At home tasting: The best pairings for a night in with the girls

There’s so few experiences more viscerally fun than a night in with your closest friends, laughing until your stomach feels like you’ve done a CrossFit round (we’ve not done one, ok. But it looks hard…) and having space in your busy lives to chill out and bond. Company makes the experience, but a girl’s gotta eat, and drink, and the best way to enhance your time is with a food and wine pairing that’s as fun and soul soaring as the people you’re with. Play your curated Spotify list, cosy in and enjoy our picks for the best at-home tastings for a night in with your best mates.  

Ignite the spark(ling)

If you want to immediately set the tone for a chatty, fun, laugh-filled night with your friends, the presence of a bottle of sparkling isn’t going to let you down. Although it’s not typically the first type of wine that pops into your mind when thinking of doing a tasting, it actually fares well as a pairing to share platters and sweet treats. You don’t need to formally pair this, but an array of cheeses (though more mild, creamy varieties are best; think brie, camembert or fruit-infused cheese over something like blue cheese), dried and fresh fruits or little dessert bites will highlight the flavours of our Verscato Cellar Door Release NV perfectly.

For something a bit extra, you could also treat the room to a platter of oysters or sashimi and pair it with Cuvee Sparkling Vineyard Selection NV

Rosé to the occasion

If ever there was a wine to personify a bonding night with your closest girlfriends, it’s rosé. It’s the conduit between white and red that’s softer on the palate, scales in sweetness depending on personal preferences and these traits lend it pairing with just about anything. However, when we personally enjoy our  Rosé Cellar Door Release 2022, a dry Rosé with notes of rose petal and citrus, we lay out a charcuterie board full of char grilled vegetables, cold prawns, crumbly cheese and fresh berries. 

Make it white

White wines are conversation wines; they go down easily, pair with a variety of foods and the right varietals are equally distinguished and crowd pleasers. The best bet when hosting a group is to go with the ultimate easy drinking white wine, our Verdelho Tulloch Range 2022 and pair it with ceviche or pickled cucumber and seasonal fruits. Chardonnay Vineyard Selection 2022’s subtle oak influence, stone fruit flavours are perfect for creamy cheeses, rich dips (hey, no one is above a good dip and a Jatz cracker, even with the nicest of wines) and marinated artichokes. 

Red, red wiiiiine

There’s nothing cosier than a red in hand and in the company of your favourite people. This is less of a party vibe and more of a settle in, friend, we’re telling stories, pondering life, bonding over a warm bowl of comforting, rich pasta, or pairing our Sangiovese’s rich plum and cherry flavours, with hints of spice and tobacco, with crumbly cheeses and olives. Our Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz, with its berry-rich and spicy oak flavours is the one to pull out for a dinner party get-together, with saucy ragu.

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