Best Value
Angove Long Row Merlot 2023
Riverland, SA
$11.17per bottle
$134.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Food & wine pairing
Best wine with a meat pie
The footy classic deserves better than a can: soft, savoury reds.
How are you cooking it?
Chicken and leek: Creamy fillings want softer, gentler fruit.
Merlot
Plummy and gentle. A good choice for a creamy chicken pie too.
- 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
Smith's Lane Estate Merlot 2022
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Deakin Estate Merlot 2025
South East Australia
$12.17per bottle
$146.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Rockcliffe Estate Peaceful Bay Merlot 2022
Denmark, WA
$13.33per bottle
$160.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Grenache & GSM blends
Juicy and soft, so it won’t fight the tomato sauce on top.
- 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
Shiraz
Rich gravy and minced beef suit a ripe, mid-priced Shiraz. Nothing fancy needed.
- 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
Tip
Steak and pepper pies love Shiraz; chicken and leek pies switch happily to Chardonnay.
Best avoided
Big, oaky reds and anything expensive. A pie is about comfort, not ceremony.
About a meat pie and wine
Today’s picks run from $11.00 to $19.42 a bottle, chosen for value from 839 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 a meat pie?
Shiraz, Grenache & GSM blends and Merlot are the best matches for a meat pie. Rich gravy and minced beef suit a ripe, mid-priced Shiraz. Nothing fancy needed.
What’s a good cheap wine with a meat pie?
Rhythm and Rhyme Shiraz NV is the cheapest of today’s picks at $11.00 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.
What wine should I avoid with a meat pie?
Big, oaky reds and anything expensive. A pie is about comfort, not ceremony.