Winter Meals That Were Basically Made for a Glass of Shiraz

There’s a particular kind of winter evening, cold outside, something slow-cooked filling the house with its smell, that just calls for a glass of red. Not a delicate, sip-and-analyse red either. A big, warming, unpretentious Shiraz that can stand up to hearty food and a long night in.

I’ve been cooking my way through winter with exactly this in mind, and my go-to bottle lately has been Squealing Pig Silky Shiraz. It’s full-bodied without being fussy, with notes of dark berries, plum and a touch of black pepper and smoky oak that make it a genuinely easy match for rich, slow-cooked winter food. Here’s what’s been on high rotation in my kitchen, and what I’ve been pouring alongside it.

A rich beef ragu, simmered for hours until it falls apart at the touch of a fork, is one of those meals that seems to exist purely to be eaten with red wine. The tomato base and deep, meaty flavour hold their own against a bolder Shiraz, and the wine’s dark fruit and spice notes echo everything happening in the pot. Serve over pappardelle with a generous grate of parmesan.

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, the kind that needs nothing more than a fork to serve, pairs beautifully with a full-bodied Shiraz like Squealing Pig. The wine’s peppery notes complement the rosemary and garlic, and there’s something about a Sunday roast and a proper glass of red that feels like the whole point of winter.

For a vegetarian option that still holds up to a bold red, a mushroom risotto with plenty of thyme and a generous finish of butter and parmesan does the trick. The earthy, umami depth of the mushrooms matches the wine’s dark, brooding character surprisingly well.

Pepper Steak with Roasted Vegetables

This one is almost too easy. A good steak with a proper cracked pepper crust, alongside roasted root vegetables, is a natural match for a peppery Shiraz. Let the wine breathe for ten minutes before pouring and the pairing gets even better.

On the nights I don’t feel like cooking at all, a cheese board with a sharp cheddar, a wedge of blue and some fig paste, alongside a glass of Squealing Pig Silky Shiraz, feels like a completely legitimate dinner. No judgement here.

Winter cooking is at its best when it’s slow, generous and made for sharing, and a good bottle of Shiraz only makes the whole thing feel a little more like an occasion.