What wine goes with grilled vegetables? Our merchant's picks
390 wines to serve with grilled vegetablesWith grilled vegetables, serve a supple, fruity red (Grenache, Syrah, Montepulciano) or a sunny white with ripe fruit, such as a Chenin Blanc or a Falanghina. Grilling brings smoky notes and caramelised sweetness: the wine answers with its fruit and lively acidity.
Peppers, courgettes and aubergines love reds from Italy and Greece. Roasted root vegetables call for a fuller white, from South Africa or Portugal. For a summer sharing board, a fresh rosé also works wonders. Find our pointers in the guide wine and barbecue.
460 Casina Bric - Ansi Langhe Arneis 2023
A unique white wine made from Arneis, an indigenous white grape variety from Piedmont
Dog Point - Sauvignon Blanc 2022
A Sauvignon Blanc, precise, of great finesse and beautiful aromatic intensity.
Bodegas Tobia - Cuvée Blanco
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Riebeek Cellars & Ryno Booysen - Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre 2025
A generous blend in the “Languedocian” style but with a resolutely South African identity
Groot Constantia - Shiraz 2021
A magnificent Syrah with a fine and elegant structure
Tricerchi - Rosso di Montalcino 2024
A Rosso di Montalcino made with elegance and freshness
Tetramythos - Agiorgitiko nature 2025
A resurrected variety from the slopes of Mount Helmos
Barco Del Corneta - Cucú 2022
A white wine from northern Spain combining aromatic richness and minerality!
Veramonte - Pinot Noir 2021
A typical Chilean Pinot Noir, well structured, delicious and organic!
Wildeberg - Coterie Cabernet Franc & Malbec 2020
A superb blend of Cabernet Franc and Malbec
Bear Creek & Samantha Bailey - Rib Tickler Shiraz 2023
A suave and gourmet expression of Syrah
Quinta Das Maias - Tinto 2023
An organic red with character and typical of the Dão region
Dog Point - Chardonnay 2022
A Chardonnay full of class, thanks to its great complexity and creamy texture.
Cantine Ermes - Marchese Montefusco Nero d'Avola 2025
An impromptu aperitif? We look further and uncork this delightful Silica wine full of fruit and freshness!
Tarapacá - Carménère 2024
The emblematic grape variety of Chile in a light and expressive cuvée at the same time.
Valdrinal - Crianza Tradicion 2021
A tasty Ribera del Duero with notes of forest fruits and oriental spices
Dog Point - Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2018
An exotic and spicy sauvignon blanc, vinified in oak barrels for 18 months
Tetramythos - Mavro Kalavrytino nature 2024
Mavro Kalavrytino, a rare grape variety from the Peloponnese
Cantina Cellaro - Usuela Nero d'Avola 2025
A red wine from Sicily with intense character and a marked personality.
Birichino - Scylla 2023
Concentrated red fruits, a pale color, finesse and complexity.
Antiyal - Kuyen 2019
A lunar and complex vintage, produced using the precepts of biodynamics.
Loredan Gasparini - Casabianca Asolo Prosecco Brut
A Prosecco overflowing with fruit, fine and elegant.
Bousquet - Premium Malbec 2025
Blackberry, plum and vanilla: a round organic Malbec, ready as soon as it is opened.
Boutinot - Callipepla Malbec 2019
A Californian Malbec full of fruit, with a delicious and complex character
Which wine for which grilled vegetables?
The colour and texture of the vegetable guide the choice. Here are our pointers for the most common dishes.
| Dish | Wines to choose | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled peppers marinated red peppers, pepper stew | Supple red: Grenache, Syrah, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo | The red fruit of the wine embraces the sweetness of the softened pepper. |
| Grilled aubergines miso aubergine, smoked aubergine caviar | Fleshy red: Primitivo, Negroamaro from Puglia | The melting, smoky flesh calls for a round wine with ripe tannins. |
| Grilled courgettes and fennel courgettes à la plancha, fennel with lemon | Lively white: Sauvignon Blanc, Falanghina, Greek white | A taut acidity refreshes these delicate vegetables and their herbs. |
| Roasted root vegetables carrots, parsnips, baked sweet potato | Full-bodied white: South African Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay | The richness of the wine answers the caramelised sweetness of the roots. |
| Grilled mushrooms ceps, barbecued portobellos | Fine red: Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo | The earthy aromas of the wine extend the forest floor flavour. |
| Barbecued vegetable skewers onion, tomato, pepper, halloumi | Rosé with character or fruity red: Pinotage, Italian rosé | A fruity, fresh wine follows the variety of flavours on the skewer. |
| Escalivada and Mediterranean vegetables escalivada, grilled ratatouille, vegetables in olive oil | Red from Spain or Portugal: Tempranillo, Douro blends | The sweet spices of the wine go well with olive oil and herbs. |
A drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a pesto points to a fresher, livelier wine.
Fruit before power
Our take on grilled vegetables: favour fruit and freshness over oaky power. The grill concentrates the sugars and leaves a smoky touch. A juicy red such as the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Fantini or the Primitivo from Vineka goes naturally with this richness and keeps the vegetables in the foreground. Served slightly chilled, it gains even more brightness.
For white, look to southern Italy and South Africa. The Beneventano Falanghina from Vesevo brings notes of citrus and almond that lift courgettes and fennel. A fuller South African Chenin Blanc welcomes roasted root vegetables and tahini sauces. For very smoky dishes, The Original Pinotage from Diemersfontein, with its mocha notes, creates a surprising echo with charred aubergine.
Three pairings to try
Pairing 1. Oven-roasted peppers and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, for a fruity, generous duo.
Pairing 2. Grilled fennel with lemon and Falanghina, a meeting of citrus and aniseed.
Pairing 3. Smoked aubergine caviar and South African Pinotage, to play up the smokiness.
The Wine Wanderer Team
Your questions about wine and grilled vegetables
What red wine goes with grilled vegetables?
Choose a supple, fruity red with mellow tannins: Grenache, Syrah, Montepulciano or Primitivo. These grape varieties answer the caramelised sweetness of peppers and aubergines. Serve it slightly chilled, at around 15 °C, to keep some zing against the smoky notes. Reds from Italy and Spain are our first recommendations.
White or red wine with grilled vegetables?
Both work: it all depends on the vegetable. Red, fleshy vegetables (pepper, aubergine, tomato) lean towards a fruity red. Delicate green vegetables (courgette, fennel, asparagus) prefer a lively white such as a Sauvignon Blanc. Roasted root vegetables go very well with a full-bodied white, Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay.
What wine to serve with barbecued vegetable skewers?
A rosé with character or a light, fruity red is ideal with barbecued vegetable skewers. The fruit of the wine follows the variety of flavours, from grilled onion to softened tomato. If the skewer includes halloumi, a fresh white from southern Italy brings a lovely saline tension.
What wine goes with ratatouille or escalivada?
A Mediterranean red with aromas of herbs and sweet spices goes perfectly with ratatouille and escalivada: Grenache, Tempranillo or a red from Portugal. Olive oil and herbes de Provence find an echo in these sun-drenched wines. In summer, a structured rosé nicely takes over.
What wine goes with grilled mushrooms?
Pinot Noir is the star pairing for grilled mushrooms. Its forest floor aromas and silky texture extend the earthy flavour of ceps or portobellos. For a more intense version, with garlic and parsley, a Nebbiolo from Piedmont brings depth and lovely freshness.
At what temperature should wine be served with grilled vegetables?
Serve reds between 14 and 16 °C and whites between 9 and 11 °C. A slightly chilled red keeps its bright fruit against the heat of the grill. Full-bodied whites, such as Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay, show best at around 11 °C. For a rosé, aim for 8 to 10 °C.