Barbecue-friendly wines that won't break the bank
If you're expecting a crowd, a smart way to cut costs is with bag-in-boxes or pouches, especially given the greatly improved quality of the wines available in these alternative packaging formats. The boxes typically start at two and a quarter litres, going up to 10 litres, and the wine inside keeps well for up to four to six weeks should it last that long. They are an eco-friendly alternative to glass bottles, which — being energy-demanding to produce, to transport and to recycle — are typically the greatest single contributing factor in your wine's related carbon emissions.
This alternative choice is better for your pocket as well as for the planet. It's interesting to compare the cost of one of today's red wines, Altano Rewilding, which I previously recommended as a bag-in-box from O'Briens. The wine is a collaboration between Symington winery and Rewilding Portugal, and each sale supports the rewilding of 120,000 hectares in northern Portugal.
O'Briens recently introduced the same wine by the bottle, which is solid value at its current sale price of €13.56; but at €32.36, the two-and-a-quarter-litre box is equivalent to three bottles at €10.80 each. My wine of the week — a charming white wine from a leading Portuguese winemaker, João Portugal Ramos — is even more affordable: a three-litre bag-in-box that is equivalent to four bottles at €9.68 each.
For something more mobile-friendly, wine pouches are very handy for parties, festivals and camping trips. I previously recommended the sassy Un'Ombra Refosco Red (Molloy's, €26.99 for one and a half litres); it does a decent Sauvignon Blanc at the same price.
Two of today's wines are limited-edition specials offering exceptional value from reputable wineries: Wirra Wirra in South Australia from Lidl and Ben Marco in Mendoza from Dunnes Stores. Also in Lidl and worth a spin is Breath of Paradise (€11.99), a fun and slightly cheeky take on a certain market-leading Provençal rosé, with its identical font type and distinctive silvery wings, not to mention candied peach and honeydew melon character.
Wines of the week
Ramos Elegant White 2023, Alentejo, Portugal, 12pc, €38.70 (3l)
Portugal is a sure bet for value, as this three-litre bag-in-box proves. Working out at four bottles for €9.68 each, this is a cracking option for a barbecue, summer party or a holiday-home fridge. Respected winemaker João Portugal Ramos blends four local grapes (Arinto, Fernão Pires, Talia, Trincadeira) for an intriguing wine with tropical fruit aromas and lively minerality and grapefruit peel notes on the fresh palate. A lovely pairing for olives, nuts and other nibbles, and a versatile food match too. O'Briens Wine; obrienswine.ie
Altano Rewilding Edition 2022, Douro, Portugal, 13pc, €13.56
Deliciously crunchy with juicy freshness making a perfect red pairing for fattier fare like lamb koftas, burgers and sausages, with appealing peppery, herbal notes meeting red plum and pomegranate. Also available in a bag-in-box (€32.36 for 2.25-litre box), which equates to three bottles at €10.80 each. O'Briens Wine; obrienswine.ie
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Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise Chardonnay 2022, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, 12.5pc, €9.99
This steal of an unoaked Chardonnay (while stocks last) from reputable Wirra Wirra winery is bright, and layered citrus aromas of lemon curd, fingerlime and lemon grass lead to a crisp, linear pithiness on the nicely weighted palate. Seafood heaven. Lidl
Ben Marco Plata Malbec, Uco Valley, Chile, 12pc, €12 (until July 29)
A great-value introduction to the wines of influential winemaker Susana Balbo, this high-altitude limited-edition Malbec blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc is rich and punchy with black cherry and toasted spice, good acidity and ripe tannins. Think sausages, burgers and spicy marinades. Dunnes Stores
Domaine Cailhol Gautran Cantus Vitis 2023, Minervois, France, 14.5pc, €15
A nuanced blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah to please all palates at a family barbecue. Plush but balanced by juicy acidity, and aged in stainless steel rather than oak to keep it fruit forward, with savoury and herbal notes bringing complexity to raspberry and loganberry fruits. Whelehans Wines; whelehanswines.ie
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