You got invited to the dinner party (congrats!)
Picking the best wine for a dinner party is a minefield. If it's too cheap it's being put at the back of the cupboard, too fancy and then you're a try hard (and out of pocket).
Let us show you a few bottles that look expensive, cost less than they should, and will make you seem like you actually know what you’re doing.
3 things not to forget
Dinner party wine needs to do three things:
Look chic or expensive (but isn’t).
Taste like you know your shit (even if you absolutely don’t).
Say “I’m cultured” without screaming “I just Googled this five minutes ago.”
Enter the Elevated Classics Collection by Melbourne Winery.
These bottles are god-tier when it comes to dinner party status.
First off, the labels? Aesthetic as hell.
Then the prices? Even better.
And the best part? They will get opened, poured, and praised.
Chardonnay
Grab a bottle of Chardonnay if you’re headed to a dinner party where you know there will be cloth napkin and some playlist that gives ‘elevator music’ but make it chic. The host definitely has a wine fridge and the table looks like a pinterest board come to life.
It’s early spring, 22º, windows open. The breeze smells like herbs and ambition.
What’s for dinner?
Seared scallops, asparagus with lemon, maybe a risotto no one admits took three hours.
And this wine? It shows up polished, bright, and ever so slightly smug (but not in a douchy way).
Perfect for flexing your good taste without trying too hard.
Sangiovese
This is a good chaotic dinner. Long table, backyard, mismatched chairs, someones cousin turns up uninvited and is chatting someones ear off. There’s a dog, unsure if stray. The vibe though? Spontaneous and slightly unhinged, there is definitely people here going to revs tonight even though its Wednesday.
It’s balmy, you picked the perfect wine that is enjoyed by itself or with ice blocks.
What’s for dinner?
Something probably organic or vegan (which shits you) but you’d never know because it tastes that good.
Rose
You’re attending that effortlessly cool dinner. Rooftop terrace, golden hour, tiny plates that barely fit how much you want to eat but you don’t care because they are aesthetic.
People are passing around their camera, and catching up on the latest.
What’s for dinner?
Antipasti boards, grilled peaches, chicken with rosemary and a side of gossip.
This rosé is soft but structured, charming but not fluffy. Just like that friend who arrives with nothing and still somehow contributes the most.
A total crowd-pleaser that ends up in everyone’s Insta story.
Prosecco
This is the wine you bring when something worth celebrating is in the air (or you simply decided you all getting together was celebratory enough).
You’re at a dinner party that turned into a celebration. A promotion. A breakup (the good kind). Someone bought a new rug and needed an excuse to show it off. Doesn’t matter, you bought bubbles.
It’s 24º, someone just yelled “should we open another bottle?”, and no one’s using their indoor voice anymore.
What’s for dinner?
Honestly, food is a background character. There’s cake. There’s something with whipped feta. Someone tried to make mini tacos but forgot the mini part.
Shiraz
It’s a winter night in Melbourne and you’re headed to a dinner party in a friend’s apartment that definitely doesn’t have proper heating. You’re wearing your best knit, pretending not to be freezing, and praying someone brought a good red. Spoiler: it’s you.
The lighting is moody, the music is mellow, and someone’s put a blanket over their legs before the first course.
What’s for dinner?
Think: something slow-roasted, lots of garlic, probably a crumble to finish. It’s hearty, comforting, and perfectly matched to wine that’s got warm hug energy.
This Shiraz is rich, dark, and ready to defrost your soul. You don’t drink this, you sink into it.
