4 red wines to try this summer, under $15 a bottle

On the Coast wine columnist Barbara Philip makes the case for red wine as a summer beverage.

Bright, bold fruit flavours that will complement your summer barbecue

On the Coast · CBC News · Posted: Jul 17, 2015 6:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: January 28, 2016

On the Coast's wine columnist Barbara Philip highlights 4 bold, fruity red wines to enjoy this summer, each at under $15 a bottle. (Getty Images)

On these lovely warm summer days you may reach for a beer, or a Radler or a glass of crisp white wine. Red wine it seems is set aside until the cooler days of autumn.

But On the Coast's resident Master of Wine Barbara Philip says certain red wines not only pair well with smokey barbecue flavours, but can actually be easier on your wallet.

"The great thing about red wines that go well in the summertime is they tend to be the less expensive ones, because they're not wines that have huge complexity or that have spent years and years ageing in the producer's cellar," Philip said.

What to look for

Instead of focusing on the minerality and secondary characteristics of a complex Bordeaux or Burgundy, look for something bright and fruity, and stay away from tannins, Philip said.

"Here you want cherries, and raspberries, and really good, bold fruit that will match well with barbecue," she recommends.

"You don't want something that's very drying. You're already dried down in this heat; you want something that's quenching."

Keep reading for her list of recommendations, each of which comes in at under $15 a bottle.