Ah... a summer evening, the subtle scent of lighter fluid, smoke in your eyes, marinated grilled food, friends, and good wines. That's what a real grilling moment is made of. For many, grilling is a sacred activity, and everyone has their own view on the right kind of grill and lighting method. Tastes vary, but so do grilled foods. Whether you're grilling vegetables, seafood, or meat of all kinds, the bold aromas from the grill give the food its own unique flavor. And that's the most important element when choosing wines, because that grilled flavor sets its own requirements for wine. It can't just be anything.
Wines with rich fruit flavors work well for grilling, and even a touch of sweetness in the wine can often add harmony with the charred flavors of grilled foods. A grilling wine is also nice to enjoy while lighting the grill, so a grilling wine must also be delicious on its own, as an excellent social drink.
People often think that only red wine works for grilling, but that's nonsense! White wine works just as brilliantly, and the absolute number one is Ironstone Chardonnay.
But red wine is just so perfect with crispy grilled meat. Absolutely top choices are Atlantico, Casa Charlize Cuvee Forte, Chakana Nuna Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Footmark Smooth Red, Ironstone Zinfandel, and Matsu El Picaro.
Ironstone Chardonnay
Ironstone Chardonnay is a versatile food wine that handles the role of grilled food companion superbly. In addition to steaks and ribs, this wine made from Chardonnay grapes is really skilled with white meats and seafood delicacies. Grill some chicken or jumbo prawns!
The flavor is dry, acidic, with yellow plum, rhubarb, clementine, apricot, lightly peppery, and oaky. Yum!
You can find price and product information here.
Atlantico
For friends! Juicy and jammy Atlântico is packed in a lightweight plastic bottle in a convenient one-liter size, enough for the whole grilling crew. An excellent companion for chicken dishes, pork, grilled foods, and of course sausage dishes. Also try it with pasta dishes or soft cheeses!
Atlântico is full-bodied, medium-tannin, with dark cherry, plum, ripe cranberry, cocoa, and mocha flavors.
You can find price and product information here.
Casa Charlize Cuvee Forte
A glass for missing Italy... or maybe for the sizzle of the grill? Velvety smooth Casa Charlize Cuvee Forte is easy to sip, but also so rich you could almost chew it! Rich doesn't shy away from rich, so this wine easily navigates alongside grilled food, a cheese platter, or even lamb. As an Italian wine, it naturally also pairs with all kinds of pizzas and wonderfully cheesy, tomato-based, and creamy pasta dishes.
The flavor is full-bodied, tannic, with dark cherry, blackberry, and berry notes.
You can find price and product information here.
Chakana Nuna Vineyard Cabernet Franc
For meats and cheeses, we absolutely recommend Chakana Nuna Vineyard Cabernet Franc, which comes from Argentina's largest certified organic estate. In the ancient Quechua language, Nuna means soul, and this wine is indeed soulful! It also has a certificate with credentials, as this biodynamic wine is packed in a lightweight glass bottle, is suitable for vegans, and is produced according to fair trade principles.
The flavor is full-bodied, tannic, with sour cherry, ripe blackberry, lightly rosemary, subtly cocoa, lightly stable, and oaky.
You can find price and product information here.
Footmark Smooth Red
Is your favorite always the delightful Footmark Smooth Red? This carefree smooth wine from South Africa adapts to many tastes and works equally well as a social drink or at the dinner table. And it's also suitable for vegans, so anyone looking for a one-wine strategy has found what they're looking for. Hooray!
Footmark Smooth Red is wonderfully full-bodied, medium-tannin, with cherry jam, forest berry, and spice flavors.
You can find price and product information here.
Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel
Here we go! May we present: a full-blooded meat wine that also happily flexes toward vegetarian products. Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel is characterized by the elegance and balance of a full-bodied grilling wine. The dinner table's offerings are this full-bodied wine's home turf, but it's also great to taste on its own. Also excellent with cheeses!
The flavor is full-bodied, medium-tannin, with currant, raspberry jam, plum, vanilla, and spice.
You can find price and product information here.
Matsu El Picaro
Looking for a great grilling wine that's also a social drink? Done! Sociable Matsu El Picaro is a low-threshold multi-purpose wine with trump cards up its sleeve for both grilling and socializing. Uncomplicated Matsu El Picaro is the youngest in a wine series where the age of the winemaker on the label represents the wine's aging and development.
Medium-bodied and medium-tannin, Matsu El Picaro has flavors of cherry, blackberry, wild strawberry, raspberry, and cinnamon.
You can find price and product information here.
Also check out other grilling wine favorites here!
