Whether they are casual or formal, celebratory or weekly/monthly, office drinks tend to have the same basic drinks requirements. A choice of 2 or 3 wines usually covers everyone – 1 white, 1 red & 1 other such as rose, sparkling. Of course, if you know that no-one drinks red or white or rose, don’t include it unless you want to get a bottle for people to taste. You could do this to provide something a little different on occasion.
Below are some quick wine suggestions but please also use the categories and tags to search for suggested grape varieties. Some of the wines below have no written reviews available on FDC as yet.
Quick tip! – unless you have some serious wine drinkers, stick with popular grape varieties and easy drinking styles.
White wine suggestions: Popular grape varietals – Chardonnay (& Chardonnay blends), Sauvignon Blanc (& Sauvignon Blanc blends) , Semillon, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Colombard, Cruchen Riesling. Other grapes that may work well are Riesling & Pinot Gris but these can be more food oriented wines or are less popular wines for a drinks event so choose them with care.
10 for the Shopping Basket:
- Barwang Chardonnay 09 $14
- Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling $18
- Richard Hamilton Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 08/09 $15
- Taylors 80 Acres Chardonnay 09 $14
- Tyrrells Old Winery Verdelho 09 $14
- Yalumba Sauvignon Blanc 09 $
- Cono Sur Sauvingnon Blanc 08/09 $10
- Watershed ‘Senses’ Viognier 08 $25
- O’leary Walker Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 09 $20
Red Wine Suggestions: Popular grape varietal – Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or any blends where these grapes are dominant. Interesting red wines to try are: Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Tarrango, Grenache, Malbec (particulary from Argentina), Carmenere.
10 for the Shopping Basket:
- Chalk Hill Procastinator 08 $18
- Silvergum Shiraz Cabernet 08 $9
- Jacobs Creek Shiraz $10
- Meerea Park Shiraz 08 $15
- Leconfield Merlot 08 $25
- Metala Shiraz Cabernet 07 $19
- Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 08 $30
- Kirrihill Tullymore Cabernet Sauvignon 08 $20
Rose wine: Rose wine is made from red grapes that have less time macerating with their skins during fermentation. Unless they are Sparkling wines, they are not usually made by blending red and white wine together. These wines need to be served chilled like white wines but are very refreshing and usually have flavours such as strawberries, raspberries or cherries. The grape variety is less imporant but good rose varietals are: Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Merlot or Pinot Noir.
5 for the Shopping Basket:
- Rolling Pink 09 $18
- Philip Shaw Pink Billy 08 $18
- Bird in Hand Pinot Rose 08 $20
- Eaglehawk Rose $5
- Turkey Flat Rose 09 $18
The wine that everyone thinks of for a celebration is sparkling wine or Champagne in particular. (Note: Champagne is the sparkling wine that comes from the Champagne region in France and this is the only wine that can be legally called Champagne.) It is the traditional wine used to make toasts or is served as an welcoming aperitif served as guests arrive. It could be said that the sound of a cork popping has been known to make more than a few people smile.
Sparkling wines: Many sparkling wines made in Australia are made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir- the classic grapes that go into Champagne. Sparkling wines from other countries are often made from other grapes but the varietals used may not appear on the label. For easy drinking styles, look out for a non-vintage (NV) sparkling. The term ‘Brut’ indicates that it is drier rather than sweet.
Sparkling wine makes an excellent warm afternoon alternative to white wine as well as the perfect wine for toasting for a celebration. There is a growing number of Moscatos to be found in Australia’s stores and these wines tend to be lightly fizzy and range from medium dry to sweet. As with a lot of sparkling wines, they can be served as a pre-dinner drink or with dessert.
10 for the Shopping Basket:
- Grant Burge NV Pinot Noir Chardonnay $25
- Four Sisters NV Chardonnay Pinot Noir $12
- Jacobs Creek Reserve NV Pinot Noir Chardonnay $18
- Yarra Burn NV Premium Cuvee $20
- Peter Lehmann Princess Moscato $19
- Domain Chandon Vintage 2006 Pinot Noir Chardonnay $40
- Brown Brothers NV Pinot Noir Chardonay Pinot Meunier $24
- Lanson NV Black Label Brut $60 – 70
- Bollinger NV Special Cuvee $90