Return of the Sunday Roast

Families wandering in from the bluster, dumping coats and scarves and gloves, parking Grandma in the corner and the kids and the Labrador by the fire.

"All potatoes cooked in duck-fat" the disclaimer reads at the bottom of the chalkboard. Pints of real ale, gin and tonics and the perfect Sunday roast.

They know how to do it the Poms, but having inherited the simple delight in a slow roasted joint of meat from our English forefathers and mothers – particularly here in the most English of Barossa settlements, Angaston – we think this family staple is ready for a comeback.

But being the multicultural country we are, nothing beats the subtle flavours of the Italian classic, roast loin of pork with fennel.

While traditionalists can replace the fennel with apple, we like the aniseed sharpness that marries with the pork.

So here it is, the perfect Sunday roast recipe and its ideal wine pairing – Cabernet Shiraz – for slow winter weekends…

When you're enjoying a good cut of meat with family or friends, it's worth spending a little time on wine matching.

Where there's fat (and let's face it there has to be a little selvedge for flavour and tenderness) you need “cut” in a wine – refreshing acidity that complements that rich mouth feel by cleansing the palate, tingling the side of the tongue and aiding digestion.

Roasts require red and Cabernet Shiraz is the perfect choice – rich, juicy, textural Shiraz offset by the acidity and tannins of Cabernet, finishing with a long line and length.

Here at Yalumba, we've made Cabernet Shiraz our life's work for more than a century, and as a result we're now the leading exponent of the style.

From the engaging, mouth-filling pleasure of The Scribbler, the time-honoured style of The Signature, (both 100% Barossa fruit), and the elegance and purity of the Eden Valley's FDR1A, to the pure luxury of The Caley (a classic blend of Coonawarra Cabernet and Barossa Shiraz), Yalumba has the style covered at every price point.

A final note to ponder on during the post-roast snooze… the acid structure of Cabernet Shiraz makes it age beautifully, often reaching its perfect drinking window after two decades.

This means it's the most reliable proposition to purchase on the birth of the new son or daughter (or grandson and granddaughter) and open on their 21st – perhaps another occasion for a family roast?