Whether it's a birthday party, a homemade aperitif with friends or a graduation, summer is the perfect season to organise a party, especially for those who have a spacious garden where tables, chairs and a barbecue ready to give great satisfaction. Between mini quiches, chips, rustics and various salads (not forgetting the cake, of course!) those who arrive at the party with an appetite are spoilt for choice.
Here is a selection of the best wines for summer, to pair with menu ideas for an al fresco lunch or aperitif!
In a bite, or almost: finger food and rustics to celebrate summer
Those who believe that the perfect aperitif is one that is eaten in one bite have perhaps never had to deal with meat pies, quiches and scotched eggs, which require more than one bite to be fully enjoyed. No harm done: with the right wine, even these finger foods can be elected as the kings and queens of summer pre-dinners!
Taste and colour: starters with eggs
Without wanting to oust from the throne the ubiquitous Chips, among the best ideas for garden parties are egg snacks. The reason for their notoriety lies in their versatility: whether hard-boiled, scrambled or in an omelette, they are an excellent base for winning over diners' palates with creative and colourful recipes.
It is hard, for example, to resist the urge to throw yourself onto a tray of Deviled Eggs as soon as it is brought to the table. These hard-boiled eggs - cut in half and stuffed with a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, chives and spices (but some also throw in tuna) - are beautiful to look at and delicious to eat, although for some they may still seem too light to be an aperitif finger food.
Their slightly grittier version is the Scotched Eggs, eggs that are boiled (preferably a little, to maintain a slightly soft inner texture), stripped of their shells, wrapped in sausage batter, breaded and then fried - an explosion of flavour in the mouth.
Although these are two very different recipes, for both you can opt for a young, light white wine, suitable for the slightly sulphurous hints of eggs and the unctuousness of fried food. The choice can fall on a Pinot Grigio Collio DOC, an excellent wine from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, which brings out all its delicacy, aromas of yellow-fleshed fruit and wild flowers - as well as a structured taste - to degrease the palate from the unctuous texture of these dishes.
The inevitable: pies, cakes and rustics
Especially loved by the British, pies and tarts are a perfect comfort food for every season, a symbol of love, togetherness and conviviality. Moreover, thanks to the enormous variety of their fillings, they adapt to many situations, from family dinners to summer garden parties, especially when served in mini format.
In between chatting, one can, for example, reach out and pick up a couple of Cornish Pasties, being won over by their charming half-moon shape, the fragrance of the crumbly pastry and the soft, enveloping filling of beef, potatoes, turnips and onion. This tasty preparation (particularly appreciated in winter, but also proposed during summer festivities), the perfect wine is a well-structured, noble and intense red, such as an 'Ochetti' Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2022. Certainly not one of the lightest red wines in the Italian tradition, but capable of releasing delicate scents in the glass, which make drinking it quite pleasant even in summer.
Its aromas of red berries, wild strawberries and raspberries captivate the senses, while on the palate it is recognisable by a light almond finish that also goes well with mini Toad in the Hole - meat pies stuffed with eggs and pork sausage - or with tasty Sausage Rolls, puff pastry rolls to be eaten one after the other.
What if, instead of red meat, the pies include white meat? In this case, the organoleptic intensity of the chosen wine should decrease in favour of freshness, delicacy and aromaticity. With a generous slice of Coronation Chicken Pie, one can opt for a Pinot Noir Rosé 'Fallwind' 2023, which also goes well with an excellent cheese and vegetable pie.
Summer menus and wines: how to pair salads?
During a party, it is unlikely to give up fried food and cupcakes to limit oneself to just a small plate of salad, but when the latter is rich and tasty, it can be a great side dish!
Banish the boring lettuce-only versions and make way for a variety of flavours. Fish lovers can opt for a cucumber and tuna salad, both fresh and savoury, to be served with a glass of 'Mare Chiaro' Cirò Doc Bianco 2023.
This white wine from Calabria - one of the best white wines of the summer - complements the brackish taste of tuna thanks to its distinct minerality and aromas of tropical fruit, white-fleshed fruit and white flowers. Its Mediterranean flavour is truly irresistible!
A slightly more savoury alternative, perhaps eaten on crostini or bruschetta, is a Greek-inspired salad of baked feta, tomatoes and Taggiasca olives. By its side, Svinando sees a Gewürztraminer as a good accompaniment, capable of balancing the particular scents of this dish with a certain character, thanks to an intense and varied aromatic profile, which mixes exotic and spicy aromas in the glass, with touches of peach, apricot, roses and cloves.
Grilling: the best wines to pair with garden barbecues
Summer festivities are a riot of scents, colours and noises, and among the latter there is no shortage of chatter, laughter and the sizzle of the barbecue, the perfect stage for meat and fish delicacies... and more!
Wines to drink with a grilled meat
It takes just a little bit of manual skill to light it and prepare it, but as soon as the grill starts to heat up, the difficult part gives way to fun and the choice of wine. There is no need to think about it too much: the full-bodied, slightly bitter flavours of grilled ribs, steaks, sausages and burgers clamour for an intense, structured wine, well represented by a 'Battaglione' Barbera D'Alba DOC 2022. One travels to Piedmont with this harmonious, bright red with hints of plums and spices. It is full-bodied on the palate, but also quite refreshing, which is why you can indulge in it during a summer garden party.
Good news also for vegetarians and vegans: Barbera also goes very well with plant-based alternatives!
Fish grill and wine
In summer, the party can be moved to the seaside, or the sea can join the party directly in the garden, giving diners really tasty ingredients to grill.
Between king prawns, smoked salmon fillets, swordfish steaks and sardines, there is something for everyone.
Does this mean that those who have to deal with the choice of wine might find themselves in difficulty when faced with all this abundance? Not at all: with a glass of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC, the problem is soon solved. Bright straw yellow colour, scent of Mediterranean scrub, smooth taste: with these traits it is impossible not to include it in the list of recommendations for summer parties!
Menus and wines for a garden party: finishing in style (and sweetness)
Finally, no summer party is complete without a good dessert, capable of sweetening and refreshing even the hottest of days, without weighing it down. The ideal candidate for this task is a lemon meringue pie, which mixes the sweetness of meringue with the fresh acidity of citrus fruit. In the wine world, the latter ingredient is rather complex to combine, but in this case the way to create a happy marriage is with a bottle of Prosecco, one of the best sparkling wines for the holidays, refreshing, versatile, fruity and slightly acidic on the palate. Ideal to cleanse the palate of the full-bodied meringue.
With soft fruit cakes, raspberry scones or the classic birthday cake with sponge cake, cream and strawberries, one can opt instead for a sparkling Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2023, characterised by a fine, elegant perlage and intense aromas of orange blossom, apricot and peach. On the palate it is harmonious and slightly acidic, with a freshness that goes perfectly with a garden party!
Fancy a summer garden party? In the Svinando catalogue you will find a wide selection of wines for all tastes!