We’re now in the middle of winter with the cool nights and frosty mornings. Not sure about you, but we’re craving delicious slow-cooked meals, wood-burning stoves, and a glass of nice wine. Bendigo’s winemakers have put together their top five winter wines, perfect for snuggling up with on a weekend night at home.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is Australia’s second most planted variety. This wine has a big personality – it is layered, complex and decadent. Its signature characteristics are concentrated black, purple and red fruits supported by a backbone of strong tannins. Drinking a glass on a winter’s night is the wine equivalent of pulling on your comfy pants and jumper for total cosiness.
Viognier
Viognier, a white French grape enjoying a resurgence as more people discover its seductive nature and versatility when it comes to matching with food. Intense and full-bodied, Viognier is a wine for those who love flavour in their whites. Savour by itself or serve with rich and creamy foods.
Shiraz
Shiraz is the wine of the season. If your palette needs a medium to full-bodied wine, the boldness of the Shiraz definitely caters to that. It is grown by 4 out of 5 wineries and represents nearly half of red wine grape plantings in Australia. It’s a great match for barbeque foods, but don’t stop there – beetroot, mushrooms, lightly-spiced curries all work, as does dark chocolate.
Malbec
Malbec is a relative newcomer to Australia and has really started to make a name for itself. The purple grape is used to make Malbec, which gives it a rich, dark, juicy taste with plum and blackberry flavours. It is full-bodied and has a high alcohol percentage. Pair it with leaner cuts of red meat, cheese, herbs and spices and vegetables.
Chardonnay
When it comes to white wine in the winter, you can’t go past Chardonnay. This flexible white wine can be both dry or sweet, and can divide opinion. But, full-bodied Chardonnay that has a rich, buttery and vanilla taste is ideal for the winter. It pairs well with white meats like chicken or turkey; fish such as sea bass; or cream-based pasta dishes.
Stocking up on any of these wines from Bendigo’s winegrowers will help you through the winter! #BendigoWine @BendigoWine
