KEY POINTS:
The onset of those chilly evenings may be making fireside and slippers appear the most attractive combination at this time of year, but winter also brings with it other great seasonal pairings, such as warming winter dishes and the more robust wines that complement them.
1 A FRUITY LITTLE ITALIAN FOR A TOAD IN THE HOLE
Sausages require relatively soft but hearty reds with enough acidity to cut through their fat. This makes many everyday examples from Italy fit the bill.
Farnese Farneto Valley Sangiovese, Italy 2005 $14.50
An easy drinking Italian made with the same grape variety that's the mainstay of chianti, but for a fraction of the price of many. It's bursting with ripe and juicy berry fruit and has a spicy and slightly savoury, herby food-friendly edge. Molto bella!
From Sovrano Supermercato, Wine and More, La Barrique.
2 A MELLOW MERLOT WITH SLOW-COOKED BEEF
Gutsy reds go well with beef dishes, while the melt in the mouth texture of slow-cooked meat marries best with slightly softer textured examples.
Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Merlot 2006 $23.99
Esk Valley's softly spoken merlot is an elegant example from the Gimblett Gravels that has ripe and supple dark fruit, a hint of herbs and attractive earthy savoury nuances.
From fine wine stores including Glengarry and Liquorland.
3 ROAST CHICKEN AND BARREL-FERMENTED CHARDONNAY
There's no need to forsake white wines as temperatures fall, but more richly flavoured and fuller-bodied styles often have greater appeal at this time of year. With a feel-good dish like corn-fed chicken, roasted with butternut squash and served with caramelised onion gravy, a chardonnay that's seen a bit of oak works wonders.
Black Barn Vineyard Barrel Fermented Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 $38
A 100 per cent barrel-fermented chardonnay that's complex and creamy textured, with ripe stone fruit balanced by a fresh citrus acidity over toasty and cashew nut notes.
From Glengarry.
4 VIOGNIER: LOVELY WITH LAKSA
For those seeking winter heat in the not too fiery end of Asian fare, the often unctuous and exotically spiced viognier is an appropriate option. It makes a great winter white and combines well with this aromatic coconut-based broth.
Vidal East Coast Viognier 2007 $19.90
If you've yet to encounter the exotic charms of viognier or are looking for a rare example under $20, this pretty and well-priced version offers the variety's signature apricot fruit underpinned by nutmeg spice, counterpoising an oily richness with an attractive freshness.
Widely available in grocery and retail outlets.
5 A MALBEC AND CASSOULET COMBO
Stews seem so right as the nights draw in, and a rich cassoulet of beans, pork, sausages and lamb topped with crispy garlic breadcrumbs can't be beat. Stews like this call for reds that are both ripe and robust.
Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2006 $29.50
A new arrival to our shores, this is a fine example of Argentina's flagship grape variety. It's rich and velvety textured with dense black cherry and prune fruit along with integrated notes of spice from the year it's spent in oak.
From Caro's, A2Z Liquor.
6 MATURE SPANISH BLEND BEFITTING ROAST LAMB
Mature bordeaux blends or riojas are the classic companions to roast lamb.
Bodegas Ada Minotauro Azul, Navarra, Spain 2004 $21
This may not be a rioja, but it's a blend with a bit of age from neighbouring Navarra dominated by two of rioja's key grape varieties: tempranillo and garnacha - the latter from vines more than 60 years old - plus a dash of merlot and cabernet. Smooth and fresh with a savoury richness beneath its briar fruit, it's even got a hint of mint that mirrors lamb's traditional accompaniment.
From Glengarry.
7 SERIOUS SYRAH SUITED TO VENISON
Venison requires quite a big brawny partner, with a structured syrah a successful companion.
Matariki Reserve Hawkes Bay Syrah 2005 $37
An impressive reserve from Hawkes Bay syrah stalwarts Matariki, who once owned 50 per cent of the variety's plantings in the region. A well-structured and ultra-aromatic wine with swathes of spice and black pepper on both nose and palate, rich and tightly knit chocolatey dark fruit layered with classy cedary and toasty oak.
From Fine Wine Delivery Company, First Glass.
8 WILD MUSHROOMS ON TOAST PAIRED WITH AN EARTHY PINOT NOIR
Older wines and those with an earthy dimension, such as pinot noir, echo similar notes in mushrooms and can consequently be a great combination.
Foxes Island Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005 $47.95
With its nuances of forest floor, this makes a marvellous match with mushroom dishes. It's a top notch and silky textured pinot, which opens up to display delicious layers of sweet cherry fruit, varnishy oak, spice and notes of rose.
From Fine Wine Delivery Company, Glengarry, Dominion Rd Wines & Spirits, The Barn Waiheke, Wine Vault, Point Wines.
9 SPICY SHIRAZ AND SHEPHERD'S PIE
Soothing shepherd's pie doesn't require anything too complex, but begs a soft spicy red, with Aussie shiraz being an obvious match.
Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz, Australia 2005 $16.95
This amazingly good value shiraz from Wyndham Estate has plenty of peppery spice to pair with the shepherd's pie, plus plenty of gutsy blackcurrant fruit and subtle earthy notes.
Widely available in grocery and retail outlets.
10 STICKY SHERRY WITH DATE AND WALNUT PUDDING
An opulent dessert like this requires an equally indulgent partner, such as a rich oloroso that matches its sweetness and echoes its flavours. For those that don't do dessert, this wine also goes well with dried figs and dates, along with stronger-flavoured cheeses such as aged cheddar, parmesan and blue cheese.
Lustau East India Solera Sherry, Spain 375ml $32.50
An intriguing style of sherry revived by the consistently impressive bodega of Lustau, whose production mimics the warmth experienced by the sherries of yore as they crossed the seas by ship to the Indies. The result is quite a sweet but fresh oloroso-based sherry, in which rich notes of dried figs, walnut and brown sugar are infused with a woody spice and slight smokiness.
From Sabato, Bacchus Cellars, Caro's, Scenic Cellars.
