Something's cooking

So with just a few more weekends of barbecue weather ahead, here are my top wines to try.

Whites

A refreshing, palate-cleansing Sauvignon Blanc such as Casillero del Diablo 2009 from Chile (Tesco, on offer at 5) is good as a welcome wine and aperitif. It can also accompany griddled fish – although my attempts to barbecue fish usually break up and fall into the flames. But if you try to serve this up with a blackened chicken drumstick, its bright herbaceous flavours will jar and give a metallic note, especially if there is a marinade in the equation. Other candidates for the aperitif slot include Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Waitrose, on offer down to 5.59 until August 24) which has more pineapple fruit than citrus zest.

To accompany the food, look at the balance of flavours in the sauces and marinades as well as salsas and salads. Honey is a key ingredient in many marinades and if the spice is not too lively in the mix, head for the soft, apricot and citrusy flavours of a Viognier such as Winemaker's Lot Viognier 2009 from the Lo Ovalle vineyard in Casablanca Valley, Chile (down to 7.59 on multibuy from Majestic).

Chardonnay is another candidate for sunshine drinking alongside a plate of barbecued food, but the biggest challenge will be to get people to taste it. For heaven's sake don't use the C word in company – people react in the most extraordinary way, shaking their heads and declaring that they never drink the stuff. But if you just pour a well-made, unwooded, or just slightly wooded chardonnay, they will love it. Try Vinalta Chardonnay 2009 from Herv Fabre in Argentina (Marks and Spencer 6.99) which sees no oak at all and its soft, almost peachy fruit shines out of the glass as a perfect accompaniment to a honey and mango salsa.

I also like the way Australian Semillon already has the smoke and honey notes which makes it perfect to accompany sweet-edged sauces. Try Peter Lehmann's Semillon 2008, from Australia, down from 6.99 to 5.24 at Tesco until August 24.

Pinks

As soon as spice gets into the mix then bigger flavours are called for, but it doesn't have to be red. Ros wines combine a light touch of fruit with refreshing tastes that can easily cope with a lightly-spiced chicken and courgette kebab. The shelves are full of bright, juicy, raspberry scented ros wines and I think it would be hard to beat Gran Tesoro Garnacha Ros 2009 from Tesco at a bargain 3.99. It avoids the usual sugary sweetness of most cheap ross and instead delivers cherry fruit and spice, with a clean dry finish. Chill this down and serve in large glasses, to show off the pretty colour. Also good although rather more expensive is Muga Rosado 2009 from Spain. Muga is one of Rioja's most respected producers and this Rose Rioja (Waitrose 8.15, or 7.99 at Majestic if you buy more than one bottle) has crisp, redcurrant fruit with a lovely, mouth-filling texture that gives the wine enough weight to cope with spicy salsas. For those who like to follow the fashion for Pinot Grigio then Italia Pinot Grigio Ros 2009 (Waitrose, on offer at 5.19 until August 24) is certainly among the better ones I have tasted and it has enough style and substance not to let

you down.

Reds

The classic wine for any barbecue is red and full bodied, but you need to choose with care to avoid some big overblown flavours that could just look unbalanced in sunshine.

Argentina is the home of the asado, a barbecue that is just bigger and better than anything you have ever seen before with sides of pork sizzling gently next to enormous steaks and strings of sausages. My home barbecue is somewhat smaller, but I can still conjure up the atmosphere of an asado by choosing a wine from one of Argentina's most prolific wine producers. Familia Zuccardi's FuZion Shiraz Malbec 2009 (Waitrose 5.19) is full of juicy, plummy fruit with the Malbec adding structure and depth.

It has enough flavour to stand up to a whole plateful of herby lamb skewers, and will go down well with grilled chicken. For beefburgers, with or without cheese, head to Tesco for their Howcroft Estate Shiraz, down to 5.99 until August 24. Deep in colour and full of dark, damson fruit it has a lively peppery edge which keeps the taste fresh, even in sunshine.

As the spice level increases, then cut down on tannin which can react badly against spice and instead go for lively fruit such as Alain Grignon's Carignan Vieilles Vignes 2009 from the Hrault in France. At just 4.99 on multibuy at Majestic until August 30, this is a good value wine to have on standby whatever is on the menu.

Also good to help fill up that six bottle case at Majestic is Domaine Sainte Rose 'La Garrigue' Syrah Grenache 2007 at 5.99 on multibuy.

This damson and blackberry-filled wine has plenty of spice notes so it marries perfectly with hotter, spicier foods. When serving wines at a barbecue, always try to keep the wine cooler than the food.

Fill a large bucket with ice and water to keep the whites and ross chilled, and don't over-fill glasses.

The wine can quickly go flabby when it warms up.

For reds, a little chill won't do any of them any harm on a hot day, or just keep in the shade until they are needed.

YP MAG 14/8/10