BBQ & Wine Pairing: The Ultimate Summer Guide

What better way to kick off a BBQ than with a refreshing lager and Hawkstone Premium Lager is a fantastic example. The brewery's name comes from a Neolithic standing stone in the Cotswold Hills. They use only the highest quality malted barley, creating bold, yet balanced flavours of light citrus, subtle, crisp bitterness and malty backbone. Try it with some truffle Torres crisps and olives.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a non alcoholic option, Lucky Saint’s new Lemon Lager is as delicious as the Original but now with an added squeeze of lemon juice. A burst of citrus combines with the crisp lager for extra refreshment. Try pairing it with some salty bar snacks or appetisers such as cheese platters and bread baskets.

For fans of Sauvignon try the Olivier Dubois 'Cuvée Prestige' Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé Sauvignons demand regal sums, but if you head to Touraine, you can discover the Loire Valley's best value. This is boasting all the aromatic, herby notes you'd expect from a top-shelf Sauvignon. Great with a Greek salad.

Or try the Goldwater Wairau Sauvignon Blanc made with grapes from the Wairau Valley, an area famed for its intensely aromatic, lively Sauvignon. The grapes are harvested during the early morning hours to preserve their mouth-watering acidity, and five months of lees ageing adds fantastic texture and complexity. Pair it with your pre-BBQ charcuterie or goat’s cheese dishes

For a lovely rosé to enjoy with meat, why not try the Famille Perrin Le Triangle D'or Rosé? Caught between Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Manosque, the Luberon region is indeed a ‘golden triangle’. Champions of diverse terroir, they make this blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Vermentino sing with timely morning harvesting when each variety reaches optimal maturity. It will pair well with lamb and white cheeses such as Brie.

The Mayu Carménère Appassimento is a fantastic choice for red. From the Elqui Valley, Chile’s most extreme wine region, nearly 5000 feet above sea level. It’s a tough place to make wine, and this is the first appassimento Carménère in the world made by leaving the grapes to dry until the flavours are much more pronounced. Try it with an Aberdeen Angus Burger with cheddar.

For fans of a Shiraz go for the Oath Barossan Valley Shiraz. From the padlock on the label to the keyhole on the lid, the design symbolises this unbreakable commitment to craftsmanship. For this range, our Australian buyer, Jonathan Tiffany, partnered with the iconic Chateau Tanunda, a Barossa estate with more than 130 years of winemaking tradition. Perfect with barbecued sausages.

A must-try with grilled fish or seafood with earthy tones is the Barista Pinotage. The Barista Pinotage is a cult hit at Majestic. It’s made by the legendary winemaker, Bertus Fourie. He’s nicknamed ‘Starbucks’ for his exceptional skill in drawing out the coffee-like aromas of South Africa's signature grape. And it shows here.

Another fantastic choice from South Africa is the Diemersdal Estate Grüner Veltliner from Durbanville. This the first gruner velt to be made in south africa. Dimersdal’s 200 hectares of vines are grown in dryland conditions, allowing the grapes to ripen uniformly, developing rich, concentrated flavours which express their distinct terroir. Great with smoked fish or prawns.

If you like Sancerre try the Domaine Roger Neveu 'Côte des Embouffants' Sancerre. The vineyard that this wine comes from is steeped in history. Côtes des Embouffants was singled out by Abbot Poupart in his 1777 history of Sancerre, saying that 'the Bouffants hillside is one of the best I know in our Sancerre area’. Nearly 250 years later, his assessment still holds true. Ideal with salmon skewers.

For sparkling try the classic Lanson 'Le Black Creation' Brut Champagne. Their much-loved signature cuvée, Le Black Label, was created in 1937 in honour of the house’s appointment as the official suppliers of the Royal Court of England. Delicious with BBQ squid or fish.

A great choice for a red to pair with cheese or veg is the Josh Cellars Pinot Noir. The number one selling premium wine in America, founder Joseph Carr named the brand after his father, an army veteran and volunteer firefighter. With 40 years of experience, winemaker Wayne Donaldson is the talent behind this delicious red. Especially good with BBQ vegetables or brie.

A lesser-known but very worthwhile choice is the Chosen By Majestic Greek White. Greece is one of the world’s most underrated winemaking regions, so we just had to create a wine to add to the Chosen by Majestic collection. Working with the esteemed Kintonis Winery, we created this crisp and refreshing blend of Malagousia, Roditis and Assyrtiko – all grown on high-altitude vineyards. Try it with BBQ halloumi.

The perfect wine to have with seafood is the Martín Códax Albariño. Named after a Galician troubadour whose medieval poems are love songs to the sea. The wild Atlantic coastline forces growers up to high altitudes. Here, the sea tempers the climate, so it’s cooler and damper than neighbouring regions. The perfect seaside wine, so it’s no surprise that it’s perfect for seafood as well as vegetable skewers.

For a sparkling try the Bollinger Rosé Champagne. To make this elegant sparkling, Bollinger adds a portion of an exceptional red wine made with grapes from top plots in their Pinot Noir vineyards. This brings deliciously fruity aromas to the finished fizz. Try it with grilled aubergine.