Big call, but we might’ve just nailed five of the season’s best wine and food matches.

Rosé is always a warm-weather favourite, but, for us, it’s also the ultimate wine for snacks. Is there a better kind? Some wines need serious consideration in order to nail their best food matches, but rosé is a style that plays very nicely with many different dishes. Got a table full of share plates and need one wine to suit? Rosé is your friend. Taking a bottle to a mate’s place and don’t know what’s for dinner? Think pink. Rosé is a winner every time.

While you don’t need to give rosé food pairings too much thought, a little planning can go a long way, especially when there’s such a huge spread of styles. And with these refreshing, blush wines being such perfect picks when the weather is at its balmy best, we’ve come up with a handful of match-ups for the season. The following five dishes are summer staples, but they’ll taste even better with a glass of these suggested chilled rosés – ideally in a shady courtyard with a few of our favourite people.

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1. Sashimi and sushi + Jardin d’Aromes Rosé

Rosé and seafood are fast friends, and few pairings hit the same heights as sushi and sashimi. While a DIY arvo with friends rolling sushi and slicing sashimi might be your jam, we’re all about grabbing a platter from our favourite Japanese takeaway. The Jardin d’Aromes Rosé is the bottle to go with it – refreshing and bursting with summer fruit flavours, this wine will cut through rich mouthfuls of salmon and tuna, as well as wasabi, and it will complement sushi beautifully (choose some with cucumber for a peak pairing).

2. A bucket of cooked prawns + Altina Kakadu Plum Rosé

We’re not just going for aesthetics here, but the fact everything in this pairing is pink is a definite bonus. The Altina Kakadu Plum Rosé is a zero% alcohol blend of sauvignon blanc, shiraz and native Kakadu plum, and its subtle just-ripe berry flavours and distinctive Aussie character works a treat with fresh-cooked cold prawns. The wine is dry with a soft spice on the finish, which calls out for an old-school seafood sauce (yep, more pink) – the heavier on the Tabasco and horseradish, the better.

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3. Melon and prosciutto + One to One Rosé

Whether you call it cantaloupe or rockmelon, this is the fruit to serve with the One to One Rosé – and even better when enjoyed together with some quality prosciutto. We can thank the Italians for this classic combo, which is made for a rosé as light and fresh as this South Australian release. With bright strawberry and floral aromas, the One to One’s notes of Turkish delight help to further lift this pairing – a trio that screams to be served up al fresco on a warm afternoon.

4. Barbecued veggies + La Planchelière Zero Alc Rosé

You’d do well to turn up at every barbie this season with a bottle of rosé under your arm, not least for the chips-and-dip part of the night. Grilled meats are one thing – and yes, richer, darker rosés are brilliant matches –but veg cooked on the barbecue can really shine next to the right rosé. We’re talking grilled zucchini, charred asparagus and meaty mushrooms, perhaps with an oily, herby, chilli drizzle. We like La Planchelière Zero Alc Rosé – its bright and fresh fruit notes will lift all those charry flavours to really complete the meal.

A Bottle of La Planchelière Zero Alc Rosé

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5. Antipasti platter + Old Fat Unicorn Rosé

We know it doesn’t sound inspired, but hear us out. There’s the antipasti you grab every time out of habit, and then there’s the considered selection you choose for rosé. When it’s the Old Fat Unicorn Rosé, its strawberry notes, good acidity, and clean and subtle spice are the perfect foil for creamy, gooey cheeses (try something other than d’Affinois – we dare you), smoked salmon (we love it with quick-pickled shallots), and cured meats with a spicy kick. Throw in grissini, a baguette and some strawberries, and settle right in.