| Reds | Characteristics | Food Matches |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | The red grape of Bordeaux. Vigorous and thick-skinned, it gives wine of deep colour. Rich, concentrated blackcurrant fruit with lots of tannins. Needs plenty of oak treatment and ages very well. | Roast lamb and pork are especially good with claret. You could follow this with a mature hard cheese - Irish Lavistown would be a delicious choice. Chilean Cabernet goes well with meaty casseroles or salami. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely best with flavoursome meat dishes. |
| Pinot Noir | Ancient vine whose traditional home is Burgundy. Large thin-skinned berries producing delicate, juicy red fruit wines in youth, maturing to vegetal and gamy flavours. Pinot Noir can produce wines of great elegance. It is one of the grapes used in the production of champagne. | Roast Duck and game dishes love Pinot Noir. A good Burgundy is the only wine to drink with the regional dish 'Coq-au-Vin'. The lighter styles of Pinot Noir are a very good match for 'meaty' fish dishes such as tuna and red mullet. Try a New World Pinot with wild mushroom ragout. |
| Merlot | Soft, seductive, with delicious plummy fruit and moderate tannins. Merlot is the second major Bordeaux variety and is now very widely planted throughout the world. The fruit has a natural sweetness. It is a very adaptable grape, whether blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or produced as a single varietal. | With so many different styles of Merlot on the market, these wines can match a large variety of foods. All meat and game dishes, particularly those with sauce. Pastas and pâtés blend well with the soft fruitiness of Merlot and, after dinner, a ripe creamy cheese such as Pont l'Eveque is sensational. |
| Syrah/Shiraz | This is a big spicy variety from the Rhône Valley and also widely grown in the Midi region of France. In Australia it is known as Shiraz. It produces wine of deep purple colour with firm tannins and rich, dark berry fruit and smoky liquorice flavours. The best of these wines can age very well. | These are serious full-bodied wines. Rich beef stews and all duck and game dishes go very well. Venison is particularly good. With Australian Shiraz, barbecued food and well-flavoured cous-cous are great. For something different try Australia's unique sparkling Shiraz with rich pâté or terrine. |
| Whites | Characteristics | Food Matches |
| Riesling | The great grape of Germany, Riesling is enjoying an overdue resurgence of popularity, particularly since the Australians started working with the grape to produce some excellent quality wines. Fresh 'Granny Smith' apple and lemon peel flavours with racy acidity are typical flavours in youth, with oily kerosene tones developing as the wine matures. New World Rieslings can be full of vibrant rich fruit. | Light, delicate styles of Riesling compliment fish terrines and shrimp dishes. A medium bodied Riesling goes very well with cold meat dishes and the richer, sweeter styles are excellent with fruit desserts such as tarts and poached pears. |
| Chardonnay | The winemakers dream, Chardonnay is a very versatile variety. Its home is Burgundy, but it is the best white grape of the New World. It is a lightly fruity grape with apple and quince flavours and a creamy, smooth, buttery texture. Chardonnay has a natural affinity with oak. | There are very many different styles of Chardonnay wines, both oaked and unoaked. Shellfish cries out for a crisp, fruity Chablis. A full-bodied Chardonnay with oak treatment will go very well with rich pâtés and also with creamy pasta and chicken dishes. |
| Sauvignon Blanc | Widely grown around the world, the character of Sauvignon Blanc is essentially green fruits and vegetables - gooseberries, lime, kiwi, and asparagus coupled with grassy, nettle like tones. Crisp and bright with zippy acidity, it should be drunk young. | Very versatile style of wine, generally light to medium bodied. All sorts of fish in creamy sauces, and veal and chicken dishes are suitable matches. Try it with good pasta pomodoro and for a really classic combination with a sharp goat cheese such as Crottin. |
| Sémillon | Important variety in Bordeaux where it produces top class dry whites and the luscious sweet wines of Barsac* and Sauternes*. Lightly lemony in youth with relatively low acidity, it responds well to oak ageing. The colour deepens with age to a rich gold and achieves a lovely smooth, oily waxy texture. Some excellent varietal Sémillon is produced in Australia. | With such a broad range of styles from dry to very sweet, Sémillon can match a great diversity of foods. What to drink with Thai-style fish? Try an Australian Sémillon. The dry Bordeaux Sémillon based wines go very well with turkey dishes and various risottos. A fabulous food and wine experience is Roquefort cheese with a rich sweet Sauternes. |
