It takes a lot of knowledge, passion and experience to be a successful sommelier, which makes the easygoing advice from advanced sommelier Jarrett Michael Buffington for nailing any wine pairing somewhat surprising.

“When it comes to food and wine pairings, there are no rules,” Buffington says. “Like and like go just as well as like and unlike, you just have to find out what works for you and stay curious. That’s going to be your own personal adventure.”

Buffington’s approach, which is more about paying attention to each experience than following set rules, is in keeping with a generation of passionate sommeliers who can get nerdy about terroir, transparency and tannins with the best of them, but prioritise making wine enjoyable and accessible.

It’s an approach that’s taken Buffington a long way, from working in restaurants in his home city of Houston, Texas, around the world to Sydney, where he’s currently a wine merchant at Dan Murphy’s Double Bay.

Buffington, who says he didn’t grow up in a wine-drinking family, traces his sommelier journey back to a formative dining experience.

“In my family back home in Texas, we always cooked meat all the way through, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but when I started working in hospitality, I went to dinner and had my first medium-rare steak,” he says. “As soon as I bit into it, I started to get this array of robust juicy flavours that I’d never experienced before, and combining that with the red wine was just an experience that changed my life, and made me more curious about wine and dining.”

A rib-eye steak with a fair bit of marbling that gives it flavour and coats your mouth, pairs perfectly with a red such as Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz because it has “robust flavours and tannin, and as you take a bit of that steak and sip of the wine, it refreshes your palette every single time”, Buffington says.

Sharing these kinds of discoveries with friends, family and customers is what it’s all about for Buffington: “I remember taking my mom out and encouraging her to try a medium steak for the first time when she was about 52, and she goes, ‘Ohhh, that’s juicy’ and I was like, ‘Yes, Mom!’.”

The Southern, Cajun and Creole food Buffington grew up with retains a special place in his heart. Favourites include blackened catfish, cheddar cheese grits, cornbread with jalapeño and andouille sausage.

“Creole food, Cajun food, Southern cooking are some of the most unique foods you can find in the world,” he says. “If you went to New Orleans, you’d experience flavours you may have never had in your whole life.” Buffington loves pairing a “silky, smooth and plush but refined” red, such as a chilled Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Grenache with these kinds of dishes.

“Cajun food has a lot of big robust flavours with lots of spice, and you want something that’s going to complement it, not overpower it,” he says. “I love a medium-bodied, red-fruited, easy-to-drink Grenache.”

To continue your own personal food and wine adventure, visit Yalumba, then book a table at one of the below restaurants.

Adelaide 
Chianti 
The Ottoman Grill
Georges on Waymouth
Kyoku Yakiniku

Sydney
La Spiaggia
Nour
Saké

Melbourne
Cosi Bar Ristorante
Maha restaurant
Bellota Wine Bar
Tokyo Tina
Yakimono 

Brisbane
Massimo
Ahmet’s Turkish Restaurant
Opa Bar + Mezze
Rico Bar and Dining