Skip The Beer: 11 Best Wines For Your Summer Cookout

When it comes to stocking up drinks for a summer cookout, many people default to beer. But wine can be just as enticing and often pairs better with grilled food and summery dishes. The only problem is that there are so many types of wine to choose from, which can make picking the right bottle feel slightly overwhelming. The good news is that once you know which styles work best with different foods, choosing a wine for your next cookout becomes much easier.

During the years I spent working as both a bartender and server, I had the opportunity to learn the basics of wine and food pairing via work and an introductory sommelier course. That experience sparked a lasting appreciation for wine that has carried over into my work as a food writer today. Along the way, I've found that some wines are especially well suited to warm-weather entertaining, whether you're firing up the grill for a backyard barbecue, hosting a casual pool party, or putting together a feast by the water.

These are some of my favorite summertime wines that also get great reviews from other tasters, including wine critics and casual sippers alike. Not only are they vibrant and well-balanced, but they also pair well with a variety of dishes that are staples at summer cookouts. Think juicy burgers, succulent seafood, and fresh berry desserts. Give these wines a try, and you may just find yourself ditching the beer altogether.

Barbecue meats like brisket, ribs, and lamb can be a big hit at summer cookouts, and even more so if you have a great wine to go with them. One of my favorite bottles, which pairs well with red meats and barbecue sauces, is the Ravenswood Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. It's heavy-hitting enough to pack a punch, yet soft and fruity enough to enhance the food's flavor without taking over.

Founded in Sonoma County, California, in 1976, Ravenswood built its reputation on big, bold Zinfandels. In fact, founder Joel Peterson is often referred to as "The Godfather of Zinfandel" for his role in establishing the varietal as one of California's signature wines. The Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is a full-bodied red that stays true to the company's motto of "No Wimpy Wines."

Sporting a deep ruby hue, this fruit-forward wine offers rich raspberry and blackberry notes on the nose, along with hints of baking spices. Take a sip, and you'll find it's velvety and full of jammy flavors like plum and blueberry, with a warming pepper on the finish. The fruit and spice notes provide a nice balance to the umami flavors of barbecue meats and balance out tangy barbecue sauces.

If you're planning on adding grilled seafood to your summer cookout menu, you'll want a wine that enhances those fresh, delicate flavors without overwhelming them. One of the best wines to pair with flaky fish and crustaceans like shrimp and lobster is a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. I'm particularly fond of New Zealand whites, and one that you can't really go wrong with is the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.

Although Kim Crawford makes a variety of wines, it's the Sauvignon Blanc that earns the most accolades. The wine is made with grapes grown in Marlborough, a region on New Zealand's South Island. The combination of daytime sunshine and warm breezes, and cooler temperatures at night, helps keep grape acidity in check. The end result is a wine that's bright, fruity, dry, and crisp. 

On both the nose and the palate, this pale yellow wine offers notes of grapefruit, pineapple, melon, and lemon. Those bright citrus and tropical fruit flavors complement the natural sweetness of grilled seafood. In addition, the wine offers a nice hit of acidity, which can help cut through the richness of fatty or oily fish like salmon and mackerel. And as an added bonus, the wine is very reasonably priced. 

Some occasions simply call for bubbles. Maybe it's a summer wedding, a birthday party, or brunch on a patio. Whatever it is you're celebrating, sparkling wine has a way of instantly lifting the vibes. If you're looking for a fun bottle of bubbles, the Raventos i Blanc Blanc de Blancs is a good bet. It's styled like a Cava, but steps things up a notch, and has a fascinating history to boot.

Raventós i Blanc is one of the oldest family-run wineries in the world, having been established in 1497 and still run by the Raventós family today. The Spanish winery was the first to produce Cava, but later pivoted to create its own category of wine made with all-native Spanish grapes. The Blanc de Blancs features four varietals: Macabeu, Xarel-lo, Parellada, and Malvasia di Sitges.

Similar to many Cavas, the Blanc de Blancs is a dry sparkling wine with tiny bubbles and aromas of citrus, yeast, and nuts. On the palate, it offers notes of grapefruit, peach, and vanilla, with vibrant acidity. This is a great wine to pair with seafood, charcuterie, and tapas-style dishes. Sparkling wine also pairs well with fried foods, as the acidity helps cut through the greasiness.

Burgers are an absolute must at many summer cookouts, and for good reason. They're easy to customize, can feed a crowd, and they taste even better with a little char from the grill. That combination of juicy beef and smoky flavors needs a wine with enough body and fruit to keep up. One bottle that always does the trick for me is the Alamos Malbec, which, in my opinion, is one of the better Argentine Malbecs you can grab on a budget.

Alamos is a family-run winery that has been producing wine in Argentina's Mendoza province, at the base of the Andes Mountains, for over 120 years. The region is renowned for its cool, crisp air, bright sunshine, and good drainage. Those elements allow the grapes to develop nice, round flavors, which is just what you want for a fruity Malbec.

Alamos' standard Malbec is a great match for burgers with its rich notes of cherry, plum, blackberry, chocolate, and spices. The soft tannins and smooth finish let the meat's flavor shine through, and they're a nice complement to classic toppings like cheddar, caramelized onions, or mushrooms. The wine is bold enough for beef burgers, but also plays well with pork, chicken, and vegetarian patties.

Hot dogs and sausages might not be the first foods that come to mind when you think about wine pairings, but they can be surprisingly wine-friendly. The smoky, salty flavors pair especially well with crisp whites that add a little freshness, like a nice Riesling. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling is always one of my go-tos because it's crisp and citrusy, and it punches way above its price point.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is the biggest wine producer in Washington State and is renowned for its Rieslings. The Dry Riesling is made with 100% Riesling grapes grown in the Columbia Valley and is indeed dry, yet also has hints of sweetness. The acidity gives it a satisfying tartness, and it has a clean finish that feels refreshing and lingers just for a minute.

In terms of flavors, you get tons of citrus and orchard fruit, including lemon, peach, and green apple. There is also a touch of honey, which contrasts nicely with the spices in sausages and hot dogs. But what really brings everything together is the acidity, which cuts through the fattiness and saltiness of pork and beef sausages. The acidity also helps temper spicy, rich, and tangy toppings like jalapeños, mayo, and mustard.

Seaside meals tend to be lighter and fresher than a traditional backyard barbecue. Think grilled fish, shrimp, oysters, and fresh salads. Those types of dishes are typically best paired with a bright, refreshing white wine rather than a sweet white or a heavy red. I'm a big fan of the Quinta da Raza Alvarinho, a fresh Vinho Verde that offers fruitiness, acidity, and body.

Since 1769, the Teixeira Coelho family has been making wines in the Basto sub-region of Portugal's Vinho Verde region. The Quinta da Raza Alvarinho features 100% Alvarinho grapes grown in the area's granite- and clay-rich soils. The wine is floral and fruity on the nose, then follows through with flavors of pear, lime, apple, and honeysuckle. It also adds a nice pop of acidity, making it a great pairing for a variety of summer dishes.

It's not always easy to pair salads with wine, but the Quinta da Raza Alvarinho does a good job of standing up to vinegary salad dressings and fresh veggies. Seafood is another great match because its sweetness complements the wine's fruity notes. I've also paired this wine with cheese boards and found it works beautifully with creamy cheeses like brie and tangy goat cheeses.

When in doubt about what to cook for a summer gathering, grilled chicken is a pretty safe choice because it appeals to so many people. White wine is always a good call for chicken because its lighter body won't overpower the meat's delicate flavor. But once the chicken hits the grill and develops those smoky, lightly charred notes, you may want to consider a white with a little more body. That's where a well-balanced Chardonnay like Buehler Vineyards' can really shine.

Buehler Vineyards is located on a mountain just a short drive from the center of Napa Valley, California. While Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel grapes are the main focus at Buehler Vineyards, the winery also produces Chardonnay with grapes sourced from the Russian River Valley. The Chardonnay is fermented in the Buehler cellar and aged with minimal oak.

Raise a glass of this golden-hued wine, and you'll get aromas of vanilla and caramel, as well as some fruity pineapple and citrus. Take a sip, and you'll find that it's rich and buttery with notes of apple, peach, and grapefruit. The subtle oak complements the smoky notes from the grill, while the bright fruit flavors and acidity help balance the savory flavors of the chicken and seasonings.

A good steak doesn't need much more than salt, pepper, and a hot grill. With so few ingredients, both the quality of the meat and the wine have a chance to shine. One of the biggest food-and-wine pairing mistakes people make with steak is choosing a bottle that's too delicate for the job. Well, that won't be a problem with the Gramercy Cellars Syrah Lagniappe Red Willow Vineyard, an intense red from Washington State's Walla Walla region.

From day one, Gramercy Cellars has focused mainly on Syrah, using minimal intervention to produce rich, earthy wines. Like the name suggests, the Lagniappe is made with grapes from the Red Willow Vineyard. It's very fruit forward with notes of cherry, raspberry, and black current, as well as hints of pepper, chocolate, and earth. Each sip also offers strong tannins and a well-balanced acidity.

Those structured tannins and bright acidity are exactly what you want alongside a juicy steak. They help balance the richness of the beef, and the wine's savory, peppery character complements the smoky flavors created on the grill. This wine also pairs well with classic steakhouse sides like roasted mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and crispy potatoes.

Picture yourself lounging by the pool, sipping wine and snacking on light bites with family and friends. What are you drinking? If you ask me, this kind of day calls for a fun wine that's not too austere or heavy. Enter Château Minuty 281, a fresh rosè that gives major beachy vibes thanks to its beautiful ocean-blue bottle and grapes harvested from seaside plots in Côtes de Provence, France.

Family-owned since 1936, Château Minuty made a name for itself on the back of its red and rosè wines, the latter of which are typical of the Côtes de Provence region with pale pink hues and notes of red fruit and citrus. The Château Minuty 281 is made from Grenache and Syrah, which give the wine lovely fruitiness. But it's not all sweet juice, as the vines' coastal locale imparts a slight briny flavor.

Like many top-notch rosè brands available, this is the kind of wine you can sip all on its own, as it's light and refreshing, but also complex. And if you want to pair it with food, it goes down a treat with shellfish like shrimp and lobster. The subtly sweet fruit flavors also make it a good match for spicy foods like salsas, wasabi almonds, and chili-dusted chicken wings.

Dessert wines can veer towards the syrupy sweet side, which is probably the last thing you want on a warm summer day or night. If you're looking for something a bit more effervescent for an end-of-meal drink, the Vietti Moscato d'Asti ticks all the right boxes. It's slightly sweet with light carbonation, and the low alcohol content makes it an easy sipper.

Moscato d'Asti hails from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, where it's made with white Moscato grapes. Vietto's grapes come from small vineyards in Castiglione Tinella. After pressing, the must is slowly fermented at low temperatures for a year until it reaches 5.5% ABV. It's then filtered and bottled at its peak flavor.

This is one of my favorite bottles of Moscato d'Asti because it's like summertime in a bottle. The pale golden elixir offers up aromas of ripe fruits like peaches, mangoes, and apricots, along with some ginger. And although it's sweet, the barely-there bubbles make it feel refreshing. It's a great pairing for fresh and grilled fruits, as well as lemon and berry desserts. I also like the combination of the bubbles with creamy desserts like ice cream and crème brûlée. 

If you're planning a summer feast with plenty of guests, beer may be the no-brainer drink of choice simply because it's more economical than splashing out on multiple bottles of wine. But it doesn't have to be that way. These days, there are plenty of boxed wines that are both affordable and actually taste good. Case in point is the Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc, which you can get in three-liter boxes or smaller 500-milliliter mini boxes.

There are numerous reasons to choose boxed wines like Bota Box beyond just the price. For one, the boxes are easy to transport and guests can serve themselves so you don't have to run around filling drink orders. Bota Box's recyclable containers are also durable and perfect for places where glasses aren't allowed, like pool decks. And speaking from experience, the Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc is pretty quaffable stuff.

The main flavor notes that stand out in this lively wine are lemon, lime, melon, and fresh herbs. It's moderately dry with a decent body and has a lingering, but pleasant finish. That bright, easy-drinking profile makes it a great match for crowd-friendly dishes like grilled chicken, green salads, fresh fruit, and simple seafood.

All of these picks are based on bottles (or boxes) of wine I've personally tried and found to be excellent matches for summery dishes like grilled meats, fresh seafood, crisp salads, seasonal vegetables, and light desserts. I wanted this roundup to reflect wines I'd genuinely recommend for backyard barbecues, picnics, or casual patio dinners. Of course, taste is always subjective, and every palate is a little different, so I also wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one praising these selections. After cross-referencing reviews on popular wine retail sites and respected publications like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, I was happy to discover that most of my picks consistently earn high marks from both professional critics and everyday wine drinkers.