Spring has (almost) sprung! The pollen count may be on the rise but there’s no amount of hayfever that will dampen our enthusiasm for the festive season ahead. With the sun at long last showing face, we’re daydreaming about refreshing spritzes, summer salads and chargrilled meats.

If you haven’t quite cottoned on yet, we’re excited, and we want to inspire you to feel the same. So chuck some shrimps on the barbie, pop an antihistamine (if required) and rejoice in the festive season true GFWS style.

Refreshing Spritzes

There’s nothing more quintessentially Aussie at Christmas than a sun-kissed spritz! Particularly one inspired by the abundant natural resources and native ingredients that Australia has on offer. Try Sodasmith’s Native Aussie Spritz or the Caribeño-no (a delicious mocktail) for a true taste of Australian summer.

Summer Salads

As the temperature rises, the last thing you want is to fire up the oven and heat up your home even more. Enter the salad – the perfect solution for this balmy dilemma. Just chop up some fresh fruit & veg, grill a bit of meat, toss in a generous splash of dressing, and voila – dinner is served! The magic lies in the endless combinations and minimal fuss! Try this list of some of our faves.

Get to know your food and wine pairings

You’re the brave soul hosting friendmas this year – talk about volunteering as tribute. The table’s been set to perfection, the playlist is a winner and you’ve laboured over a hot stove for hours all in the name of ‘spreading a bit of festive cheer’. You’re a near perfect host, but we must admit, the dinner party isn’t quite complete without one last touch: Wine pairings to match the feast!

Here’s some basics to get you started:

  • Pairing Basics: A good starting point is understanding the difference between complimentary pairings or congruent pairings. The first simply means choosing a wine that parallels or balances some of the flavour profiles in a pleasing harmony – think a soft cheese with a nicely acidic Pinot Grigio. The second means choosing a wine that helps elevate the flavours of both the food and the wine – for example, highlighting the spice in a curry with the savoury spice notes in a cool climate Shiraz.
  • Weight Matching: Light foods like fish are best with lighter wines like Semillon, while richer dishes, such as steak, pair well with fuller reds like Shiraz.
  • Saucey considerations: For creamy sauces, opt for Chardonnay. Red sauces such as ragu, bolognaise etc match well with Shiraz.
  • Acidity and Tannins: High acid wines harmonise well with the natural acidity in food – think a crisp white paired with a salad featuring a zingy vinaigrette. They also balance fat in dishes like beer-battered fish. Tannic reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, work well with fatty foods such as roast lamb.
  • Spicy and Sweet: Spicy foods are best with spicy reds or slightly semi-dry Rieslings. Sweet dishes, like fruit tarts, pair with sweet wines such as Moscato.

If you’d like to know a little more, check out this guide from our friends at Wine Selectors. Trust us, a little attention to the food and wine pairings and your dinner party has just gone from 0-100!

Lone gifts are so last year – this year it’s all about the hamper!

We’re not saying you need to break the bank. Instead, curate a bundle of thoughtful goodies for about the same price as one big gift. Nothing says ‘I care’ like a bespoke hamper crafted by yours truly. And what better way to source these goodies than the Good Food & Wine Show Christmas Markets – shameless plug we know.

From artisanal chilli oils, decadent organic chocolate to some of Australia’s finest wines, it’s a gift-hunting playground brimming with treasures for the foodie in your life. Spend the day scouring and taste testing goodies – strictly for quality control of course. Line a basket or box with some tissue paper, throw in all your goodies and just like that you’ve won the title of thoughtful friend, thank us later!

Well, we hope we’ve stirred some creativity and excitement for the festivities that lie ahead.

Whether you’re mixing spritzes, tossing summer salads, nailing those wine pairings, or crafting the perfect hamper we hope you’re feeling inspired.

Here’s to a season full of good food, good wine & good times, in true Good Food & Wine Show fashion.

Tickets to the Good Food & Wine Show Christmas markets in Sydney and Melbourne are on sale now.