Sommelier Tips

Serving and pairing wine can seem like a daunting prospect, especially when hosting guests. Here are a few sommelier tips to make serving and selecting wine a breeze.

Food Pairing Tips and Suggestions

“For summer, sashimi (tuna or coral trout) with skin contact chenin blanc from South Africa.” Matt Dunne, Group Sommelier at Solotel, Sydney

“It is all about creating a balance between the dish, flavours, intensity and experience. We all have a different palate, some of us prefer sweet, others sour, therefore when making a food and wine pairing it is key to understand the preference of the taster.” Yohann Jousselin, Sommelier and Director of Wine at Shangri-La, Hong Kong

When pairing, “Look for similar acid and flavour profiles in each dish and pair it to similar characteristics in wine.” As everyone’s palate is different, “the easiest way to determine someone’s palate is to find out what kind of coffee they drink. If it’s a short or long black, or even black tea, I can safely assume they have a high tolerance to bitter and acidic properties in comparison to someone who drinks a latte.” Pip Anderson, Group Sommelier for the Merivale Group, Sydney

Selecting Wine

“The most straightforward way is to ask the sommelier to provide you with options. For those that prefer to select their own, look for grape varieties or regions you prefer.”

Alan Sun, Sommelier at The Mira, Hong Kong

Wine Suggestions

“If there is a sommelier, engage with them. Tell them what you like to drink and what you have enjoyed in the past. It can be a bit like an options game – and sommeliers are there to help narrow down the selection for you.” Pip Anderson, Group Sommelier at the Merivale Group, Sydney

“It is important to be curious when it comes to drinking wine. I am happy to leave the wine selection to a sommelier when I go out, and four times out of five, I end up with a pleasant surprise and get to try something new!” Paul Huet, Head Sommelier at est., Sydney

“Dry sherries of Equipo Navazos. They are wines more than they are fortifieds, and they are fresh and exhilarating.” Grant Dickson, owner and Sommelier at FermentAsian, Barossa Valley

“Tannat, red wine originating in the southwest of France, with high quality samples also found from Uruguay.” Leo Au, Chief Sommelier at Swire Hotels, Hong Kong

“Öküzgözü from Turkey, because it’s a big, round, dark grape. It is the grape with the biggest fine wine potential in Turkey.” Alan Sun, Sommelier at The Mira, Hong Kong