What wine goes with grilled vegetables? Our merchant's picks
104 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.
Hammeken Cellars - Tosalet Vieilles Vignes 2013
A concentrate of fruits and spices for power lovers!
Delicato Wines & Alex Gittins - Shadow Point Pinot Noir 2019
A delicious and charming Pinot Noir from the Monterey Valley
Lantides - Little Ark White 2019
A fine and refreshing wine from southern Greece, with exotic and mineral notes
Lantides - Little Ark Red 2020
A blend of 2 indigenous Greek grape varieties, with flavors of black fruits and spices
Matetic & Guillaume Letang - Sierra Grande Pinot Noir 2020
A delicate and elegant Pinot Noir with flavors of wild ripe fruit
Schieferkopf - Silvaner Trocken 2018
A wine from the Franken region, birthplace of the Sylvaner grape variety
Giribaldi - Barbera Alma 2019
A delicious and juicy red wine made from Barbera, an astonishing grape variety!
Delicato Wines & Alex Gittins - Shadow Point Chardonnay 2023
Californian Chardonnay in its modern version: lemon, unctuous texture and a fresh finish.
Berton Vineyards - Opal Ridge 2019
A beautiful Australian blend with flavors of ripe fruit and spices
Joostenberg - Family Red 2018
A vintage made with finesse, with smoky and spicy nuances
La Famille K - Le Père Rouge 2018
A Beaujolais from century-old vines combining structure and delicacy
Riebeek Cellars & Ryno Booysen - Percheron Blanc 2021
A vibrant and aromatic white wine for immediate pleasure
Stellenrust - Kleine Rust White 2020
A white full of freshness with intense notes of tropical fruits.
La Famille K - Le Père Blanc 2018
Stellenrust - Kleine Rust Red 2019
An astonishing blend of Pinotage and Syrah, with flavors of red fruits and smoky spices
Joostenberg - Chenin Blanc 2019
A South African Chenin blanc with notes of white fruit and the chalky character typical of the Paarl vineyards
Jay Christopher - Basalte Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2018
A world-class Pinot noir, with notes of spices and undergrowth
Paso Primero - Paso Primero Blanco 2019
A lovely white wine from Northern Spain, from vineyards at the foot of the Pyrenees
Campagnola - Piuma Valpolicella Ripasso 2019
A round and charming Valpolicella Ripasso
Matetic & Guillaume Letang - Sierra Grande Sauvignon Blanc 2021
A Sauvignon Blanc expressing the vibrant fruit of Chile's Central Valley combined with the elegance of its mountain terroir.
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.