Pavlova, Vegemite and a shrimp on the barbie – we've got the perfect pairing for every one of them.
This legendary Aussie dessert – sorry New Zealand – has had a special place reserved on our dinner tables for as long as we can remember. And with fluffy meringue, passionfruit syrup and loads of fresh fruit on top, how could it not? Pairing pavlova can be difficult, but Australia is fortunate enough to make a cracking sweet wine that's just perfect for this sweet dessert – botrytis semillon.
Botrytis, or 'Noble Rot', is a fungi that can have either a positive or negative effect on grapes. Yes, it can be a problem, but it's also responsible for some of France's most iconic wines and plenty of noteworthy wines here in Australia, particularly from the Yarra Valley. The fungus essentially dehydrates the grape without affecting sugar levels, which results in a sweet, concentrated flavour profile – think honeyed, caramel notes – that's actually ideal for pouring with a pavlova.
You won't catch us chucking another shrimp on the barbie, but there's nothing more Australian than serving up a plate of barbecued prawns. Every tong-wielding backyard expert will claim to have the best recipe, but so long as you're covered for spice (chilli), zest (lemon) and coriander (controversial), you're a winner in our books.
Fiano is considered an alternative but brilliant varietal in Australia and few regions do it as well as McLaren Vale. It's going to appeal to both chardonnay and sauvignon blanc drinkers, straddling the line between heavier, old-school examples of chardonnay and Marlborough's famously fresh sauvignon. With a wonderful natural acidity, fiano will cut through the spice, zest and smokiness every time.
Ever thought of matching a humble toastie with top-notch sparkling? If you haven't, you're missing something special, especially when that toastie happens to contain Australia's favourite salty spread along with oodles of melted cheese. The reason this pairing works so well is 'umami' – the fifth flavour, which joins sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It translates from Japanese as something similar to 'deliciousness' and is difficult to define, though people point to the savouriness of soy sauce, seafood, and yes, Vegemite.
We recommend popping a bottle of vintage sparkling, rather than non-vintage, because NV sparklings tend to be fruit-driven, while vintage sparklings bring more of the toasty, brioche notes that are needed to balance the salty Vegemite. The bubbles will help cut through the gooey cheese too, leaving you with a quirky, delicious balance of fun and fancy.
There are few Aussie dishes as globally celebrated as the meat pie, and few wines as internationally famous as Australian shiraz, so it's just as well that the two go together like old pals. You can even find a beef and shiraz pie, but if you'd prefer to keep business and pleasure separate, then a glass of bold shiraz on the side is just the thing.
That said, our pie scene has a lot more to offer than a plain beef pie, so feel free to pair a chicken and leek pie with aged semillon from the Hunter Valley, or a pepper steak pie with cool-climate syrah from somewhere like the Yarra Valley, or Adelaide Hills. And if you're tackling a scallop pie? Then reach for a dry riesling from the Eden Valley and thank us later.
