THIS time of year, when the sunshine actually shines, we begin daydreaming about long summer nights with barbecues, cold drinks and good company. So a call from a good friend to tell me he had purchased a full-sized Cypriot barbecue set complete with 14 skewer rotisserie had me drooling like Homer Simpson at a Krispy Kreme.

This is the kind of event many men long for – an event where they can all stand around flames, prodding meat, pretending they know what’s happening and then bring the hard-earned meal back for the family.

However as home barbecue technology has evolved so has man’s desire to deliver more. Men are quite often turning to wine instead of beer and the ladies are enjoying sparkling wines more and more. So why not combine the two and try a little sparkling red?

A quick call to my favourite wine merchants – Woodwinters – and I was sold on the Spanish Lobban La Pamelita, a sparkling red made by a Scottish lady by the name of Pamela Geddes. It’s a simple, fuss-free example which delivers all the fruit you would expect plus a great clean, dry finish, ideal for cleansing the palette and enhancing the food. It’s being delivered the next day, giving me plenty of time to chill it for the weekend.

As the men return to the table, generally set by our better halves with beautiful salads, pastas and well-made food, with our plate of blackened unrecognisable proteins, we can hold our heads high, as at least we got the wine right.

Graham Suttle is the managing director of Kained Holdings which has nine venues, including The Finnieston and Porter & Rye in Glasgow.