#BYOB – Tips on How to Build Your Own Bar

Whether you’re starting to #BYOB or looking for new wines to add to your prized collection, a well-stocked wine bar at home is a must for any wine lover. For us, the ideal home collection serves to not only impress guests or cater to special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays, but serve you well for a leisurely family lunch or simple nightcap. Here are some of our favourite tips for building your perfect home wine bar, including some of our wines on promotion this month so you can put together your collection easily and enjoy some savings along the way. 

Red and white wines for casual day-drinking

Whether you’re taking a relaxing bubble bath, rushing through some work or even just re-reading your favourite novel for the tenth time, we love having a glass in hand while doing life. Having a decent dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc will satisfy what you’re looking for in an ‘everyday’ white. The Sauvignon Blanc 2020 by La Forge Estate pairs with a wide range of food and features aromas of tropical fruits and herbaceous hints. You can look forward to gooseberry, melon and citrus zest in the mouth with a mineral finish and lingering grapefruit and grassy flavours. For vibrant everyday reds, Australian and Spanish wines are hard to beat. The Ferngrove Frankland River Shiraz 2019 from Frankland River, Australia offers firm, ripe tannins that combine perfectly with the red cherry berry fruit and sweet spice. The delicate toasty French oak finish gives the wine lovely length and appeal.

Image Credit: The San Francisco Peninsula

Versatile red wines and white wines for fancy dinners

Picking special occasion wines are a bit trickier as you’d want to ensure it pairs well with the cuisine of the night but when in doubt, stick with the classics like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay for the white wines and Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds. The Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc 2019 opens with ripe, tropical fruit flavours followed by crisp, refreshing acidity on the mid-palate and a long, clean, balanced finish. A crowd-pleasing bottle, it satisfies different palates and completes a variety of meals. You can go for a single-grape wine as they are easier to pair but you could also pick a banger like the Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.2 2016 to impress even the most discerning wine aficionados. With a mixed berry profile, the primary fruit leads onto savoury graphite and white pepper underpinned by background stalkiness and concentrated meatiness.

Sparkling wine for everyday sipping or celebrations

The alcoholic hallmark of any celebration, sparkling wine has always been the top choice for birthdays, anniversaries, or our personal favourite — bottomless Sunday brunch. While people tend to gravitate towards champagnes, we love the underrated rosé or cava for these occasions as well. One that we always recommend is the Raventos de Nit 2020, an intriguing rosé made up of traditional Cava varieties with a touch of Monastrell. Specially complex and elegant, this pairs perfectly with delicate sandwiches, sliced ham and young cheeses. For a more laid back affair, the Pasqua Spumante Romeo & Juliet IGT Rosé NV carries delicate aromas and flavours of strawberry, cherry and rose petals, with an off-dry finish and refreshing acidity that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. 

Ride on the biodynamic wine trend

With the increasing popularity of natural or biodynamic wines in the past few years, you’ll definitely want to keep a couple of these bottles in your home bar. The Kisi – Qvevri 2020 is made by Nine Oaks Estate in Georgia, using only organically grown estate fruit, transforming it to natural craft wine made from spontaneous fermentation of native yeast, without the use of chemicals or added sulfites. You can expect notes of honey and dried apricots, resulting in a harmonious, spicy taste and a pleasant bouquet.  For a natural red wine, we typically reach out for the Cariño Rouge 2020 by Mas Des Agrunelles, which is a medium to light bodied wine with smooth and gentle tannins. Featuring notes of cherry, fennel and tobacco, this isn’t one of your ‘overly funky’ natural wines and likely to be a hit with everyone. 

Have all the wine on your list but no accessories? We got you. Peruse our range of wine accessories — from glassware to wine chiller — that will complete your at-home wine experience. Cheers!