Best Value
Winesmiths Premium Cabernet Merlot 2000ml
SA
$7.94per 750ml equivalent
$127.00 for 6 × 2L
Cellars
Food & wine pairing
Best wine with roast lamb
Herb-friendly reds: Cabernet for the roast, Pinot for pink racks.
How are you cooking it?
Roast leg: Rosemary and garlic love Cabernet’s minty, cassis side.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Hints of mint and cassis that sit perfectly next to rosemary and garlic. Coonawarra and Margaret River do this beautifully.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Firm tannin is softened by the fat and protein
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Stonegate Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Riverland, SA
$10.67per bottle
$128.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Angove Long Row Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Riverland, SA
$11.17per bottle
$134.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Smith's Lane Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Shiraz
Rich enough for a slow-cooked shoulder that falls off the bone.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Firm tannin is softened by the fat and protein
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Rhythm and Rhyme Shiraz NV
Riverland, SA
$11.00per bottle
$132.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Angove Long Row Shiraz 2023
Riverland, SA
$11.17per bottle
$134.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Smith's Lane Estate Shiraz 2022
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Deakin Estate Shiraz 2025
South East Australia
$12.17per bottle
$146.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Grenache & GSM blends
Spicy, herbal and juicy. Brilliant with lamb rubbed in cumin, oregano or za’atar.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Angove ESTD 1886 SMG Shiraz Mourvèdre Grenache 2024
Riverland, SA
$16.67per bottle
$100.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Mr Mick Grenache 2024
Clare Valley, SA
$18.17per bottle
$109.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Sister's Run Cow's Corner Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2022
Barossa, SA
$19.42per bottle
$233.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Cellier des Dauphins Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2024
Rhone Valley, France
$19.42per bottle
$233.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Pinot Noir
Lighter and silky. Best with a pink lamb rack or cutlets rather than a long roast.
- Lighter than the dish: best with a lighter version of it
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Plus & Minus Pinot Noir NV
SA
$13.67per bottle
$164.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Pete's Pure Pinot Noir 2025
Murray Darling, NSW
$13.67per bottle
$164.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Deakin Estate Pinot Noir 2025
South East Australia
$13.83per bottle
$83.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Tempus Two Silver Series Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV
South Eastern Australia
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Tip
Lamb fat coats the palate, so a red with some grip works better than a soft, jammy one.
Best avoided
Very oaky whites can taste bitter next to roasted garlic and herbs.
About lamb and wine
Today’s picks run from $7.94 to $19.42 a bottle, chosen for value from 1,891 matching wines across the Australian retailers we compare. Six-packs and dozens are shown as a price per bottle.
Questions
What wine goes best with lamb?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Grenache & GSM blends are the best matches for lamb. Hints of mint and cassis that sit perfectly next to rosemary and garlic. Coonawarra and Margaret River do this beautifully.
What’s a good cheap wine with lamb?
Winesmiths Premium Cabernet Merlot 2000ml is the cheapest of today’s picks at $7.94 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.
What wine should I avoid with lamb?
Very oaky whites can taste bitter next to roasted garlic and herbs.
