Do you smell that? It is the inviting aroma that spreads from sizzling barbecues, which are slowly cooking meat, fish and vegetables for the first barbecue of the season. It’s difficult to resist! And so everyone stands ready to dust off the grill, soapstones and smokehouses. Dedicate yourself to choosing a perfect menu, and prepare the wine-rack for a barbecue to remember.
The reds
Let’s start with a classic choice: the meat on the grill demands red wine. And if fish and vegetables are also on the barbecue? The choice ranges from white, red, sparkling wine and new reds. Here are our selections!
Toscana Rosso "Selvato"
An ideal accompaniment for red meat, the Toscano Rosso is light and balanced. It does not overpower the flavours of the meat, and rather creates a perfect harmony with them. Rib-eye steaks, brisket, loin, rump or sirloin: the choice is wide, as is the method of cooking. And not just for the meats: our Toscana Rosso is also excellent with grilled vegetables!
Barbera d’Alba DOC 2015
This label also marries well with red meat thanks to its excellent balance between acidity and softness, enriched by a dense and robust body. With fleshy vegetables like aubergines and tomatoes roasted on a stone or grill, the Barbera d’Alba also comes into its own with a vegetarian barbecue.
The whites
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2016
At the end it releases barely hinted-at almond notes, while the nose recalls aromas of green apples and flowers. The perfect accompaniment? Fish, especially shellfish. The delicate and aromatic flesh of prawns and scampi weaves a fabric of simply perfect taste with the Pinot Grigio. Also to be tried with white meat, even if spiced: chicken wings with BBQ sauce or turkey breasts with red pepper and curry spices are exquisite with this wine.
Malvasia Pinot Bianco 2016 Puglia
Chicken, turkey, duck and quail: white meats, some of them unusual. The Malvasia Pinot Bianco Giordano has barely perceptible notes of peach and apricot, an understated sweetness and a softness that renders it a very easy drink. It also complements pork, as long as it is not too fatty. Cuts of noble fish, like tuna and salmon, also lend themselves to accompaniment with this wine.
A rosé
Rosato Puglia 2016
Excellent for a small aperitif before moving on to the main dishes, or even with bruschette made from homemade bread that have been toasted on the grill. Spare ribs and capocollo (meat taken from the neck) are excellent served with the Rosato Puglia 2016: freshness and zest refine the fat of the meat, rendering the taste more pleasant.
A special wine
Merlot Barbecue
Merlot barbecue, a wine that declares its intentions even on the label! The eye seeks satisfaction too, and our Merlot flaunts a look that evokes open-air parties, bold and hot. Velvety and intense, it marries perfectly both with red meat, which it accompanies with delicacy, or with the most challenging pork cuts. It surprises with its eclectic nature, which also renders it perfect alongside white meat and vegetables. The Merlot Italia BBQ even knows how to impose its own character during the grilling of the most challenging meats. Trust it: it will surprise you.
Photo credit: dixoncamera.com via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA | Gudlyf , sporkist via Visualhunt / CC BY