Best wine to take to a dinner party
It's a common situation and one which I used to avoid until the last minute. However, after several years it dawned on me. You can quite literally take anything to a dinner party. To impress your host though, the best way is to take something with a story, something interesting. Wine connoisseur or no, they'll appreciate it. As such, I've rounded up a few options. These are all reasonably priced good wines that are widely available.
I know that some will want to avoid Australian wine- if that's you, jump on to the end for our European six.
Please note that this is NOT an affiliate site. We have tried to choose from bottle shops that we know are widely available. If you have an independent local bottle shop, go and chat to them, they'll be happy to help and they won't judge you for asking either (believe me, I've asked all the questions!).
Cabernet Sauvignon - Great Southern (Frankland River)
Our notes: I listened to a great podcast about the Great Southern a while back and it really opened my eyes. You'll have heard of Margaret River, this is its Southern neighbour. Less well known but I'd argue producing wines that are just as good, and probably more exciting. The region has several sub-regions and this area is known for making great cool-climate cabernets.
Suggested pre-face: “I heard about this region in WA, which is actually five sub-regions. Its wines are getting amazing reviews so I thought I'd try to find a bottle. I've heard their cabernets and malbecs are good, and there's some great rieslings from Porongurup too”.
White Pinot Noir - Adelaide Hills
Our notes: Any grape that is usually used in red wine, but produced as a white is still a novelty in my mind. White pinot noir (pinot blanc), white rioja, white sangiovese, you get the point. It's something a little different. The reason they're white is due to the lack of skin contact, nothing more fancy than that.
Suggested pre-face: “I thought this was worth a try, it's a white pinot noir. I haven't seen many of them around and they're supposed to be a little different - in a good way!”
Sagrantino - Great Southern
Our notes: We have been wowed by some of the sagrantinos over here. I didn't even know Canberra made wine when I found my first one (sorry Canberrans - it is something I've now rectified) and it was delicious. One of my favourites is from Pigg's Peak in the Hunter Valley but that's a bit tricky to find off the winery.
Suggested pre-face: “I don't really know anything about these two grapes (Nero d'Avola & Sagrantino) but apparently they're building a strong reputation over here, so I wanted to give it a try. Did you know ACT made wine? Sagrantino is Italian but evidently some of the best Australian sagrantino vines are in ACT.”
Alternatively, try this straight up Nero
Nebbiolo - McLaren Vale
Our notes: A more niche grape that is up and coming in Australia. This wine is great value for money and quite frequently on offer too. It's pretty versatile in terms of pairings, ideal for a dinner party when you don't know what's being served.
Suggested pre-face: “Have you tried Nebbiolo before? I've heard good things, and some of the Australian vines are really coming into their own now. I thought it could be interesting to give it a try.”
Fiano - Hunter Valley
Our notes: This Italian grape lends itself beautifully to the climate over here. I'm yet to come across a white wine drinker who doesn't like a Fiano. Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Riverlands also have some lovely Fianos.
Suggested pre-face: “They only really started growing Fiano in Australia in the early 2000s and it's now the …”
Wines that don't require a pre-face
It's no secret that we are here to champion Australian wine but we still love an international tipple. Here are a few great wines from overseas.
Picpoul de Pinet
An appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) wine from the Languedoc region of France. You'll find Picpoul de Pinet in its tall, thin Neptune bottle - if you need any more incentive to drink it quickly pop it in your wine rack and notice how it annoyingly pokes out! It's a very drinkable variety, not too sweet, not too acidic. There are Picpouls (sometimes written Piquepoul) from other regions of France and Spain that are not under the AOC - crucially these are not Picpoul de Pinet. These tend to be more variable in quality and taste, but usually a little cheaper too.
Alsace Gewürztraminer
Another AOC wine - it is typically a semi-sweet wine but there are dryer versions coming into popularity too. It's a reliable, versatile white wine.
Albariño
It's a bit hard to find over here, but great with seafood. It's a slightly acidic citrusy wine that's lovely and fresh on a warm day or when you need to cut through something creamy.
Bordeaux - Saint-Émilion
Before you give this to your host, google Saint-Émilion. It is a stunning place and well worth a visit, even if you aren't into your wine. Bordeaux is known for its reds and this is a solid choice.
Valpolicella Ripasso
Say it with your best Italian accent and it's hard not to smile. The wine will make you smile too. There are a number of different 'levels' of Valpolicella - aim for a Ripasso for a balance between quality and price for a dinner party. If you can't find a Ripasso, Classico Superiore is one down and Amarone one up. We're simplifying here; the levels aren't just about quality and price, but it's the easiest way to think about it.
Montepulciano
Monte's have become pleasingly popular in Australian wineries - it's a 'friendly' wine and will go with many things. It's one of the most popular grapes in terms of volume in Italy for good reason.