In fact, your choice is now as big as your bottle shop, but there's one thing to remember. Barbies aren't about delicacy; friends behave more boisterously and the tastes, burnt bits and all, are more obvious. So choose wines with up-front flavours and youthful oomph.

With seafood and chicken, try rich chardonnay like Kirrihill or Ingoldby, a mouth-filling verdelho from Margan or Moondah Brook, or a luscious viognier from Shelmerdine or Beelgara. With red meat, go for a young shiraz from Taylors, Oomah or Taltarni T Series, or a cabernet/merlot from Wynns or Evans & Tate.