Red wine with red meat, white with seafood, port with cheese. They’re classic pairings for a reason and safe bets to bring to the table when a guaranteed crowd-pleaser is in order. But to always stick to convention like this is to miss out on some unexpected delights, according to food and beverage expert Kylie Javier Ashton.

“I think that the rules we set around which wines can be drunk with particular foods can be a little bit limiting – and I like to break the rules,” she says. “It’s easy to get hung up on the proteins when pairing food and wine, but it can be just as interesting to consider the sauces, spices and sides.”

As an example, Javier Ashton pairs steak served alongside a summery salad featuring grilled peaches with a Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier, and notes that the stone fruit flavours in the wine echo those in the salad, helping to tie it all together.

“People will tend to immediately pair a steak with a big, bold red wine, and I think that definitely works, however you could definitely pair a steak with a white wine, like this viognier. The Viognier has a beautiful fresh acidity that really cuts through that richness and fattiness, and it can do both components a lot of justice.”

Similarly, rather than automatically reaching for a white to go with lighter proteins such as chicken and fish, Javier Ashton suggests trying a chilled red with some complexity and pepperiness. Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache works especially well with seafood dishes that have some depth of flavour or spice.

Opting for a wild-fermented wine is another way to bring an element of surprise to a dining experience, Javier Ashton says, noting that the indigenous yeasts used in wild fermentation mean that each vintage will be a bit different and have “a ton of character”. She pairs Yalumba Wild Ferments Pinot Grigio with fare that has enough personality to match the wine, such as her mum’s fish-head sinigang, a hot and sour Filipino soup flavoured with tamarind that Ashton describes as “one of my favourite dishes of all time”.

Experimenting and having fun is key to discovering the best combinations, Javier Ashton says, noting that pairing fine wines with snack foods “can work beautifully, in just the same way high-low fashion does”.

She admits some people might think it “sacrilegious” to pair a wine like Yalumba’s 21 Year Old Aged Tawny with something like cheesy popcorn, but says it works just as well as pairing the same wine with an elegant cheese board.

“It’s got that beautiful sweetness, it’s rich, it’s layered with complexity. And then, when you pair it with something like cheese – it could be a cheese plate or it could be cheesy popcorn – that brings something that’s salty and umami. They just work really beautifully, in a really unexpected way.”

For more food and wine inspiration and experiences, visit Yalumba or book a table at one of these 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