BBQ Pack - Deck to Dock

Case of 6 bottles.

We think there are wines for every season. A big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon sounds perfect in front of the fireplace on a snowy night in December, but might be too bold for a summer picnic at your favourite park. Just as salads and sandwiches keep us cool when the weather is hot, and soups and stews warm us up on wintery days, your choice of wines will also vary over the course of the year. 

Summer is the time to enjoy dining outdoors and cooking on the grill. The pairing principles we use in our book - match, adjust, and mirror - still apply to al fresco menus, they just need to be tweaked slightly.  

Grilling often means meat (beef, ribs, burgers) and the fattier component in these foods help soften more tannic (younger) red wines. The effect of grilling - even for vegetables - turns up the intensity factor, however, so bolder wines might still have a calling. And always be ready to make adjustments as barbecue usually involves sauces - sweet, tangy, spicy, and peppery - which can re-balance the entire relationship between food and wine. 

Our pairing principles also apply to chicken, fish/seafood, and vegetables, which are also terrific on the grill. Wines that are full of flavour, yet still have enough acidity to balance out the richness of the foods, are good choices.  

Summer entertaining can also mean a need for more versatile - "crossover" - wines, since you might be preparing a range of different flavours, textures, and spice levels for your guests. And always remember, dining al fresco is also a more relaxed experience, so think about wines that you can enjoy - perhaps without food - as the meal is being prepared. 

To help take the stress out of choosing what to buy, we have prepared a mixed case of one sparkling wine, two white wines, one rosé wine, and two red wines (one bottle of each) that we've thoroughly tested out by the grill. They are all from Spain, where they appear to have raised outdoor and small-plate dining to almost an art form in itself. 

And if you enjoy these selections, and we hope you do, they are also available to purchase by-the-case through this Web site. 

Wine #1 Celler Kripta, 2022 Cava Trepat Rosat Brut Reserva  (Penedès)

A dry, fuller-bodied sparkling wine made from 100% Trepat grapes, grown in the Penedès region of Spain, at the Ubac estate in Sant Joan de Mediona. 

Only a few hours (~8) skin contact to extract colour. The temperature-controlled, primary fermentation, is in stainless steel tanks with the yeasts present on the grapes at harvest. Second fermentation to produce the bubbles took place in the bottle (eg traditional method) with a minimum of 24 months aging on the lees. Bottles are disgorged individually, and only when required for market to ensure optimum condition of the finished wine. Dry (Brut) with ~8 g/L residual sugar. Alc./vol. 11.5%.  Certified organic and vegan.

Our tasting Note: Attractive, bright, cherry-pink colour - à propos for outdoor dining - with fine and persistent bubbles that evolve slowly in the glass. Aromas and flavours of ripe red fruits - cherry and wild strawberry - with slight herbal notes. Balanced and rich, with good structure and a lively and elegant finish.  

Menu matches: Perfect appetizer wine, or with grilled seafood, chicken, rice dishes, charcuterie, fresh cheese, and fruity desserts. You could consider this an almost perfect "crossover" wine, that could cover all the way through to dessert. 

Wine #2 Bodegas Tajinaste, 2023 Blanco Seco DOP (Canary Islands)

A dry white wine made from 100% Listán blanco (pronounced lee-STAN blahn-ko), hand-harvested from hillside vineyards at a height of 250-500 metres above sea level. And when we say "hillside", we really mean the steep slopes of Mount Tiede, a volcano, and the highest peak in Spain.

The grapes are de-stemmed and undertake a 12-hour pre-fermentation cold soak. After fermentation in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks, approximately 15% of the wine completes fermentation and aging for ~2 months in new oak (French and American) barrels,  while the rest of the wine remains in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. Light fining with bentonite, and filtered. Alc./vol. 13%. R.S. <2 gr./L. Suitable for vegan diets. 

Our tasting note: Bright, pale straw yellow colour with greenish hues. Intense aromas reminiscent of grapefruit zest, lemon citrus and pineapple, with herbal/mineral notes.  Crisp, balanced acidity, dry, light- to medium-bodied with a long, clean finish.

Menu matches: A great wine to enjoy on its own, but it would be very nice with Sushi, ceviche, grilled seafood (think octopus on skewers), grilled vegetables, chicken, and creamy pasta sauces (eg macaroni or potato salad).    

Wine #3 Bodegas Valdesil, 2024 Valdesil Sobre Liás (Valdeorras)

A fuller-bodied, but not oaked, dry white wine made from a careful selection of 100% Godello grapes, from vines with a minimum 35 years of age, The vines came from cuttings from the original Pedrouzos estate vineyard, grown on hillside slopes, in slate-rich soil, at an altitude of 500 metres above sea level.  The slate soils contribute a distinctive mineral character to the wine.

Vinification is made by plot, to reflect the different expressions of the vineyards. The wine is fermented (with natural yeasts) in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, and kept on the lees, with regular stirring, for just over 6 months. No malolactic fermentation, and fined with agents of mineral origin. Alc./vol. 12.5% R.S. < 2 gr./L. Suitable for vegan diets.

Our tasting note: Bright pale-yellow colour; rich aromas and flavours of warm lime citrus, green apple, tangerine, and almonds, with mineral/floral notes. Dry and medium-bodied, with balancing acidity and a lingering, silky finish.

Menu matches: Great food wine: pair with seafood (scallops, tuna, salmon, trout), Sushi, ceviche, grilled white meats (chicken and pork), earthy mushroom dishes, firm cheeses, and fruit desserts. And if you just like to chill out with a glass of white wine on the desk or dock as the sun sets - this is the one. 

Wine #4 Latido de Sara, 2024 Garnacha Rosé (Navarra Province)

It may be a cliché, but no wine conjures up summer more than a cool glass of rosé. Especially on the deck or the dock, with the sun high above the horizon. Although while we are trying to extend the appreciation for rosé throughout the year - especially for this wine - for now we'll stick to the summer. 

Made from 100% Garnacha (Grenache) grapes, from 30+ year old vines, grown on hillside slopes. Despite it's darker hue, it only has a few hours skin contact to extract colour and flavour, before the juice is pressed off to begin fermentation in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. Alc./vol.: 13.5%. R.S. ~5 gr./L.

Our tasting note: Bright rose pink colour - perfect for al fresco dining. Aromas and flavours of fresh red fruits - cherry, strawberry, and raspberry - with floral notes. Medium-bodied, dry, well balanced, with good acidity and a long, finish. Serve chilled, just like a white wine. 

Menu matches: Great to enjoy on its own, and yet it might be another perfect "crossover" wine in that it pairs with a broad range of foods: appetizers, charcuterie, burgers, pizza, pasta, rice dishes, grilled white meats, seafood, and even chocolate desserts. 

Wine #5 Finca Losada, 2023 El Pajaro Rojo (Bierzo)

The grapes for this wine are from 30-40 year old vines, from plots in Valtuille de Abajo, Pierso, and Corullón; cooler regions capable of delivering more juicy, fruit flavours and aromas.

Made from 100% Mencia grapes. Alcoholic fermentation - using indigenous yeast - is in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, with regular pumpovers, while malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. Aged four months in French oak barrels and concrete tanks. Fining with natural mineral- and vegetable-based agents and bottled unfiltered. 13.8% alc./vol.; 2.9 gr/L R.S. Suitable for vegan diets.

Our tasting note: Deep/bright, cherry colour. Aromas and flavours of red/wild fruits - blackberry, and cherry - with floral/herbal notes (cloves) and licorice. Fine/round tannins, balanced acidity, and a smooth finish.

Menu matches: Nice red option to have on its own, as it won't tire out your palate. Goes with grilled and smoked meat dishes (lamb & beef), burgers, rice dishes, and earthier vegetarian options. Memphis-style sauces (slightly tangier) work if you are cooking ribs or brisket, as well as more smoky/peppery dry rubs for the other meats. 

Wine #6 Bodegas Javier San Pedro Ortega, 2021 Viuda Negra Crianza (Rioja)

This Rioja Crianza is made of 100% Tempranillo from old vines (30+ years old) in the Rioja Alavesa. By focussing only on these vineyards, Viuda Negra Crianza reflects the unique qualities of higher elevation vineyards in a bottle.

Alcoholic fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, then the wine is aged 12-14 months in French oak barrels (225L). 14.5% alc./vol.

Our tasting note: Deep/bright, cherry colour. Complex aromas and flavours of dark red fruits - plum, raspberry, and cherry - with spicy/mineral notes of vanilla spice and cocoa. Full, with fine/round tannins, balanced acidity, and an elegant/silky finish. With time, this wine opens up very nicely in the glass

Menu matches: Grilled, braised, and barbecued meat dishes (lamb, beef, and pork), rice dishes (with grilled seafood), burgers, and earthier vegetarian options. Kansas City-style sauces (slightly sweeter) work with the Crianza, as well as smoky/peppery dry rubs.