Your Guide to Wine & Roast Meat Matching (+ all the trimmings)

Winter is well and truly on the way for us here in Australia and there’s nothing like a nice big family roast with all the trimmings to warm the cockles of the heart. Top that off with a perfectly complimentary wine match and you’ve got yourself the perfect winter wine & food feast. Add in a roaring fire, followed by a back massage and it may just be the perfect way to spend a winter’s day or night.

So when it comes to a roast lunch or dinner what’s the best wine pairing? Here’s some tips to ensure all your taste buds are satisfied for that Sunday roast….

Roast Chicken & Chardonnay or Champagne

There’s nothing like a creamy, buttery Chardonnay with a glorious golden roasted bird. For me, these two go hand in hand.

I’m also partial to a full-bodied Champas with my roast chook like a bottle of Louis Roederer or Bollinger (and why not chuck on a James Bond movie to top it all off!).

If you want to be a bit more adventurous, try a Viognier or Chenin Blanc. If reds more your thing, then a sultry Pinot Noir will go down superbly.

Slow Roasted Lamb & Malbec or Pinot Noir

Compared to beef, roast lamb has a more delicate flavour in my opinion so wines with super smooth tannins are ideal like a Malbec or elegant Pinot Noir. Plus mint sauce is known to match Argentinian Malbec seamlessly.

A Merlot, Rioja or Chianti will also go down a treat!

Roast Beef & a Hearty Cabernet

If you guessed any of these matches this one is the obvious choice. A big, bold, tannic Cab marries so well with a rich beef roast. Plus there’s the added bonus that Cabernet goes so well with brown gravy! If you’ve got a peppery sauce then a spicy Shiraz will awaken the palate and the dish!

Pork Roast, Crackling & Chardonnay or Grenache

I love pork has it goes so well with both white and red so it’s perfect for a dinner party where you have a mix of people who strictly only drink white or red.

For white, I’d go with a rich Chardonnay or a Viognier. Red I’d stick with a Grenache or perhaps even a Tempranillo.

Roast Duck & Pinot

A bottle of Pinot is ideal with a crispy roast duck – if you want something chilled, try a 100% Pinot Rosé or bubbles!

Roast Turkey & Riesling

If you’re having a bit of a mid-winter Christmas or mid-summer Christmas for those in the Northern Hemisphere then a roast turkey and a Riesling or Gewürztraminer is a match made in heaven.

The trimmings and wine pairings:

• Roasted Brussel Sprouts + Sauvignon Blanc, SBS/SSB or Chenin Blanc
• Roast Carrots & Parsnips + Chenin Blanc
• Roast tomatoes + Sangiovese
• Roast Potatoes + Chardonnay
• Apricot stuffing + Viognier
• Horseradish + Shiraz
• Yorkshire Pudding + White wine (Personally I don’t think you can really go wrong with a beautifully baked Yorkshire pudd and any glass of vino – my ideal choice would be a nice glass of vintage champagne)

If you’re really feeling the cold this winter then you can definitely cannot go wrong with a nice big mug of mulled wine on the side of your roast dinner either. Here’s 10 great Mulled Wine recipes to get you started!

At the end of the day when it comes to wine and food matching, whether it’s finding a wine match for a roast or another type of food, it’s important to experiment and try different matches. Think about the flavours on the plate and the flavours in the wine and how they can compliment each other. If you do come across an awesome match, then make sure to let us know by commenting below.

Happy winter feasting wine lovers!