Guides & Tasting Tips
Short, practical guides to tasting wine, reading the glass, pairing food, and hosting a night your friends will remember.
Tempranillo Food Pairings: Crianza vs. Reserva
Spain's great red is one of the most food-friendly bottles you can open — if you match the style to the dish.
Syrah & Shiraz Food Pairings
Same grape, two very different styles. Here's what to eat with peppery French Syrah and bold Aussie Shiraz.
Sauvignon Blanc Food Pairings
Seafood, goat cheese, fresh herbs and green veg — and what to skip. How style changes the pairing too.
Pinot Noir Food Pairings
Why Pinot Noir is the most versatile red at the table — duck, salmon, mushrooms, chicken and what to avoid.
Pinot Grigio vs. Pinot Gris Food Pairings
Same grape, very different wines. Here's what to eat with the crisp Italian style vs. the richer Alsatian style.
Malbec Food Pairings
The best foods for a velvety, dark-fruited Malbec — steak, chimichurri, blue cheese, roasted veg — and what to skip.
Grenache Food Pairings
The best foods for this soft, fruit-forward Mediterranean red — lamb, pork, paella — and what to avoid.
Chardonnay Food Pairings: Oaked vs. Unoaked
The style of your Chardonnay changes everything. Here are the best pairings for rich, buttery bottles and crisp, lean ones — plus what to avoid.
Chardonnay Food Pairings: Oaked vs. Unoaked
The style of your Chardonnay changes everything. Here are the best pairings for rich, buttery bottles and crisp, lean ones — plus what to avoid.
Riesling Food Pairings: Dry, Off-Dry and Sweet
Why sweetness is the key to pairing Riesling — spicy curries, seafood, glazed pork and when to pour the sweet stuff.
Zinfandel Food Pairings
The best foods for a bold, jammy Zinfandel — BBQ, pizza, pasta, aged cheese — and what to skip.
How to Taste Wine Like a Sommelier
The five-step method: look, swirl, smell, sip, savour — and why writing it down matters most.
Wine Colour Guide
What the glass tells you — from pale straw to inky — about a wine's age, grape and style.
The Wine Tasting Wheel, Explained
Structure and flavour families that turn a vague impression into a clear tasting note.
Cabernet Sauvignon Food Pairings
The best foods for big, tannic reds — steak, lamb, aged cheese — and what to avoid.
How to Host a Wine Tasting Night
How many bottles, what order to pour, the kit, and an easy scoring system everyone can use.