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Credit: Kane Vato

If you attend a dinner party with a shiny rose gold label on your bottle, that little copper tree – the one emblematic of the Tempus Two cellar door collection – will put you in good stead as the Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese and cured meats do the rounds. But from the soft and fruity accents of a tempranillo to a full, rich and textured shiraz, if you aren’t a wine connoisseur or didn’t study viticulture, it’s hard to know which wine to pair with which cuisine or occasion. How do you know to bring along a semillion? Or a verdelho? How do you pick a blend with little knowledge of your dinner party companion’s palettes? And how do you know when to crack open a vintage, regal wine like one from the Pewter or Uno series?

Pia Muehlenbeck and Kane Vato visited Tempus Two cellar door in Pokolbin in New South Wales’s Hunter Valley region to discover just this. Here, some tasting notes from their experience and interview with Tempus Two’s Andrew Duff, complete with a list of the best drops to pair with a picnic, Italian, French and Thai.

 

PICNIC:
Recommendation:
“Something sparkling. Prosecco or sparkling white wine,” says Duff.
Prosecco, Copper Series SHOP NOW
Sparkling Blanc De Blancs, Varietal series SHOP NOW

ITALIAN:
Recommendation:
“Pinot Grigio or Sangiovese.”
Pinot Grigio, Varietal Series SHOP NOW

FRENCH:
Recommendation:

“Chardonnay and I’d have to say Shiraz.”
Chardonnay, Copper Series SHOP NOW
Shiraz, Copper Series SHOP NOW
Chardonnay, Varietal series SHOP NOW
shiraz, varietal series SHOP NOW

THAI:
Recommendation:

“If it has a spicy hint to the food, I’d look for something a little bit sweeter.”
Verdelho, Copper Series, SHOP NOW
verdelho, varietal series shop now