Wine with Leslie: Five red wines for barbecue season — plus the best beer and cider

Don’t be afraid to chill red wine and make sure to seek out a beer specialist, writes Leslie Williams

Sat, 01 Jun, 2024 - 12:06

Leslie Williams

Barbecue season in Ireland is always a little fraught with the threat of rain ever present. However, in our house we have found that putting up the inexpensive pop-up gazebo means that we don’t fret nearly so much about the odd shower interrupting the flow.

Red wines for barbecues should be capable of being served cold or at least cool — this has been my guiding principle for this piece. Even if the sun isn’t shining, you want wines that will be lively and fresh tasting and capable of coping with spice rubs and a heavy hand with the barbecue sauce.

The traditional take on wines for barbecue would be spicy rich Rioja Crianzas or Reservas aged in American Oak barrels, meaty dark Soth African Pinotage, and darkly fruity Malbecs from Argentina. These three regions have a strong tradition of grilled meats so it makes sense and these wines will absolutely work well provided they are served a little cooler than usual.

However, I’ve taken a fresher approach with some of my suggestions here, including a lightly fruity 12% Austrian red and an 11% wine from Mallorca made with the local Callet grape. I’ve also suggested a high-priced Beaujolais Cru but feel free to pick up a supermarket Beaujolais Cru instead; SuperValu’s André Goichot Beaujolais range is often reduced to under €15, for example, as is Dunnes Stores’ Pierre Ponnelle, whose Beaujolais Villages often comes down to €12 (regular price is €15).

My two bargain suggestions are from Portugal and the Languedoc, two of the most reliable regions for inexpensive red wines.

1. Laurent Miquel ‘Pére et Fils’ Syrah-Grenache, Languedoc, France, €9

Dunnes Stores

Does Laurent Miquel make the best entry-level supermarket wines available? I think so. Neasa and Laurent Miquel’s wines are always fruit-focused and balanced and this is a fine example — this time a collab with Laurent’s father Henri. From night-picked grapes this has red and black fruits and a touch of chocolate and spice. Rounded and fruit-driven with balancing acidity.

2. Marquês de Borba Colheita, Alentejo, Portugal, €12.95

O’Briens

Reduced from €18.50 for the next month this is a fairly typical Alentejo blend containing Alicante Bouschet, Aragonês, Touriga Nacional, and Trincadeira. Spice-tinged black cherry fruits on the nose, juicy ripe red and black fruit flavours with clove and allspice accents, concentrated and full bodied. Serve this a little cool for best results.

3. Heinrich ‘Naked’ Red, Burgenland, Austria, €22

MacCurtain Wine Cellar; Pinto Wines; Ely Maynooth; SIYPS.com

Austrian reds are ideal companions to grilled food and perfect chilled — especially if they are somewhat natural like this one from a fine Austrian producer. This is a blend of Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and St. Laurent, the three classic Austrian red varieties. Red berry aromas, crunchy bright fruit flavours, lively and juicy with cherry-skin fruits on the finish.

4. Kilos Winery ‘Motor Callet’ 2020, Mallorca, Spain, €25.99

MacCurtain Wine Cellar; Lilith; A Taste of Spain; Nudewineco.ie; 64 Wines

This Mallorcan winery is something special, founded in 2006 they are credited with saving the native Callet grape — a dark skinned but lower alcohol grape (this is 11% abv). Organic with no added sulphur this has bright juicy red fruit aromas, cherry and soft red fruit flavours, and lithe ripe palate. Also watch for “12 Volts” for a couple of Euro more.

5. Bonnet Cotton, Brouilly Beaujolais Cru 2021, Bio, France, €41

Sheridans; Pot Duggans; Whelehans; Green Man; SIYPS.com

Beaujolais is the perfect wine for a barbecue, bright and juicy and best served lightly chilled. Brouilly is the largest and most southerly of the Beaujolais Cru and this organic producer practises minimum intervention. This is sumptuously soft and supple with black cherry fruits and rounded dark fruit flavours. Other Beaujolais Crus to try: Jean Foillard (L’Attitude 51), Bonne Tonne (Mannings), Lapierre (64 Wines).

Beers and cider

My beer and cider recommendations include a couple of classics plus a throwback or two. Besides these suggestions, a visit to a good beer specialist like Bradleys, Redmonds, or Matsons is a must, as most craft brewers have summer specials — too many to mention. One to watch, for example, is Rye River’s Piñata Party —a sour made with pineapple, lime, chilli, and smoke.

A brewery to keep an eye on is the revamped 8 Degrees Brewing which was recently bought back from Pernod Ricard by the original founders Cam Wallace and Scott Baigent (spouse of food writer Caroline Hennessy of this parish). Their first beer is ‘Déjà Vu’ Hopfenweisse and their second will be a Double IPA called The Crux — of course 8 Degrees’ classic brews like Bohemian Pilsner and Howling Gale Pale Ale are still available.

Other breweries whose range you should keep an eye on for summer specials include Whiplash, Blacks Kinsale, Ballykilcavan, Dungarvan, and gluten-free specialists 9 White Deer from Macroom (also home to the great Bambie Thug!).

6. Killahora Bottle Conditioned Pet-Nat, 6% abv, 750ml, €12

Bradleys; Urru; Ardkeen; Celtic Whiskey Shop; killahoraorchards.ie

Killahora Orchard in Glounthaune, just east of Cork City, continues to impress. This is wild yeast fermented and aged in Irish whiskey barrels and made from Killahora’s own apples. More complex than many a Pet-Nat wine with bruised pear aromas, dried apple notes, somehow both bitter and sweet with a refreshing tart finish. Also watch for their delicious Johnny Falldown Cider.

7. Stonewell Dry Irish Craft Cider, 5.5% ABV, 500ml, €3.99-€4.49

Bradleys; Galvins; Matsons; Carry Outs; Ardkeen; SuperValu; widely available

I first featured this cider in 2013 but not since — it deserves a revisit. A proper cider with tannic complexity, it’s brewed near Kinsale from Irish grown Dabinett and Michelin cider apples.

Aromas of ripe apple and cooked pears, tangy and refreshing on the palate with apple-skin bitterness and a light astringency and tang, baked apple flavours on the dry finish.

8. Hopburgh Helles Lager, 4.7% ABV, 500ml, €4.49

Independents; McHughs; Martins; Redmonds; Lilith; craftbeersdelivered.com

Brewed by Hopkins & Hopkins at their Bow Street Brewery in Dublin 7 this is one of the best Irish craft lagers I’ve tasted. Slow cold fermentation and minimum six weeks lagering, it pours a light gold with light honey and floral aromas, and is balanced and clean with a characterful noble hop presence. This is crisp, fruity, and refreshing.

9. Rascals Strawberry Vanilla Shake IPA, 440ml, 5% ABV, €5.20

Matsons; Redmonds; McHughs.ie; CraftCentral.ie; Rascalsbrewing.com

Rascals Brewing in Inchicore, Dublin, is 10 years old this year and celebrating with collabs and new beers as well as new branding. This classic summer special is back too. Made with strawberry purée, wheat, and lactose, this pours pleasingly hazy with aromas of citrus, vanilla and red fruits — a fruity-hoppy palate and a tangy dry finish. Summer in a glass.

10. Dot Brew Easy Amber, 440ml, 5% ABV, €4.00

Stockists: Bradleys; Matsons; Redmonds; Craftcentral.ie

You need an amber or a rye ale for your barbecue or just for those times when you want something a little more savoury. This has baked peach and dark caramel aromas, a dark berry and savoury, malty palate and refreshing hop finish.

Also watch for Dot Brew’s 2% micro fruit ale in Sauv Blanc casks, his White Peach Sour and his new Aldi Nova IPA.

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