Top white wines
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the world’s most popular white wine and typically embodies a delicate balance between fruit, acidity and texture to produce wine grape varietals with flavours ranging from clean and crisp to rich and complex. Unlike most white wines, Chardonnay wines are commonly aged in oak barrels to create an oaky, buttery quality unseen in other white wine varietals. Typical tasting notes include tropical, fruity flavours and creamy, oaky flavours like vanilla and butterscotch. Chardonnay is best served chilled during decadent dinner parties, celebrations, and date nights with creamy sauces and seafood.
Food pairing: Enjoy with roast chicken, creamy pasta dishes and seafood, or as an aperitif with fresh and aged cheeses.
Typical tasting notes: Fruits (i.e. pear, apple, fig, peach, and melon), honey, spice, oak, vanilla and butterscotch
Body: Medium to heavy
Alternatives: Sauvignon Blanc
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Semillon
Semillon grapes are a thin-skinned, early ripening variety with complex fruit, zesty lemon and honey notes. Semillon wine varietals age exceptionally well, increasing with intensity and complexity over time. As a young wine, flavours are often vibrant, crisp, and zesty, transforming to a buttery wine similar to an oaked Chardonnay when aged. Semillon is best served during long lunches and dinner parties with seafood, spicy food and cheeses.
Food pairing: Versatile and delicious alongside a variety of dishes, but particularly enjoyable with fresh seafood.
Typical tasting notes: Fruity fig, pear and peach with honey, citrus and smoke undertones
Body: Light to medium-bodied
Alternatives: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
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Fiano
Fiano grapes are well known for their nutty, fruity and floral fragrance and ability to create interesting, complex wines; depending on where it’s made, this wine can be light and crisp or full-bodied with nutty, sweet notes. Enjoy during long lunches with Italian cuisine and seafood platters.
Food pairing: Pairs perfectly with seafood, pasta dishes or other Italian-style cuisine.
Typical tasting notes: Fruit (pineapple and pear) with exotic notes of spices, honey and nuts
Body: Can be light or full-bodied
Alternatives: Semillon, Viognier and Chardonnay
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Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc grapes produce white wine grape varietals that are highly aromatic with strong acidity. Flavours typically consist of sharp, fruity notes complemented by herbaceous undertones to create a refreshing, light wine varietal. It serves well as a long-lunch aperitif to whet the appetite alongside appetisers.
Food pairing: This light to medium-bodied wine pairs perfectly with goat cheese, salads, pork and light seafood dishes.
Typical tasting notes: Citrus, passionfruit and grapefruit with floral, herbaceous undertones
Body: Light to medium
Alternatives: Chardonnay and Semillon
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Moscato
Moscato (or Muscat) grapes produce wine varietals well-known for their sweet, fruity flavours and crisp, refreshing finish. Moscato often includes pleasing fruit and musk aromas and a sweet, light-bodied style lower in alcohol than most wines. Moscato is best served chilled as a fun aperitif during picnics and dinner parties alongside antipasto platters and desserts.
Food pairing: Moscato’s light, sweet flavours pair well with soft cheeses, antipasto and fruit platters and dessert, or - for contrast - pair with bold, spicy Asian cuisine.
Typical tasting notes: Fruits (nectarine, guava and lychee) with floral and musky notes
Body: Light
Alternatives: Gerwurztraminer and Riesling
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Top red wines
Shiraz
Shiraz (also known as Syrah) grapes produce a rich red wine varietal with strong tannins and intricate, versatile flavours evocative of dark-skinned fruits and herbs. Shiraz grapes produce wine varietals with rich flavours, and as a result, pair perfectly with a dish of similar strength. Enjoy this romantic red during date nights and dinner parties with warm beef and lamb or spicy curries.
Food pairing: Enjoy alongside spicy curries, hard cheeses and aromatic lamb or beef dishes.
Typical tasting notes: Dark fruits (blackberry, blueberry, plum) with pepper, spice and cinnamon undertones
Body: Medium to heavy
Alternatives: Cabernet Sauvignon
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Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir grapes have thin skins and are comparatively challenging to grow, preferring moderate to cool climates. They produce a famously light to medium-bodied red wine varietal with low tannins and high acidity to create a smooth and rich complexity. Serve Pinot Noir during your next date night or dinner party alongside a chicken roast or antipasto platter of soft cheeses and cured meats.
Food pairing: The Pinot Noir is a versatile dinner companion, pairing exceptionally well with chicken, soft cheeses and antipasto platters.
Typical tasting notes: Fruity strawberry, cranberry, raspberry and cherry notes with undertones of raisin and spice
Body: Light to medium
Alternatives: Gamay, Zweigelt, and Schiava
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes produce wines high in tannins, with a full-bodied depth of flavour and an ability to age well. Its long-lasting finish leaves a lasting impression full of rich, fruity flavours, spice, toasty cedar and oak. Serve during your next romantic date night alongside a pre-appetiser platter and warm beef or lamb dish.
Food pairing: Enjoy with beef or lamb alongside a charcuterie board with aged cheddar and smoked deli meats.
Typical tasting notes: Fruits (i.e. blueberries, blackcurrant, raspberries and plum), chocolate, pepper, toasty cedar and oak
Body: Heavy
Alternatives: Shiraz
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Tempranillo
Tempranillo grapes produce deep-coloured wine varietals with aromatic red fruit and vanilla characters that create a savoury, medium to full-bodied finish. Tempranillo wine is stylistically diverse and can match with a wide range of dishes; we recommend serving it during your next
date night or dinner party alongside Spanish cuisine like Antipasto or Paella.
Food pairing: Pairs perfectly with seafood, hard cheeses, antipasto platters and chorizo tapas.
Typical tasting notes: Red and dark fruits (cherry, raspberry, plum, strawberry and blackberry) with vanilla and clove characters
Body: Medium to heavy
Alternatives: Cabernet Sauvignon
A quick rundown of rosé wine varietals
Versatile, refreshing and delightfully pink, there’s a lot to love about rose wine varietals! Due to being made from several red wine grapes, rosé wines are occasionally referred to as a ‘style’ of wine but are a variety in their own right.
Much like red wine varietals, rosé wines are made by macerating the juice of dark-skinned grapes alongside their skins. However, rosé wine varietals are separated from the skins after a much shorter time, giving the wine its light pink colour. The longer the juice touches the grape skins, the darker it becomes!
Rosé wine is incredibly varied; it’s often said that no two rose wines will taste the same. This versatility and immense tasting capabilities make rosé wine varietals an excellent, food-friendly beverage. Try it chilled during long lunches and casual picnics alongside salads, spicy food, seafood and pasta dishes.
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