In reality the right wine is the one that you enjoy drinking. However, there are well tried and tested conventions that will allow you to match the best wine with your food.

The generally accepted rule of "like with like" can assist

• Sweet wine with sweet food.
• Sour foods with acidic wines.
• Bitter with bitter
• Salty food with acidic wines
• Red wine with red meat
• White wine with white meat

There are of course many exceptions to this rule!  Experience is the answer. At C’ellar Vie we are always happy to help with your selection so please ask. Here are some “rules-of-thumb” to help guide you.

Wine type

Food type

Suggested Brands

Chardonnay
Medium to full-bodied, dry.

Poultry and game birds, veal and pork, rabbit fish and pasta preparations which feature cream and/or butter, mushrooms.

Cloudy Bay, NZ

Devils Corner, Tas

Innocent Bystander, Vic

Mt Moriac, Vic

Scarborough, NSW

Sauvignon Blanc
Light-medium bodied, dry.

First courses, seafood, ethnic dishes—pastas, curries, salsas, spicy sausages, vegetable dishes, luncheon salads, olive-oil based dishes, tomato sauces, goat cheese.

Clifford Bay, NZ

Gunn Estate, NZ

Cape Mentelle, WA

Houghton Bandit, WA

Riesling
Light to medium bodied, semi-sweet to off-dry.

Crabmeat, appetizers and finger foods, pork, salads.

Skillogalee, SA

Grosset Polish Hill, SA

Neagles Rock, SA

Leeuwin, WA

Semillon
Medium bodied dry white

Grilled fish, foods with creamy sauces such as pasta

Ashbrook, WA

Mt Pleasant, NSW

Tim Adams, SA

Pinot Grigio

Medium bodied, semi-sweet white

Creamy Italian pastas, Grilled fish & seafood, Chicken, Pasta salads.

Gabbiano, Italy

Gunn Estate, NZ

Villa Maria, NZ

Italia, Italy

Mt Moriac, Vic

Verdelho
Medium bodied dry white

Classic lunch-time wine. Yabby, grilled fish, fruit platters and Italian pastas with cream based sauce

Ashbrook, WA

Audrey Wilkinson, NSW

Tamburlaine (organic), NSW

Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium to full-bodied, tannic and dry.

Beef, lamb, pork, duck, game meats, cheeses.

Brookland Valley, WA

Cumulus Climbing, NSW

Penfolds Hylands, SA

Reynella, SA

Suckfizzle, WA

Merlot
Medium to full-bodied, less tannic than Cabernet, dry.

Beef, lamb, pork, duck, game meats, cheeses, stews, pizza, hearty pastas.

Printhie, NSW

Preece, Vic

Bird in Hand, SA

Shiraz
Medium to full bodied

Beef fillet with tomato based sauce. Rich spicy meals. Veal, kangaroo, roast duck. Sparkling shiraz goes well with pastries and puddings.

Majella Musician, SA

Neagles Rock, SA

Grant Burge, SA

Henschke, SA

Jasper Hill, Vic

Pinot Noir
Medium to light-bodied, dry, little tannin leaves silky texture.

Lamb, duck, turkey, game birds, beef, rabbit, semi-soft cheeses.

Ata Rangi, NZ

Oyster Bay, NZ

Omaka Springs Falveys, NZ

Rosé
Vary greatly in the level of residual sugar (sweetness).

Best with smoked foods, quiche, pork and ham, Mexican and Thai food. Can be served with all food.

Melton Rosé, SA

Wirra Wirra, SA

Champagne & Sparkling Wine

Aperitifs and first courses, fruits and nuts. Fuller bodied variations go well with any fish and chicken

Jansz Brut Cuvé, Aust

Taltarni Brut Cuvé, Aust

Jansz Rosé, Aust

Desert Wines & Muscat
Delicate dry wine made from white grapes only.

Caviar. Anytime

De’Bortoli , Noble One, NSW

Miranda, Golden Botrytis, NSW

Torbreck, The Bothie, SA