A FAVOURITE British pastime, cooking in the open air not only requires skillfully prepared fresh produce but some well chosen vino too. Here are some barbecue wines that stand up to the thrill of the grill:

Chilled summer whites with bright acidity work beautifully with skewered prawns or cedar planked salmon, and Sicily is fast becoming an exciting source for its indigenous grapes. Extra Special Fiano 2012 DOC, Sicily (£6.98, Asda) is very fruity with intense tropical notes of passion fruit, zingy lemon and grapefruit.

Spain is a treasure trove for cherry pink rose and easy-drinking rosado such as Gonzalez Byass Altozano Tempranillo Shiraz Rosado 2012, Spain (£7.99, www.ocado.com) shows ripe redcurrant and raspberry fruits with a burst of energy and structure from the tempranillo and shiraz, all nicely laced with crisp acidity on the finish – a good all-rounder for friends who can’t decide between white or red.

Burgers topped with a rich tomato sauce, chargrilled vegetables and buffalo mozzarella adds some Mediterranean flair and Winemakers’ Selection Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, 2011, Italy (£5.99, Sainsbury’s) is a medium-bodied red with floral aromas of lavender, fleshy, ripe strawberry and cherry flavours and supple spice which lingers nicely on the finish.

Corbieres in the sunny Languedoc is good hunting ground for reasonably priced, lip-smacking, peppery reds without that French leathery quality that can sometimes mask flavours.

Try Marks & Spencer Corbieres 2011, France (£7.99, Marks & Spencer), which is lush and juicy with a bouquet of herbes de Provence, softly structured with rounded blackberry fruit and cassis with fine tannins on the spicy, herbal finish.