Last weekend, enjoying glorious summer weather and the very best company — my wife had hosted her book club, followed by a barbecue — we indulged in six wonderful aperitifs and wines. The bottles retrieved from my cellar belonged mainly to the mid-tier price bracket, which makes their impressive quality all the more noteworthy.

Six enchanting aperitifs and wines for our informal BBQ tasting

Lust & Feast: Alcohol-Free Aperitifs

We kicked off with two bottles of sparkling alcohol-free options from the Baden-Württemberg producer Lust & Feast. This young, Stuttgart-founded venture specialises in alcohol-free wine alternatives, producing sparkling drinks that serve as truly magnificent aperitifs. They feel right at home not only in a private setting, but quite naturally on the wine lists of the world’s top gourmet restaurants.

1. Lust & Feast ROSE: Defined by floral notes interwoven with a pleasant, refreshing herbaceous quality — subtly bitter with hints of cardamom.
2. JUNIPER: Proved no less refreshing, but presented slightly more body alongside abundant Alpine herbs, juniper, and that same elegant bitter note.

These are genuinely impressive and make an outstanding shared start to the evening when some of the guests prefer to stay alcohol-free.

Viticoltori Acquesi Asti Spumante

Another sparkling wine to start, this time a "real" one. Made 100% from Muscat, I had tried this refreshing sparkling wine once before. It continues to win me over with its lightness — a delicate sweetness paired with just the right amount of fizz — making it a splendid summer companion. It makes you wonder why wines of this style aren’t enjoyed more often. Perhaps it is down to an outdated reputation, though it certainly shouldn't be: modern Asti Spumante really delivers!

2019 Marchese Antinori Tenuta Tignanello Chianti Classico Riserva

Next, calls for a red wine began, so this Chianti Classico ended up in our guests' glasses first. Opened a little while beforehand, the bottle showed itself nicely open, featuring a fine balance of secondary characteristics and berry fruit. My previous tasting note for this wine was published a while back, and a link to it can be found alongside this post.

2019 Mark Haisma Chassagne-Montrachet

Anyone who knows me knows that white Burgundy is a must. I have had this increasingly mature example from Mark Haisma in my glass several times now. It remains a very fine wine — highly praised by our group of guests with varying degrees of wine expertise. It impresses with a certain creaminess on the palate, a crisp, medium-bodied acidity, and truly beautiful oak integration. Balanced and showing good intensity, this Chardonnay still brings immense pleasure.

2015 Château Le Reysse

To finish, we had this red Bordeaux — a bargain in terms of price, but high in quality. With a noticeable dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon and lovely dark fruit, Le Reysse also offers complexity through tertiary hints of leather and earth. Another fantastic wine and — since we skipped sweet wine on this occasion — a worthy conclusion to the culinary evening.