to open straight after Prohibition, and is renowned for its fine cab sauv from both Napa Valley and Sonoma County. This has a rich, enticing aroma of cassis and the blackcurrant charges through on the palate, with subtle spicy oak and a lush, long and satisfying finish, built for steak. One for a special occasion.
