Pairing wine and personality: how to pick a wine for your dad

JUST like a fine wine, fathers have their very own set of tasting notes. Whether he be bold and bountiful, laidback and comical or soft and sensitive, there’s a varietal to suit every dad’s distinct set of traits. This Father’s Day, swap the socks for something a little sauvier, with these five perfect wine pairs.

Pinnacle Wines Father's Day

Just like a fine wine, fathers have their very own set of tasting notes. Whether he be bold and bountiful, laidback and comical or soft and sensitive, there’s a varietal to suit every dad’s distinct set of traits. This Father’s Day, swap the socks for something a little sauvier, with these five perfect wine pairs.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON (THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY)

The Cab Sauv dad is both strong in opinion and character. With emphasis on his values and morals, he maturely leads the clan, teaching them tradition and respect. His heritage has been influential in his upbringing, working hard to provide for his family. With a penchant for a structured conversation over a savoury snack (or a blue cheese-heavy charcuterie board), this noble leader is not particularly adaptive (although, he’s notably evolved as he’s aged). At a long lunch with the fam, you’ll see this father figure at the head of the table, sharing stories about his youth and bellowing loudly at his kids (and grandkids).

CAB MERLOT (THE WILD-TURNED-MILD DAD)

While you might not want to think of your dad as “wild”, once upon a time, this guy partied his way through Europe, drinking and dancing on tables, before boom; he met your mum. In doing so, he found balance, leaving his days of debauchery behind for weekend sport and The Wiggles. While he’s definitely settled, he’s not super-structured in his approach to parenting, piling the kids in the car for a spontaneous road trip (or two). Boasting lots of travel tales, a wealth of experience (and knowledge to match), he’ll charm the soccer mums, BBQ with the neighbours and roll around with the kids on the front lawn. At a fancy dinner with his beloved, he’ll be the one ordering top tipple, just because.

SHIRAZ (THE CREATIVE DAD)

Eclectic and expressive, the creative dad loves an intense discussion over a stew or casserole. After years and years of study (yep, he’s got a Masters degree), expect his opinions to be “like a slap in the face”, as he peppers conversation with religion, music and politics. His big, blockbuster of a personality knows no bounds, with its complexity and creativity making him quite the well-known character. At the local school fare, he’ll be the one quizzing the art teacher on her thoughts of Impressionism, before handing out gluten-free snacks at the food stall.

RESERVE SHIRAZ (THE FOODIE DAD)

If a new restaurant opens in town, chances are, your food-loving father’s got a booking this Friday night (for the whole fam, of course). With a deep appreciation for fine-dining over fun-dining, he’ll always end up chewing the chef’s ear off about the Sous Vide Duck he devoured (before talking through the numerous degustations he’s dug into all over the globe). He’s a powerhouse papa with a powerhouse palate, who’d rather spend hundreds of dollars on a dominating dinner, than any ol’ material object. At home, he’s the one cooking or giving into his persuasive kid’s restaurant requests.

MERLOT (THE SOCIAL DAD)

Flexible, even-tempered and the centre of every good conversation (no matter the topic), the social dad can be rolled out for any special occasion (or casual arvo drinks). Popular with basically everyone, he’s commonly described as a “chameleon” due to his adaptability, taking him from Nippers in the morning to drinks with pals in the arvo. While his juicy personality makes him quite popular, he can be a little thin-skinned, as he invests heavily in his relationships with those around him. At the pub, he’ll be the one buying rounds of drinks for his mates, before striking up a conversation with the table of blokes next to him.

Originally published as Pairing wine and personality: how to pick a wine for your dad