First up is a joyful little sparkling wine from England, Traditional Method English wine can be price prohibitive, despite it’s very obvious quality, so in order to keep my costs down I’ve opted for a charming little sparkler from Flint Vineyards. This Charmat Rosé  is made using the same method as Prosecco but has been produced in a Brut style. This 7 grape blend dominated by Rondo and Pinot Noir is deeply coloured with lots of vibrant red fruits, its bright, fresh, and easy drinking.

For the whites we head down under to New Zealand and Australia. Firstly a Pinot Gris from renowned Kiwi producer Babich, hugely aromatic, spiced pear and apple abound  with some lovely ginger spice. Rich and generous and very quaffable. I’m a big fan of Kiwi Pinot Gris which is made more in the richer Alsace style than the more restrained less aromatic style of Pinot Grigio favoured by Italy.

Then for something a little less mainstream – Zibbibo ZBO from Aussie producer Brash Higgins. Zibbibo is an ancient, highly aromatic grape from the Muscat family. Here, Brash Higgins has created an intriguing yet compelling orange wine fermented in Amphorae with extended skin contact. The result, a grippy wine, full of tantalising aromatics blending peach and elderflower with honeyed ginger and spiced yeasty notes. Fascinating… definitely a food wine.

For our 3 reds we travel to all corners of the globe for 3 wines perfect for BBQ season : Portugal, Australia, and Argentina. From Portugual comes Herdade de Peso a lovely Alentejo Tinto blend of Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet and Aragonez. Deeply coloured, approachable, and easy drinking with plenty of bright blackberry and plum fruit.

Back to Australia and an Aussie take on an Italian grape: Unico Zelo’s AF Fresh Nero D’Avola, does exactly what it says on the label! Super fresh, brightly fruited, and spicy with crunchy red fruit. A thirst quencher!

Last but definitely not least, Pacheco Pereda’s ‘Estirpe’ Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc achieves a lovely level of ripeness and intensity in Argentina, and this organic wine is simply delicious. Aromatic and super fruity with a lovely touch of bell pepper and subtle hints of cocoa. Full bodied, rich, and very long.