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What to drink ... with hearty soups

Forget convention, there are many varieties to team with flavoursome winter fare.

Jane Faulkner

Classic winter fare: Chicken and vegetable soup.
Classic winter fare: Chicken and vegetable soup.Marina Oliphant

UNDER $25

Les Courtilles Cotes du Rhone 2011, $20

While Chianti Classico works well with minestrone topped with loads of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, so does this Rhone red. Les Courtilles Cotes du Rhone is a ripper of a wine for the price, a blend of mostly grenache plus syrah, with a dash of mourvedre and carignan. It's bursting with bright dark and red fruits with loads of spice, woodsy with hints of red liquorice and has grenache's distinct grainy tannins. It's medium-weighted and really gluggable, thanks to its cleansing acidity and freshness. A terrific everyday drinking red. Try Boccaccio Cellars in Balwyn or Blairgowrie IGA.

UNDER $40

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Ulithorne Epoch Rosé 2012 Cotes de Provence, $38

Rosé is often associated with summer, but when a pot of Provencal fish soup is on the stove, its aroma makes me want to drink rosé, especially one from Provence. Australian winemaker Rose Kentish heads there each year to make such a wine, an equal blend of grenache and cinsault, and the result is Epoch. The trick to enjoying rosé in winter is not to chill it too much, and with Epoch there's enough snappy acidity, definition and red fruits to match it to a soup that's a robust seafood stew. Try Decanters by the Bay, Port Melbourne.

$40 AND OVER

Lethbridge Pinot Noir 2011, $40

Lethbridge produces exceptional wine, which is hardly surprising given the attention to detail apparent in the vineyard and winery. This 2011 is no different, despite it being a difficult, wet season. It's medium-bodied, a wine to relish now, and I really like it because of its approachability. It has a lovely fragrance, all earthy, damp forest floor and mushroomy, too, that follows through on the palate and melds with tangy, yet ripe, red cherry fruit. Serve on a cold night with a chunky vegetable soup. From Lethbridge Wines, Lethbridge.

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SPLURGE

Domenica Roussanne Marsanne 2012, $48

Domenica is the debut label from former Giaconda winemaker Peter Graham, while the fruit comes from an established Beechworth vineyard he now owns. This is a sensational wine and I absolutely love its palate - with phenolics adding to its weight and shape. It's full of ripe stone fruit and Packham pear, honeysuckle, too: rich and succulent yet by no means heavy. White wines with texture such as Domenica's blend go well with French onion soup, complementing the cheese and toast topping as much as the broth beneath. From Blackhearts & Sparrows.

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