Emily, a wine enthusiast (Level 3 WSET) and blogger, suggests some of her favourite English wines to try with your much-loved BBQ dishes.
 
‘Wine for barbecues’ typically sees people reaching for a full-bodied red to pair with a rich steak or juicy
burger. Yet England’s cool climate is better suited to producing refreshing, crisp, high-acid whites and roses.
 
But we all know just about anything can be thrown on a grill, and if you’re serving vegetables, chicken, fish or seafood with accompanying summer salads, then you will certainly be able to find a stunning English wine to pair with it.
 
Try Stopham’s Pinot Gris 2019 with burrata, a Caesar salad, chicken or fish. It’s a zippy dry, still white with
gorgeous nose of pear, white peach, lemon, honeysuckle and blossom, faint hints of cooked almonds and slate. £16 a bottle.
 

 
For a fun, refreshing aperitif, crack open a bottle of 2018 GMF by urban winery Blackbook (named after the John Grant song). It’s is a lively fizz made from 100% seyval blanc, a high acid, cool climate grape with characteristic citrus on the nose and palate. Expect grapefruit and lemon, white pepper and lovely yeasty bready notes. Try serving with smoked fish or save for afters and try it with cheesecake.
 
This Champagne method sparkler hasn’t been disgorged to allow for longer lees ageing in the bottle, making it what the Italians call a “col fondo” (“with the bottom”). The lees, or dead yeast, adds a creaminess that cuts through the acid. Delicious and refreshing. £24 a bottle.
 

 
If you’re barbecuing on the beach or in a park, a glass bottle can prove unwieldy. In which case, why not try English wine in a can? Canned wines have the benefit of being lightweight to transport as well as easy to recycle (plus no need to pack drinking vessels!).
 
Nania’s Vineyard in Bristol makes a sparkling English Rosé Spritzer from the red Rondo grape with a touch of raspberry shrub syrup. A six pack costs £24 plus delivery.
 
Or, if you prefer your wine extra dry, Balfour Hush Heath makes a Kentish canned pink fizz made from a blend of seven grape varieties at £4.99 per can.
 
 
 
More wine recommendations from Emily:
 
Where to Find Affordable English Fizz
 
Read Emily’s reviews and discover more about England’s wine scene @sussexwinetaster
 
Note: Prices are correct at the time of publication