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IT Smoke, roasted flavours, long summer evenings
From steak to whole fish and vegetable skewers – wines for the grill
A barbecue brings everything together at once: dark meat with a charred crust, fish and prawns with lemon, vegetables and halloumi for half the table. That is why the grill calls for a small selection rather than the one perfect wine.
In short — which wine for the barbecue? With dark meat and a charred crust, choose spicy reds such as Syrah or Blaufränkisch; with fish and prawns, Riesling or Sancerre; for the whole table, dry rosé and light reds served chilled, such as Gamay. With grilled vegetables and halloumi, orange wines are the discovery.
The embers change everything: roasted flavours, smoke and caramelisation turn the same piece of meat or vegetable into a completely different dish than it would be from the pan. The basic rule at the grill: the wine needs fruit and freshness – roasted flavours amplify tannins and alcohol. A massive, heavily oaked red quickly becomes exhausting alongside a plate of grilled food.
Then there is the practical side: a barbecue means many plates and many preferences. You are best off chilling a spicy red, a fresh white and a rosé – that way everyone is catered for, from the steak faction to the vegetable-skewer crowd.
Dark meat from the grill – steak, chops & sausages
A charred crust and fat demand structure – but with fruit and spice rather than jam and oak. Northern Rhône Syrah brings pepper and dark berries, Blaufränkisch offers cool fruit and freshness, and Montepulciano provides uncomplicated juice for a large gathering.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2024
Cirelli’s juicy Montepulciano – in Abruzzo, this is the wine for arrosticini, the grilled lamb skewers. Powerful fruit, soft structure, the wine for a large barbecue gathering.
Blaufränkisch 2023
Clemens Krutzler’s light-footed Blaufränkisch: cool fruit, fine spice, elegant flow. It has the freshness that grilled meat demands – also superb lightly chilled.
Syrah VdF 2023
A naturally made Northern Rhône Syrah from Maison Stephan: dark fruit, invigorating freshness, a fine peppery note – as if made for lamb chops with thyme and rosemary.
Fish & Prawns – Freshness Meets the Embers
Grilled fish gains more aroma from the embers than from the pan – so the wine may show a little more substance. Riesling with fruit and drive, Sancerre with herbal spice: both stand up to roasted flavours while remaining refreshing.
Mugler Riesling trocken 2025
A fresh Palatinate Riesling with classic fruit and crisp acidity. The uncomplicated wine for fish and prawns, which won’t break the bank even for a larger gathering.
Riesling Jacobus trocken 2024
Peter Jakob Kühn’s mineral Rheingau Riesling: lively acid structure, delicate fruit. Excellent with herb chicken and char from the grill.
Sancerre blanc AOC 2025
Vacheron’s mineral Sauvignon Blanc – the estate explicitly recommends it with grilled sea bass with herbs. Precise, chalky, powerful.
Rosé & Chilled Reds – The All-Rounders
When sausages, chicken, salads and vegetables all appear on the table at once, a dry rosé is the most elegant answer – and a light red straight from the fridge the most underrated. Gamay at 14 degrees can handle almost anything at the grill.
Rosé vom Zweigelt 2025
Fritsch’s fruit-driven Zweigelt rosé with refreshing acidity – recommended by the estate to accompany Mediterranean grilled vegetables with poultry.
Beaujolais-Villages “Cuvée des Beaux Jours” 2020
An expressive Gamay from François de Nicolay: dark fruit, lively acidity, floral character. The chilled red for the entire barbecue evening.
Rosé “SABLE” VdF 2024
Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault from Provence: dry, Mediterranean, elegant. Recommended by the estate to accompany grilled fish and Salade Niçoise.
Vegetables & Halloumi – Vegetarian Grilling
Grilled vegetables develop roasted flavours just like meat – peppers, aubergines and sweetcorn reveal sweetness and smoke on the grate. Orange wines, with their fine tannins, are the discovery here; a natural Pét-Nat cools things down in between.
Foam Vulkan Petnat 2025
A Demeter-certified Pétillant Naturel from Meinklang made from Hárslevelü and Juhfark, fermented unfiltered using the Méthode Ancestrale, with linden blossom, hay, pear and green apple, creamy mousse and dry with lively acidity. Well chilled, it is <strong>the refresher between grilled courses</strong>, clearing the palate again after halloumi and grilled vegetables.
Majas Orange VdF 2025
Skin-macerated Sauvignon Blanc with structure and fine tannins – precisely the profile for vegetable skewers, sweetcorn and halloumi with roasted notes.
Ambre Orange Gewürztraminer Maceration 2022
Trapet’s skin-fermented Gewürztraminer: aromatic power with structure. For grilled aubergine, squash and anything with a spiced marinade.
Frequently asked questions: wine for barbecues
Which wine goes with a barbecue?
It depends on what is on the grill: with dark meat, choose spicy reds offering fruit and freshness (Syrah, Blaufränkisch, Montepulciano); with fish and prawns, Riesling or Sancerre; for mixed gatherings, a dry rosé. The basic rule: roasted flavours amplify tannins and alcohol – the wine needs freshness, not additional wood.
Red wine or rosé for a barbecue?
Both have their place: red wine with steak, chops and dark sausages; rosé when a variety of dishes arrives at the table at once. A dry rosé with substance is the most versatile single barbecue wine – it can handle poultry, vegetables, salads and even lighter meat platters.
Is it acceptable to chill red wine for a barbecue?
Absolutely – particularly with light, fruit-driven reds such as Gamay, Zweigelt or young Blaufränkisch. Thirty minutes in the fridge brings them to 14–16 °C; this makes them taste fresher on a warm summer evening and allows them to accompany fish and vegetables as well. Only tannic, heavy reds should be kept out of the cooler.
Which wine with grilled fish?
Bolder than for steamed fish: roasted flavours can cope with substance. Dry Riesling with fruit and tension, Sancerre with herbal spice or a structured rosé. With oily fish such as salmon or mackerel, a light, chilled red is also perfectly suitable.
What goes with barbecue sauce and marinades?
The sweetness and smokiness of barbecue sauce call for wines with plenty of fruit and little tannin – a juicy Montepulciano or a fruity Zweigelt balances the sweetness. With spicy marinades, a rosé or an aromatic white helps; harsh tannins only intensify the heat.
Which wine with grilled vegetables and halloumi?
Orange wines are the discovery here: their fine tannins and skin-contact aromatics play beautifully with the roasted notes of peppers, aubergine and grilled cheese. Alternatively, a bold rosé or a Pét-Nat, whose bubbles refresh the palate between courses.
Discover all barbecue wines
This selection covers your barbecue evening. In our shop you will find further spicy reds, fresh whites, rosés and orange wines for the grill.
All wines for barbecues