This document provides food and wine pairing suggestions for different seasons in Australia. It suggests wines that pair well with various foods for summer, autumn, and winter. For example, in summer it recommends young Riesling or 2-3 year old Semillon with cold salads or sashimi. For autumn it suggests barrel-fermented or mature whites with smoked roe or bouillabaisse. For winter it pairs sparkling Burgundy with borscht or pea and ham soup. The document considers factors like the age of the wine, varietal, and wine style in making its food and wine pairing recommendations.

1. Wine and Food or Food and Wine?
It all depends on your starting point: There are conventional matches for overseas classics
such as caviar ( Champagne ), fresh foie gras ( southernses, Reisling or Rose ), and new season
Itatian white truffles ( any medium-bodied red ). Here the food flavor is all important, the wine
merely incidental.
At the other extremely come 50-year-old classic red wines: Grange, Grand Cru Burgundy,
First Growth Bordeaux, or a Maurice O’Shea Mount Pleasant Shiraz. Here the food is, or should be,
should be merely a low-key foil, but at the same time must be of high quality.
In the Australian context I believe not enough attention is paid to the time of the year, which
particularly in the southern states- is or should be major determinant in the choice of both and wine.
And so I shall present my suggestions in this way, always bearing in mind how many ways there are
to skin a cat.
SPARKLING: SUMMER
Oysters, cold crustacean, tapas CHILE FINO
Any cold hors dóeuvres Cold consomme
YOUNG RIESLING 2-3-YEAR-OLD SEMILLON
Cold salads, sashimi Gazpacho
GEWURZTRAMINER 2-3 –YEAR-OLD RIESLING
Asian Seared tuna
YOUNG SEMILION YOUNG BARREL-FERMENTED
Antipasto, vegetable terrine SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANc
Seafood or vegetable tempura
PINOT GRIS, COLOMBARD YOUNG OF- DRY REISLING
Crab cakes, whitebait Prosciutto and melon/pear
VERDELHO, CHENIN BLANC COOL-CLIMATE CHADONAY
Cold smoked chicken, gravlax Abolane, lobster, Chinese-style prawns
MATURE CHADONAY 10-YEAR-OLD SEMILLION OR RIESLING
Grilled chicken, chicken pasta, Braised pork neck
Turkey, pheasant
ROSE MATURE CHADONAY
Caesar salad, trout mousse Smoked eel, smoked roe
YOUNG PINOT NIOR OFF-DRY ROSE
Seared kangaroo fillet, grilled quail Chilled fresh fruit
MERLOT YOUNG LIGHT-BODIED PINOT NIOR
Pastrami, warm smoked chicken Grilled salmon
YOUNG MEDUIM BODIED AGED PINOT NIOR ( 5+ YEAR )
CABERNET SAUVIGNON Coq au vin, wild duck
Rack of baby lamb
LIGH TO MEDUIM BODIED YOUNG GRENACHE/ SANGLOVESE
COOL CLIMATE SHIRAZ Osso bucco
Rare eye fillet of beef
YOUNG BOTRYTISED WINES MATURE CHADONAY ( 5+year )
Fresh fruit, cake Braised rabbit

2. SUMMER ( CONT- ) WINTER
HUNTER VALLAY SHIRAZ ( 5-10+ YEAR ) DRY OLOROSO SHERY
Beef spare ribs full-flavored hors dóeuves
MERLOT SPARKLING BURGUNDY
Saltimbocca, roast pheasant Borcht
MEDIUM-BODIED CABERNET VIOGNIET
SAUVIGNON ( 5 YEAR ) Pea and ham soup
Barbequed butterfly leg of lamb
ALL WINES AGED ( 10+YEARS ) SEMILLLON
Parmigrana vichyssoise ( hot )
AUTUMN SAUVIGNON BLANC
AMONTILLADO Coquilles St Jacques, pan-fried scallops
Warm consommé
BARREL- FERMENTED MATURE WHITES MATURE CHADONAY
Smoked roe, bouillabaisse Quiche lorraine
COMPLEX MATURE CHADONAY CHADONAY ( 10+ YEARS )
Sweetbreads, brains Cassoult
FULL AGED RIESLING MATURE SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC
Cha-grilled eggplant, stuffed capsicum Seafood pasta
AGED MARSANNE YOUNG TASMANIAN PINOT NIOR
Seafood risotto, Lebanese Squab, fuck breast
AGED PINOT NIOR MATURE PINOT NIOR-
Grilled calf’s liver, roast kid, lamb or Mushroom ragout, Ravioli
Pig’s kidneys
MATURE MARGARET MATURE MERLOT
CABERNET MERLOT Pot au feu
Lamb fillet, roast leg of lamb
With garlic and herbs
SOUTHERN VICTORIAN PINOT NIOR 10-YEAR-OLD HEATHCOTE SHIRAZ
Peking duck Char-grilled rump steak
COOL- CLIMATE MERLOT 15-20-YEAR-OLD FULL-BODIED
Moroccan lamb BAROSSA SHIRAZ
Venison, kangaroo fillet
RICH, FULL-BODIED HEATHCOTE SHIRAZ COONAWARRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Beef casserole Braised lamb shanks/ shoulder
YOUNG MUSCAT Muscat ( OLD )
Plum pudding Chocolate-based desserts
TOKAY ( OLD ) VINTAGE PORT
Crème brulee Dried fruits, salty cheese