The unseasonal warm weather here in the Okanagan (the average mean temperature for May is 13ºC) means getting out and enjoying the outdoors and barbequing is the quintessential outdoor food activity.  The wafting scent of beef, chicken or fish grilling is unlike any other cooking aroma and when you have a great bottle of wine open and ready to accompany the meal, it is a sensation that can transcend all others.  However, having the perfect food ready to eat does not mean picking any wine to serve.  Some of the same guidelines that steer us throughout the year still apply to BBQ.

Sparkling wines are seemingly always associated with a celebration of some sort whether it is a wedding or New Years Eve.  Actually, they are well suited for al fresco enjoyment, seemingly able to quench the thirst and give more pleasure particularly ones produced by the Charmat method.  Their effervescence, crisp acidity and lighter weight make them wonderful pre-dinner companions.  The sparkle gives an added element that counterbalances the spiciness in hot peppers and its crisp acidity cuts cleanly through dishes that are rich or a little oily.

Warm weather white wines fall into the same criteria as sparkling wines…they should be crisp, clean wines with vibrant, racy acidity that borders on a mouth-watering, thirst-quenching texture.  Leave behind those heavy, oak-dominated Chardonnays and try a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from BC or New Zealand.

Here is a wine that is extremely popular and which delivers a sharp variation to other wines.  This is an outstanding variety — loaded with a profusion of different aromas and flavours from the green/herbal/vegetative side to fresh green-apple/grapefruit/passion-fruit fruitiness all wrapped up in a zesty acidic frame.  It is a very versatile food wine that can complement everything from shellfish and Caesar salad to fried chicken and aged Jarlsberg cheese.

A Riesling from BC or Australia goes well with almost any grilled meat such as chicken, veal, pork, pheasant, turkey or quail.  With its delicious tropical and orchard fruit flavours of grapefruit, peach, pear, apple and lime, Riesling complements all types of foods and offers a wide range of characteristics, from easy-drinking fruity summer wines, to liquid conundrums that assault the palate with their explosion of hedonistic texture.

Not so long ago, many wine-geeks looked down their noses at rosé or blush wines, describing them as “simple” and “lacking complexity”.  While this may be somewhat true in that they are not full-bodied red or lush white wines, the better rosés do have a complexity not found in other wines.

Good Rosés should be fruity, with snappy acidity and have the freshness of a white wine with some of the tannins and depth of a red.  Crisp, dry rosés have now become the trend and they are fantastic with typical summer fare, barbecues and picnics.  They are easy and light, perfect for a casual atmosphere, with a mild flavour and good acidity levels, allowing for pairing with a wide variety of foods.  They are best enjoyed chilled and therefore are refreshing on a warm/hot afternoon.  Try with mushroom caps stuffed with cream cheese, diced ham and chives.

Red wines are still the favourite for the backyard B-B-Q but instead of the heavy reds of winter opt for some of the lighter style reds that are available.  Zinfandels are the perfect summer red with most being soft and fruit-driven wines.  For grilled chicken or salmon fillets, go with a Pinot Noir.  A Gamay from Beaujolais works well if you are having burgers, pasta or grilled Panini sandwiches.  It even goes with fish.  One of the most popular varieties is Grenache.  Check out the many styles available from Spain or the blended versions from southern France.

When choosing the wines, try not to make the mistake of picking wines that are too heavily oaked, or those with a combination of oak, smoke and spice.  These wines have a tendency to overwhelm the taste buds depending on the food being served.  What you are looking for is a balance in flavours.

Wine Tip:

The main problem with barbecues is keeping white wine, and other drinks cool.  A couple of large buckets filled with ice, cold water and a ½ cup of salt should do the trick.  What the salt does is causes the ice to melt at a lower temperature so it stays colder longer.  Also, no wine tastes great if you leave it out in the sun so keep all your bottles, even reds cool.

BBQ Wine Picks:

The big brother of the bargain-priced Monseran, the 2008 Castillo de Monseran Old Vine Grenache ($15.90) continues to prove why Spanish wines are on the upswing. Produced from low yielding 50 year old Grenache vines, this wine is loaded with youthful, fresh aromas of jammy black cherry, black raspberry, sweet licorice and creamy vanilla-scented oak with hints of baked earth, dried herbs and forest floor. The soft, juicy black and red fruit flavours coats the palate with a lush, full-bodied texture followed by soft acidity, firm, lip-smacking tannins and a long, deep finish. Excellent with a mild Manchego.

A classic example of what this variety is capable of when grown properly the 2009 Veramonte Reserve Pinot Noir ($20) is brimming with decadent aromas of rich cherry, raspberry, smoke leather, forest floor characteristics and subtle spicy oak.  The texture is pure Burgundian, soft, velvety and rich with a stunningly long, long finish.  Superb with rich meat/game dishes with mushroom-based sauces

Lodi is to Zinfandel what Napa is to Cabernet. Lodi Zins are delicious wines with great depth and complexity.  This wine comes from vineyards with not just old vines but ancient vines, some 100 years old.  The vines are low yielding but provide fruit of excellent quality.  A big wine for the price, the 2010 Flying Winemaker Old Vine Zinfandel ($23) is loaded with complex aromas of black cherry, raspberry, red plums and cassis with hints of raspberry jam, smoke, Asian spice and a smooth vanilla-scented oakiness.   Rich and full on the palate with ripe cherry, blackberry, plums, spice and a hint of vanilla culminating in a lingering finish.  Soft, chewy tannins add to the luscious texture of this excellent wine.  Great with a rotisserie grilled pepper-crusted roast.