White wines to drink with a barbecue | Fiona Beckett on drinks

What sort of wine do you drink with a barbecue? A big, gutsy red would be most people’s answer, I suspect, especially if meat is involved. But need you? Must you? Sure, there are all kinds of rosé these days – with a grill, I prefer the more robust, Spanish styles to the pale, Provençal ones – but why not a white?

We get so fixated on the usual suspects, sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio among them, that it’s easy to forget that there are bigger, more expansive whites that can also handle the flavours of barbecued food. Top among them would be whites from the Rhône and elsewhere in southern France, especially those made from grenache blanc, roussanne, marsanne and viognier – or even those grapes on their own, viognier being the most common. They can have a savoury, almost earthy character, rather than a fruity one – although, that said, some do taste rather deliciously of peaches, so would be great with grilled chicken, say. South African winemakers make similar wines, such as the brilliantly priced Rhône blend from Aldi in today’s pick. I also like the smooth Leon Perdigal Lirac Blanc 2022 (12.5%), a less familiar white Rhône that is £11.99 (or £9.99 on mix-six) at Majestic; that would work really well with grilled vegetables, too.

Then there’s chardonnay. There is chardonnay, and then there are the big, unsubtle, oaky chardonnays, which a lot of people like even though they say they don’t, and which are just the ticket with a barbecue. Again, try with chicken, and corn – my goodness, they’re good with corn – be that on the cob or cornbread, which, to my mind, is the best addition by far to any barbecue. There’s so much well-priced chardonnay around, too, as well as chardonnay blends such as the Piccini in my pick this week, which are especially good with fish such as salmon.

You should also consider other full-bodied whites such as oaked, white rioja (check the label, because ones that aren’t oaked tend to be bright and citrussy) and godello from northern Spain. Oaked chenin blanc, especially when it’s made from old bush vines, is another good option. Again, South Africa is the place to look for those; in blends, they’re often referred to as Cape whites. And orange wines (that is, white wines that are made leaving the juice in contact with the skins) are terrific with grilled food, especially aubergines, so think about them if you’re having a Middle Eastern-style barbie.

Finally, as I said last week, don’t serve these richer whites or orange wines too cold – have them chilled, in other words, rather than iced. And glass half full, rather than topped to the brim.

Five whites that work with a barbecue

Aldi Specially Selected South African Rhône Blend 2021/22 £6.99, 13%. Classic southern French blend of grenache blanc, roussanne and marsanne, but from South Africa.

Marks & Spencer Stellenrust Chardonnay 2022 £8 (by the case; on offer), 13%. A really classy, creamy chardonnay – and it’s Fairtrade, too.

Piccini Bianco Toscana 2022 £8 Asda, 12.5%. Smooth-textured Italian blend of chardonnay, trebbiano and sauvignon blanc that would be great with salmon or other barbecued fish.

El Jardin de Ana Godello £10 Tesco, 12.5%. Rich, chardonnay-ish white from northern Spain in a pretty, summery bottle.

Château Saint-Cyrgues Salamandre Orange 2021/22 £12.83 Les Caves de Pyrène, £13.95 Seven Cellars, £15 Natty Boy Wines and Forest Wines, 12%. Big, rich, orange/skin-contact wine with delicious flavours of cooked apple, tangerine and dried peach.