How to select the perfect wine for any occasion
Directions
“A bottle of good wine, like a good act, shines ever in the retrospect”
Robert Louis Stevenson
… But a hastily selected bottle – even a good one – may be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Forget what your grandmother taught you. Being the perfect dinner guest has absolutely nothing to do with where you stick your serviette… er… napkin. Favoured Guest status is activated the moment you arrive, when you press your carefully selected wine into the outstretched hand of your host.
Host: “Oh, you’ve brought a Cabernet. Wow – Coonawarra! Perfect!”
You: (smiling) “Well, somebody did mention leg of lamb.”
There’s a clink of glassware and the sound of animated conversation… Consider now, the well-intentioned diner who arrives for Curry Night with a bottle of New Zealand’s finest.
Host: (adjusting his dhoti) “Ah... Sauv Blanc! You really shouldn’t have. Here, let me get you a glass of Viognier.”
Sauv Blanc Dude: “OK.” (tumbleweeds)
Poor Sauv Blanc Dude. All he was guilty of was a last-minute grab of his favourite wine as he raced out of the house. With just a little extra thought, or a well-timed call to his CellarDoor.co Wine Advisor (1300 846 863), he could have averted the whole catastrophe. So here are a few tips for selecting your contribution to the next soiree.
WHAT’S COOKING?
Obviously, it helps if you know what’s on the menu. From there, it’s a simple matter of applying the contrast or congruent rule. (Good old Mac and Cheese, with its creamy sauce will pair well with a creamy white wine like Chardonnay: that’s a congruent pairing. The same Mac and Cheese will also pair with a high acid, zesty white, like Pinot Gris: that’s a contrasting pairing. Or you could be really creative, and pair your Mac and Cheese with a bold red with good acid and firm tannins – such as a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Yum!)
No idea what’s on the stove? That’s OK. Go for a good all-rounder that has general appeal, like the delicious and elegant Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay, or a soft, approachable mid-weight red – like our Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir.
WHAT’S THE OCCASION?
Casual lunch? Backyard barbeque? Wine and Cheese night? Birthday bash? Think about the kind of event you’re going to before simply reaching for your old favourite. Casual dining calls for easy going wines: a refreshing Pinot Gris, or juicy Pinot Noir will hit the spot. For a formal dinner party, you may want to blow the dust off one of your top-shelf reds. And of course, if it’s a celebration, you can’t beat bubbles. Whether that means Cava, Prosecco, Aussie Sparkling or Champagne, is a conversation your tastebuds will need to have with your wallet.
WHO’S GOING TO BE THERE?
Are they enthusiastic wine heads? Then they’ll love something edgy, like an emerging varietal or an unusual wine style. Think: a bottle of Sangiovese, Tempranillo or Montepulciano.
And if your fellow guests aren’t so much into wine? Watch their delighted surprise as they discover that Australian Riesling isn’t the sweet and cloying drink they fear. If your fragrant, tangy Leo Buring Leonay doesn’t win their hearts, nothing will! Which brings us back to our hapless hero…
THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
Host: “Wow - Marlborough Sauv Blanc! That’s going to be unbelievably good with the goat’s cheese entrée!”
Sauv Blanc Dude: (throwing his keys in the bowl) “I know”.
Music… laughter… witty banter… dinner.