Drinks

Smart thinking and judicious picking will ensure your home cellar has a wine for every occasion, says Mike Bennie.

Smart thinking equals good drinking.

FOR CELEBRATIONS: TORZI MATTHEWS VIGNA CANTINA PROSECCO NV, $25

Prosecco is the fun side of sparkling and, in Australia, increasingly produced with higher quality in mind. This example shows bright, clean, citrus and tropical fruitiness with a hint of nutty savouriness.

ALL-PURPOSE WHITE: RAVENSWORTH PINOT GRIS 2017, $28

A bit of skin contact, as here, means you get a rosy hue to the wine and it sits in style somewhere between refreshing white and dry rosé. Delicious! With that in mind, this style goes across a lot of drinking occasions.

TOP SHELF: CLONAKILLA HILLTOPS SHIRAZ 2016, $27

Clonakilla is one of Australia’s premier wineries, with an almost cult-like following. Hilltops is their ‘entry level’, but has all the pedigree and winemaking nous of their top wines, which makes it a bargain. Smooth, silky shiraz that drinks like double the price.

FOR THE CELLAR: WYNNS BLACK LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015, $45

If you want a showpiece for a dining experience, Wynns Black Label Cab has to be one of Australia’s most reliable cellar-dwellers. Even better, it’s often on special at sub-$30. Such a bargain. Drink now to 20 years.

ALL-PURPOSE RED: S.C. PANNELL FIELD STREET SHIRAZ 2016, $25 You strike gold when you find a red that pleases all,

can cellar a bit, take a chill, and goes from daytime drinking to looking good on a dining table. Here’s a cracker: bright, fresh, slurpy, medium-bodied, lightly spicy shiraz. Go big.

THE ‘LOOKS FANCY’ WINE: NOCTURNE CHARDONNAY 2016, $27

Margaret River. Tick. Chardonnay. Tick. Younggun winemaker with a slew of top awards. Tick. Cool packaging. Tick. All that on top of being an outstanding wine. Put it on a table and expect oohs; double so when it hits the glass.

WHILE IT’S NICE to have a little vinous treasure chest hanging around, I propose you streamline what you keep at home.

First, you need a spread that takes you from affordable, everyday drinks through to ‘break glass in case of emergency’ top-tier stuff for celebrations and those finicky, posh friends. But rather than stockpiling an arsenal, be more strategic.

Think about your wine collection like your pantry. Keep a base of staples you use weekly, augment it with some core ingredients that help in special dishes, and add a small collection of rarely used but essential ingredients that might just come in handy for those really special occasions.

Start with an affordable sparkling wine you can drink on its own, splash some orange juice in, or add Campari to make spritzes. King Valley prosecco works a treat. Alongside, have a bottle of Tassie sparkling and, maybe, for those inclined to be spoiled, a bottle of Champagne.

While weeknights might call for simple wines and dinner parties something special, it’s ideal to keep wines on hand that can effortlessly sit in both camps. Lesser-known grape varieties like fiano, vermentino, tempranillo, sangiovese, nebbiolo or barbera work a treat. They’re flavoursome, fun, and seem to harmonise with a wide breadth of food experiences just that little bit better than tried and tested shiraz, cabernet or chardonnay.

For upscaling a dining experience, don’t forget that grape blends – red or white – often offer extra depth and personality. Here’s a good place to splash a little extra cash – it’s typically quality winemakers who know how to blend grapes for best results.

As with any stash, perhaps a couple of top-tier wines should be included. I like the exploration of unusual wines, and the accompanying conversation that might come with it. However, if you want to play it safe, research the best producers and keep some barolo, burgundy, chablis, Mosel riesling or Rioja reds on hand.