4 Wine and Food Pairings for Newbies

Wine and food pairing can be a daunting task, especially for someone who has little or no experience in this domain. Today, for the convenience of our readers, we will discuss four of our top favourite food and wine pairings for newbies. We are going to match the top four most consumed wines in Australia with the dishes that perfectly complement them. Also, note that three of these four preparations are cooked in the oven, which essentially means you won’t need to be constantly involved, stir, add the next ingredient or do anything else whatsoever!

1. Sauvignon Blanc & Easy Oven-baked Barbecued Chicken

   - Chicken, skin-on, is rubbed with garlic powder and seasoning salt, which in itself contains black pepper, paprika, onion powder & cayenne pepper. Then, baked in a hot oven, it is drained, barbecue sauce poured over, and baked further until the meat is tender! The high acidity in Sauv Blanc will cut right through the sweet barbecue sauce.

2. Shiraz & Simple BBQ Ribs

   - For non-vegetarians, fewer experiences can match the delight of indulging in tender meat, cooked coated in sweet & sour barbecue sauce and seasoned with pungent garlic powder. The latter ingredient breathes life into the BBQ sauce, while some freshly-ground black pepper makes the flavour profile more substantial. Just when you think that it can’t get any better, add a glass of Shiraz! The richness of the meat complements the tannins in the vino.

3. Fruity Curry Chicken Salad & Chardonnay

   - This might out turn to be the best salad your guests would have ever tasted! Little cubes of chicken meat with sweet green grapes, peppery celery, pungent onions and juicy apples are covered in a mayonnaise and curry powder dressing. The curry powder not only balances the sweet elements with its spice but also flavours the mild chicken. Both chicken and curry are perfect partners with Chardonnay. Opt for a fruity one.

4. Braised Beef Short Ribs & Cabernet Sauvignon

   - Bone-in beef short ribs (And it’s the bone that has all the flavour!) are browned and cooked slowly in a tomato-based sauce infused with dried bay leaf and fresh thyme. And even though the bone releases its goodness in the simmering sauce, the preparation is given an even richer touch with the use of some stock! As you pair this elegant dish with Cab Sauv, the fat in the beef will have a mellowing effect on the full-bodied red.

With these wine and food pairing combinations, you can rest assured that your next party or family get-together would turn out to be a roaring success. Good luck!