Best bottles for any summer event

No one wants to choose the wrong bottle of booze to take to a party. Here’s what you should look out for.

BWS White Wine

No one wants to choose the wrong bottle of booze to take to a party. Here’s what you should look out for.

The end of the year is here, which means you’ll have plenty of social events to hop along to and old friends to catch up with. Whatever you do, don’t turn up empty-handed. A bottle of vino is a small, sensible gesture. Also, it’s wine — everyone appreciates wine; you’ll be the toast of the party.

But step foot inside the bottle shop and the panic sets in. You’ll want to opt for something crowd-pleasingly delicious and straightforward. It will also need to be affordable but you can’t be a cheapskate, either — leave the cleanskins at home. There are literally hundreds of varieties and options to choose from, all offering unique tastes to accompany any type of occasion. So what bottle would you select for a summer picnic? Or a vegan dinner party? Which bottle will impress the wine snob of the family? Which bottle should you ring in the New Year with?

Here are the new rules of pairing a bottle to any occasion life throws your way.

THE PERFECT ACCOMPANIMENT TO A BARBECUE

There is nothing quite like an Aussie barbecue, sticky flies and all. Wine is pleasant enough to drink in civilised comfort indoors, but it really comes to life in the outdoors — especially in the presence of seductive barbecue smells and a thumping playlist. Depending on what type of meat is being cooked, you have a few options.

A dry rosé  is a sensible pairing with juicy pork sausages as the acidity will balance the fatty flavours and counter the spiciness. If you’re looking for a crisp wine to wash down a plate of prawns, nothing beats the lively acidity of a crisp Australian riesling. A classic bottle of dry riesling from Clare Valley (our most famous riesling region) will complement the delicate flavours of seafood. Look out for bottles from Vickery, Pikes, Tim Adams, Taylors, Jim Barry and Grosset.

Bring: Lovers Not Toreadors Rosé is a dry Spanish drop with fresh tastes of cherries, strawberries and herbs. Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley Grenache Rosé hits the palate with a real punch of intensely fruity flavours but with restraint and a lingering, dry finish. For a medium-priced bottle, Vickery Watervale Riesling from one of our most legendary winemakers has a creamy and floral honeysuckle flavour followed by bold, fresh lemony citrus. Grosset Polish Hill Riesling will cost you a lot more but is worth the investment. This wine has a lighter body with flamboyant citrus notes making it easy on the palate.

FOR THE VEGAN DINNER

You might be surprised to learn most wines are not typically vegan; winemaking uses animal products in the fining or clarifying process. Finding a vegan-friendly wine might have been tricky a decade ago but, thanks to a wave of creative (or enterprising) winemakers, there are plenty of drops now catering to the burgeoning vegan class. Amelia Park, Nature’s Harvest, Speak No Evil, Angove Organic and Craftsman are just a few of the labels pumping out top-notch vegan drops. Good vegan wines are typically dry rosés, crisp whites, earthy red to suit dishes where veggies are the star.

Bring: Yalumba Organic Pinot Grigio gets back to nature from the old-school grape growing techniques through to the process which uses wild yeast fermentation. The result is a dry white that sings with a freshness and a hint of sweet citrus. For a more honeyed drop, the aptly named See No Evil Rosé offers a palate of vibrant red berry and candied fruits, building with layers of complexity to an impressively long and dry finish.

A SUMMER HOUSE PARTY

White wine is an excellent addition to a summer celebration as it won’t weigh the party down. A silky sauvignon blanc is versatile and inexpensive. Opt for a bottle made by the Kiwis — they’re one of the world’s most prolific sauv blanc makers and they really know their stuff. The best are typically from Marlborough, defined by a crisp, clean and very refreshing taste. They are best drunk when young so opt for the youngest bottle you can find. Labels to look for include Giesen, Marlborough Sounds, Te Rua Bay, South Island, Stoneleigh and Monkey Bay.

But before you open the sauvignon blanc, start the night with bubbles to celebrate the festive mood. Prosecco, aka Italian bubbles, is an excellent choice as it won’t break the bank but is always down for a party. Drink it straight up, or throw it into a no-fuss bellini punch (pureed peaches mixed with prosecco — delicious!) or make an Aperol spritz.

Bring: Santa Margherita Prosecco Di Valdobbiadene delivers a fresh and lively drop with subtle hints of ripe fruit, melon and orange. Not too dry or sweet, it’s a definite crowd-pleaser. Giesen Sauvignon Blanc has become almost a staple in many Aussie households. It boasts everything there is to love about Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs with signature crisp and clean with flavours of berry and passionfruit.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH

A summery Christmas feast calls for chardonnay — yes, chardonnay. Chardonnay is enjoying a cultural renaissance with modern Australian winemakers proving its critics wrong. No longer heavy and oaky, the new wave of Aussie chardonnay is fresh and elegant and perfectly paired with roast turkey and other richly sauced dishes.

If seafood is on the menu, steer clear of anything too sweet. A sparkling brut cuvée will start off the meal nicely alongside freshly shucked oysters, while a delicate dry white like semillon or chablis will complement buttery scallops and lobster.

Bring: A classic, unoaked chardonnay like Devil’s Lair The Hidden Cave with its surprisingly rich flavours of white peach and nougat, will do the job well. If you really want to splash out, 2016 Penfolds Max’s Chardonnay from the award-winning Barossa Valley will prove why chardonnay deserves to be taken seriously. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label with its full-bodied richness and fine balance is an excellent match for oysters.

A BOTTLE TO IMPRESS A WINE SNOB

We all have a wine snob in our lives, and they’re a nightmare to cater for. They use words like “electric” and “hedonistic” to describe wine, and we have no idea what they’re talking about. Select something new and a bit kooky they might not have tried before. Natural wine producers in Australia tend to ignore the traditional rules of winemaking (in a good way) and produce drops that are fun and wild. “Orange wines” are a type of natural wine all the cool kids are drinking at the moment. They are named for their pretty colour but are actually white wines made using the same production method as red. Failing a natural wine, a mouth-watering riesling from the Clare Valley will undoubtedly be on their Christmas wish list.

Bring: Nature’s Step Organic Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc is a natural wine made with minimal intervention, delivering a dry white blend loaded with citrus and gooseberry flavours, rounded off with a deliciously crisp finish. This wine has a limited range, and can be a little tricky to find in-store, so ask your local BWS for assistance locating this crowd pleaser. For something a bit more familiar, wine connoisseurs will appreciate the complexity and acidity of a riesling. Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, from the Clare Valley, will impress with its lighter body and crisp finish.

WHAT TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH

The glorious tipple hailing from the famed region of France celebrates births and weddings, launches ships and congratulates sports stars. But if there’s ever an occasion to pop open a bottle of bubbly, it’s New Year’s Eve. This is the night to gather your favourite humans and celebrate with “the real thing”, aka champagne made by French “récoltant-manipulants” (producers who grow all their own grapes), famed for its buttery taste and tiny bubbles. With such a special fizz in hand, it’s hard to decide whether to begin the night with it or save it for the countdown to welcome in the new year. Drop some serious cash — buy a magnum.

Bring: Splash out on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, famed for its full-bodied richness and delicate balance, or opt for a lesser-known, but no less superb, bottle of Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Vintage with its traditional chardonnay flavours layered with a surprising hint of pinot noir and pinot meunier.

FOR A SUMMER PICNIC

Nothing complements a summer afternoon sprawled on a picnic rug in the dappled shade like a crisp rosé. Refreshing and light, rosé can easily be sipped on a blustery hot day, and its touch of sweetness will match a spread of cheese and dips. The best news is a good rosé will cost less than $25 and come in a range of varying sweetness — some extremely dry if you prefer.

Bring: Jacobs Creek Le Petite Rosé has won a bunch of awards and for a good reason; it’s a delicate wine with floral notes and a crisp finish that will delight the palate. Shingleback Redknot Rosé is a good option if you’re after something with more character and drier in style.

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