With the weather starting to sizzle, in absence of a burger van, why not ramp up the vin instead

Burgers are the dish of choice in lockdown… with the weather starting to sizzle, in absence of a van, why not ramp up the vin instead

The dish of choice in lockdown lately seems to be burgers. And with the weather starting to sizzle, I’ve even fired up my coal pot barbecue, which was a style of cooking Levi Roots introduced me to on a sunny day in Brixton a little while ago. 

Simple, portable, made of clay it’s the best little bar-b in the world. And with burgers on the go, in the absence of a van, I’m ramping up the vin.

With burgers I love red wine with a bit of welly to stack up against the relishes and sauces. Grape varieties such as Shiraz and Zinfandel do the job nicely, but Italy is a great place for reds with tomato-friendly acidity. 

I’ve found a stunner this week from Dudley-Jones Fine Wine that made my heart sing when I sipped it. With independent wine merchants like Davy’s flinging open the doors to their lists during lockdown, it’s a wonderful way of getting great wine delivered direct to your door that you may not always find on supermarket shelves. 

Jascots are another good bet to check out along with Tanners, and I’ve been blown away lately by the wines of historic London merchants Berry Bros & Rudd – the Loire rosé I’ve picked out from their range this week is a timely reminder to seek cool pink splendour from beyond the usual heartland of Provence in the south.

My rule of thumb though when it comes to burgers is go for flavours that are vivid and fun. You really don’t need a wine that’s been laid down to evolve a massive savoury strata of intriguing depth for a dish you’ll like be eating with your hands outdoors. 

Nebbiolo at is most accessible and scrumptious, known locally as Chiavennasca. Worth decanting this brilliant bottle to open the rose, cherry and almond aromas to the max. With crunchy cherry and sheer class, this is a red to rock your world (£14.75 Rosso di Valtellina Alberto Marsetti 2018 (13.5%) www.djfw.shop)

£13.99 Aglaea Nerello Mascalese 2019 Terre Siciliane (13.5%) Jascots and WINE OF THE WEEK £14.75 Rosso di Valtellina Alberto Marsetti 2018 (13.5%) www.djfw.shop

All you really need is the portability of a coal pot, the informality of the occasion and the mellow magic of sinking your teeth into a juicy bun of brilliance.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk