As barbecue season approaches, you might want to consider stocking up on some of your favorite bottles. Whether you’re a hostess-with-the-mostess or just looking for something to impress your neighbors or inlaws with, these French wines are worth getting your hands on.
Here, you can think about your wines almost in terms of condiments. If you’re planning on dousing your smoked pork in sweet BBQ sauce, then a fruity red wine like a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Gamay should be on deck. For charred, smoky beef, wines with notes of pepper or tobacco, like a Syrah or Bordeaux, can add a lovely compliment. If you like your grilled chicken with a squeeze of lemon, then a citrusy Sauvignon Blanc would do the trick. Crisp Provençal rosés split the difference, with fruity notes that can work with meat and acid that can cut through fish or chicken.
For a chillable red that won’t weigh you down on warm days, look to the Burgundian winemaker Albert Bichot, whose Horizon de Bichot Pinot Noir, from the high-altitude vineyards of Limoux, is packed with notes of red fruit and a crisp acidity. It works well with earthy dishes, and would be great alongside some grilled salmon or chicken.
Madame de Beaucaillou, named for the producer’s mother, is an elegant Bordeaux from the Haut-Médoc. With notes of black currant and peppercorn, it can stand up against hearty, flavorful dishes like smoked beef brisket or a burger topped with an herbaceous aioli.
Black fruits tempered by touches of violet and cocoa, as well as a higher ABV, make the 2020 Raven Blood Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Maison Wessman sturdy enough to pair with smoky BBQ ribs, pulled pork sliders, or grilled steaks.
For a white wine to pair with your grilled chicken, consider Château Malherbe Côtes de Provence Blanc, a blend of Vermentino and Semillon, with rounded flavors of white fruits, apricot, and lemon. The light, bone-dry, crisp minerality of a Chablis is also a stellar choice, as these typically unoaked Chardonnays from Burgundy pair famously well with food.
If a celebration is on the books, bubbly is non-negotiable, whether you’re toasting a graduation or the Fourth of July. An obvious choice would be something like the Billecart-Salmon Le Réserve, with the orchard fruits and brioche flavors quintessential to Champagne. For something extra special, the new 2018 cuvée from Piper-Heidsieck, the debut from Chief Winemaker Émilien Boutillat, is vibrant and refined, with touches of white fruit, mocha, and almond on the nose, and layers of raspberry, pineapple, and paprika on the palate.
For a domestic dupe that uses the méthode champenoise to great effect, consider the Blanc de Blanc or Blanc de Noirs from Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in the Finger Lakes.
If rosé is more your speed, look to the South of France for drinkable, budget-friendly pours. Souleil Vin de Bonté’s rosé has a salinity that recalls the Mediterranean, and fresh citrus and white cherry notes—plus, the company works alongside groups like Project Rescue Ocean to work towards a sustainable future. Or consider the Château Gassier Rosé from Provence, with its memorable bottle and juicy notes of peach and clementine, ideal for sipping poolside in the summer heat.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
