The trick to wine is – enjoyment. Drink what you love with what you love and with those that you love!
With that said, there are a few general rules, such as not serving a wooded Chardonnay too cold and Shiraz or a Cabernet Sauvignon too warm…so let’s start with bubbles. I believe all bubbles should be served chilled. As for food matches, a great glass of bubbles (Champagne/Prosecco) can be drunk on its own as a starter. However, it goes with cheese, fruit, seafood – depending on the style of bubbles.
As for whites, younger, fruity, lighter styles should be chilled and generally goes well with spicy dishes, stronger cheese, salads. Eg: Arneis, Verdelho, or a Pinot Gris/Grigio is excellent with Asian infusions, however, if I’m having a rich curry, I love a buttery Chardonnay with it (leave it out of the fridge for about 15mins to warm up) or if you prefer reds, then a light red blend, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, GSM, would be lovely.
The lighter styles are what we call “all-rounders” so they’re great with almost everything. We can seriously write a novel about food and wine matching as different regions, countries, winemakers all create unique styles and flavors! So it’s not a one size fits all and can be a little intimidating for lots of people! A rich red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon/blend of, Shiraz is yummy with red meats, cheese, and my favorite is with good quality dark chocolate!
Say I’m having a pan-seared crispy-skinned salmon served with fresh green beans sautéed in butter and almond flakes – I’d devour a bottle of buttery, wooded (French oak) Chardonnay or an aged Hunter Valley Semillon (10yrs). But now imagine that piece of salmon cooked in Asian style, with a little lemongrass, chili, etc – that particular Chardonnay will contradict the flavors, so I’d have a glass of fruity young Semillon, Pinot Gris, unwooded Chardonnay or Rose.
If I’m having an eye fillet (beef) on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and truffles, well, I’d go a rich red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, an aged Shiraz, or a Mataro for something different.
Generally, I pick the wine I want to serve then decide on the menu. White wines can be served between say 4 – 12 degrees, red wines up to say 16 degrees – but this also depends on the weather and the menu. (Europe is very different to Oz and says Thailand) Keynote is that red wine bottles should always feel cool next to your skin/touch.
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Living and working in the Hunter Valley, you cannot not have something to do with wine and that excludes merely quaffing bottles of it. Though that’s also fun! Bonnie moved from Japan to Oz with the excuse of learning English but stayed to build a family and career in Wine. With roles in Cellar Door management, Marketing and Ops, she is the consummate wine professional. And a great cook to boot – the 2 driving passions in her life! A marriage made in Heaven!
