Summer is here so it's time to bring out the barbecue - b ut what wine to choose?

The weather of the last couple of weeks or so is, hopefully, a taste of what may lie ahead this summer. However, us British will find a cloud in every silver lining.

We enjoy eating outside but, particularly here in the North, barbecues should be approached with a sense of humour and flexibility. They can be hit-and-miss affairs but are a great way of making the most of the long summer evenings and are perfect for easy, informal entertaining.

With all those powerfully pungent aromas of smoke and strongly flavoured marinades, don't waste your money offering expensive fine wines with all their delicate secrets to unfold.

Instead, look for inexpensive and inexhaustibly gluggable palate and pocket pleasers that can adapt to either sun-soaked barbecues or goose-pimpled picnics.

So what should we be looking for in a BBQ wine?

A real winner needs to be bold enough yet nice n' easy too, as well as being flexible to adapt with the many different flavours.

It has to be a crowd pleaser suiting beginners and satisfying the buffs alike, and last but not least - inexpensive - not much to ask for!

The good news is there is plenty of it around and all at £4.99 and under (see tasting notes below).

Gone are the days when wine, even everyday wine, was considered a luxury purchase - wine has finally been adopted as Britain's favourite tipple, replacing the hand-pulled pint in the nation's heart.

Since the mid-1980s we have become more aware of what we eat and drink - from bulk produced sausages to free-range meat, from tin-tainted chemical beers to fresh fruity wines.

This shift in attitude means we are opting for health and quality and this is where wine really comes into its own.

When it comes to watching what we drink, it seems we can't go wrong if we stick to wine.

More good news - not only is it delicious and relaxing but, in moderation, wine positively does you good.

And, always remember this - it is your eyes that look at your chosen wine, it is your nose that smells your chosen wine and it is your mouth that tastes your chosen wine.

So if it suits you' and nobody else, then you are not wrong and they are not right.

So sup up' and enjoy the great outdoors.