Beef Ragu with Pasta – Slow-cooked beef in a tomato and red wine sauce, served over any pasta. We like the wider one, pappardelle. It’s an economical but delicious meal that all the family digs in to. Good in the oven in a casserole dish. Just as tasty in the slow cooker, with minimal effort. Try this recipe by Simple Home Edit. The rustic flavours pair beautifully with the lingering elegant tannins of our SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo.

Grilled Ribeye with Rosemary Butter – A great mid-week meal that’s simple to do but elevated with a layer of rosemary butter on top. Rosemary thrives in the Mediterranean climate of the Grampians, and grows well in many other places in Australia. It requires very little water, unlike basil. It’s hardy and is pretty much available all year round. If you don’t have any in your garden, maybe you’ll find a neighbour who does and you can ask for a couple of sprigs. To make the butter simply blend in some chopped rosemary leaves in with a dollop of butter. I like to add a squeeze of lemon and two cloves of pressed garlic too. Cook your ribeye (or any cut you like) on the BBQ and while it rests, smear this rosemary infused butter on top. Once it’s ready, serve it with a glass of SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo, with a green salad or char-grilled broccolini on the side.

Pork Sausage, Potato & Cannellini Bean Stew – This is a hearty, rustic stew for a cold night or Sunday dinner around the fire. Salt & Lavender have an easy recipe to follow. I like their idea of adding a touch of spice with cayenne pepper or paprika. Pyrenees Premium Cuts is our local butcher and they make amazing traditional pork sausages. It makes sense to pair the Italian varietal Nebbiolo, with this rustic, Italian inspired dish. The grapes for our SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo, were sourced locally in the Pyrenees, north-east of the Grampians.

Chicken Cacciatore – Italian’s know how to make a multi-layered, flavourful stew. In this recipe, chicken takes centre stage. We love Recipetineats and her Cacciatore recipe is a cracker. I like her comment about Cacciatore –  “…one of those foods where there are no rules or one way to make it…” That’s exactly how we tend to make many of our slow-cooked, casseroles or stews. There are some mandatories like a can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic and chicken stock, which we have on hand always. It’s the flexibility in the cut of chicken that I like. Drumsticks, bone-in thighs, wings – take your pick. Tomato based dishes like this are perfect with a glass of our SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo. The black cherries, aniseed and leather flavours off-set the acidity of the tomato base of this Chicken Cacciatore.

Roast Chicken with Paprika – Roasted chicken is a family favourite and we all need a foolproof recipe to follow. Yes, buying a roasted chicken from your major grocery store is good in a pinch but I promise you, learning how to roast your own is not only economical, but the flavour is 1000 times better. And the aromas in your kitchen are worth adding roasted chicken to your rotation. Paprika is a spice that brings out the best in chicken. I like the smoky version, but sweet is delicious on chicken too. Here’s the recipe by Kate Cooks. As I mentioned in the previous recipe, chicken and nebbiolo are a perfect pair. The difference here is how well the roasted flavours match with the cherry characters of our SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage – Soft, sweet potato gnocchi coated in nutty brown butter and crispy sage. Who else would know how to make gnocchi with butter than a website called, The Burnt Butter Table. Her recipes are so thorough and the images make it easy to follow. I especially love her tip on how to use less flour, which results in fluffier gnocchi. And so much less mess using a piping bag to form them. It’s a fun to do with the kids they love to cut the little pillows. Our SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo, cuts through the richness of the burnt butter. A heavier wine is too rich for this dish.

Asian Takeaway Choices – When we get takeaway, Asian is our go-to. Our kids love noodles like Pad Thai and a bowl of plain, steamed rice. Adam and I like satay chicken. The umami and light spice of the dish complement Nebbiolo’s red berry flavours. Or Thai Larb, the minced pork or chicken salad. The tip with pairing Asian food is to avoid dishes that are too spicy (like Szechuan-style or fiery Thai curries), as the tannins in Nebbiolo can amplify the heat. Instead, go for grilled, roasted, or lightly spiced dishes. Here are a few more ideas – Teriyaki chicken or beef, Char Siu pork and Vietnamese shaking beef.

Cheese: Adam loves to pair Nebbiolo with a hard cheese. Hard cheeses tend to be rich and nutty, flavours that help balance our SubRosa Nebbiolo’s moderate tannins and acidity. Try it with – Parmigiano-Reggiano or Comté (a cheese Adam was introduced to while living and working harvests in France).  Every year at Grampians Grape Escape we stock up on Long Paddock Cheese, a local cheese artisan based in Castlemaine (about 2 hours east of the Grampians). Their Ironbark cheese, is a cooked-curd Alpine-style semi-hard cheese, aged for 12 mths, in the same family as Comté. It is delicious with our Nebbiolo.

Pizza Pairing: Pizza and a glass of red…nothing easier than that. Next time you’re craving an Italian moment, here are some pizza ideas to enjoy with your glass of SubRosa Pyrenees Nebbiolo.
Margherita – The simple combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil highlights Nebbiolo’s acidity and bright red fruit flavours.
Prosciutto & Rocket – Salty prosciutto and peppery rocket balance Nebbiolo’s tannins, while the cheese and olive oil add a richness a Nebbiolo can cut through.
Sausage & Caramelised onions – When sweet caramelised onions meet slightly peppery Italian-style sausage, everyone is happy…especially with a glass of fruit-forward Nebbiolo.
Pepperoni Pizza – Nebbiolo’s acidity, red fruit, and firm tannins cut through the richness of pepperoni pizza, balancing its spice, salt, and cheese for a deliciously pairing.

Appetiser Ideas: Have friends coming over and need a few easy appetisers to pair with a bottle of SubRosa Nebbiolo?
Here are some easy ideas that won’t disappoint.
– Baked ricotta with honey. Try this easy recipe from Not Quite Nigella
– Sun-dried tomato & ricotta bruschetta. Plating Pixels provides a recipe to follow. There’s plenty of other comfort foods to check out too!
– Marinated mushrooms – simply marinate button mushrooms in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and thyme. Put some toothpicks next to the bowl of this one.
– Or go simple with a dish of olives. The saltiness and umami depth will highlight Nebbiolo’s red fruit and floral notes. We highly recommend a local favourite, Grampians Olive Co for their jars of olives and bottles of olive oil.