Our wine writer’s top three tips for navigating restaurant wine lists on a budget
The main issues with restaurant wine lists are their size and complexity and that their contents can be three times more expensive than bottle-shop prices.
- Start by looking for less fashionable wines, such as riesling, semillon, marsanne, chenin blanc (white); grenache shiraz mataro blends, tempranillo and touriga (either local or Iberian), barbera and sangiovese, and basic Chianti and Cotes du Rhone (red).
- Shiraz has always been good value, but avoid Burgundy, Barolo and Barbaresco.
- Big-name Champagne is also prohibitively expensive: stick to premium Australian bubbly.
Three to try*
- Best’s Great Western Riesling 2025,($27)
Very light, almost pale green-yellow colour. Restrained and yeasty aromas of lemon blossom, green herbs, crushed chalk and mandarin, the palate is soft. Enjoyable young with a track record for ageing. - Pirie Tasmania Traditional Method Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV($40)
A ready-to-drink fizz with charm, refinement and creamy texture. Straw, meringue and dried flower aromas with a talcy aspect. - Turkey Flat Butchers Block Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2024 ($30)
Deep, bright purple-red with sweet, raspberry pastille, spice, gently minty aromas. Almost pinot-esque, medium full-bodied and intense. Drink or cellar.
*Note: The following prices are retail; expect to pay twice to three times as much in a restaurant.
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