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Australian BBQ food and wine pairings
As the Australian BBQ season heats up, many people are gearing up for a grand feast. Whether it’s a classic barbecue in the backyard or a laid-back beach cookout, every feast deserves the perfect wine to match. So, what wines should you consider pairing with your BBQ food?
Thankfully, we’ve an impressive variety of home-grown wines here in Australia. From robust reds to crisp whites and delightful sparklers, there’s something to suit every taste and budget, making it the perfect way to enjoy Australia Day.
BBQ food and wine pairing ideas
The classic Aussie BBQ
When planning a classic Aussie BBQ with sausages and succulent steaks, choosing the right wine to complement the meat is essential. Grilled meats have robust, smoky flavours that can easily overpower a lighter wine. So, you’ll need a wine with enough depth and body to stand up to the intense flavours.
One wine that does the job of supporting this backyard BBQ food tradition remarkably well is Shiraz – Australia’s signature red grape. Medium to full-bodied Shiraz wines balance rich fruit flavours with a tannic structure, making them ideal for pairing with BBQ meats. They feature delicious flavours, including juicy blackberry, ripe plum and a hint of peppery spice. This gives a vibrant contrast to the smokiness of the sausages, steak, rump or porterhouse.
Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are two renowned Shiraz-producing regions in Australia. Wines from these regions are celebrated for their depth, richness and intensity. Remember to serve your Shiraz at room temperature, but if it’s a hot day, you can lightly chill the bottle to maintain the wine’s aromas and fruit flavours.
For white wine drinkers, consider a full-bodied Australian Chardonnay with buttery notes and hints of citrus and tropical fruits. The flavours of an oaked Chardonnay can suit smoky BBQ flavours very well.
Alternatively, try an unoaked Chardonnay, especially from cooler regions like Margaret River or Yarra Valley. With a leaner profile and more pronounced acidity, these wines can provide a refreshing counterpoint to fatty meats, cutting through the richness and cleansing the palate.
Lamb
Lamb is a staple at many Aussie barbecues and requires a wine with a strong structure and bold flavours to match its richness. A full-bodied Grenache is an excellent choice. Grenache is known for its vibrant red fruit flavours, with understated earthy undertones and a hint of spice. Its flavour profile allows the juicy, delicate and tender lamb meat to shine through.
The Jim Barry Single Vineyard Mckay's Clare Valley Grenache 2024 is an Australian red wine that stands out for its lively red fruit profile. It boasts notes of fresh raspberries, plum and hints of orange rind with a subtle touch of spice.
Australian Grenache, specifically from regions like McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, presents the right balance of fruit, spice and often a touch of earthiness. These intricate flavours add to the succulent character of the barbecued lamb, adding depth and complexity to each bite.
Meat pies
Few things are more Australian like a Four’N Twenty meat pie – or as the locals might say, “a dog’s eye and dead horse.” The Aussie staple calls for a robust, full-bodied red wine to face the rich, hearty beef pie filling.
Cabernet Sauvignon, with its bold black fruit flavours, undertones of earth and spice, and firm tannins, is an excellent choice. The wine’s depth and complexity perfectly complements the beef pie’s robust and savoury characteristics, creating a well-rounded and satisfying tasting experience. A standout wine in this category is the Allegiance Wines The Artisan Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, which has vibrant dark fruit flavours, balanced oak influence and bold structure.
A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon is a great pick because its blackcurrant and spice flavours go really well with the beef’s earthy tones and the pie’s pastry crust. Australian Cabernet Sauvignons from places like Coonawarra and Margaret River are especially good choices because they have a nice balance of fruit and oak flavours.
Or perhaps you’re looking for something more tantalising to accompany your pie. GSM blends (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) are particularly popular in regions such as Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. They offer a delicious balance of ripe fruit, earthiness and spice, making it the perfect pairing for any tasty bakery pie favourite, from cheese and bacon to chicken mornay, steak and kidney to a classic curry.
Prawns and seafood
Seafood, especially prawns, shellfish and oysters, has a delicate taste that needs a wine that won’t drown it out. Usually, lighter, more refreshing wines are a good choice for seafood dishes.
With its high acidity and citrusy notes, Sauvignon Blanc offers a pleasing contrast to the mild and subtly sweet flavours of prawns, shellfish and even oysters. The Sunday Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 has a refreshing palate and exotic tropical fruit notes that complement the seafood’s natural salty flavours. Its lively and crisp finish cleanses the palate.
Verdelho is another grape variety worth exploring for pairing with seafood. The Hummingbird Langhorne Creek Verdelho is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an easy-drinking white wine. Its vibrant tropical fruit notes, including hints of pineapple, passionfruit and guava, are complemented by a subtle citrusy undertone. The wine’s bright fruit-forward character pairs well with the natural sweetness of the prawns, while its balanced acidity adds depth, creating a refreshing contrast to the seafood flavours.
The classic pairing of Riesling with seafood shouldn’t be overlooked either. The citrusy lemon and lime characters of Riesling enhance the fresh flavours of the seafood and offer excellent value for their quality. Whether you’re serving prawns, shellfish or oysters, a good Riesling is hard to beat.
Desserts
Serving a Pav or a plate of lamingtons as part of your dessert? These classic desserts are known for their sweetness, so choosing the right wine to serve alongside is essential.
Dessert wines, like Moscato, are known for their tingly sweetness and light, refreshing palate, making them perfect for a pavlova (no kiwi fruit allowed!). The Greedy Bird Moscato is a delight for your taste buds. From the renowned South Australia area, it's a light body and gentle fizz character beautifully balances the palate. It has moreish fruit flavours of grape, melon and pear making it an easy drinking and crowd pleasing option to complement the fruit and cream pavlova toppings remarkably well.
For something a little less sweet, consider Prosecco or an Australian sparkling wine. Prosecco’s light, clean, and refreshing taste makes it an excellent pairing for many desserts. It adds a refreshing contrast to the richness of cakes and pastries, balances the creamy decadence of mousse and gelato, and its fruity flavour pairs well with fruit-based desserts.
