Summer Love: Emily May Rosé Meets Its Perfect Match
First published February 2025 – updated January 2026
Look, I’m going to be straight with you – this Asian Pork Belly Skewers and Mango Slaw situation with our Emily May Rosé is bloody good. Like, make-it-three-times-in-one-week good.
about emily may rosé
Every bottle of Emily May Rosé tells a story, and it starts with my remarkable Gran Emiline May Reschke. She lived until 99, was a Scrabble champion, floral artist, and honestly just the kind of woman who made everyone around her better. This wine’s our way of keeping her spirit around – a bit of elegance, a bit of sass, and a whole lot of character.
what the people are saying…
Look, we’re not going to pretend we don’t get a kick out of good reviews. Graham recently told us: “This is a lovely wine. Have sampled many examples of Rosé and I find this one stands out in the crowd! I think your grandmother has remained a good influence!”
And Ange kept it simple: “My fave Rosé! Originally tried for the low sugar and low sulphur, but the flavour has me hooked.”
This wine’s got that Turkish delight meets fresh strawberry thing going on, but without the sugar hit. It’s the kind of rosé that converts the “I don’t really drink rosé” crowd. Vegan-friendly, low sulphur, no residual sugar – basically everything you want without the stuff you don’t. It’s classic, pour me another glass because it’s so gosh darn tasty.
Skewers & Slaw: The Ultimate Rosé Sidekick
So with pork belly, when you get it right, it’s absolute gold. These skewers will take about 30 minutes once you’ve marinated them (so do that bit in the morning or the night before, easy as). The marinade’s a mixture of hoisin, kecap manis, soy, so it’s got that sticky, caramelised Asian BBQ vibe that just works.
Then you’ve got this mango slaw on the side that’s fresh and zingy, and honestly? If you weren’t drooling already, I’m pretty sure you are now…
Why it Works
The Emily May Rosé cuts through the fat of the pork belly (that’s the acidity doing its thing), and the fruit notes in the wine mirror what’s happening with the mango. It’s not rocket science – you’ve got sweet, savoury, fresh, rich all playing nicely together.
Serve the rosé cold. Like, fridge cold. Don’t overthink it.
If you’re short on time, honestly just grab a bag of pre-shredded slaw from Woolies or Coles and chuck some mango through it. No one’s judging.
The Ultimate Summer Experience
We’ve also put together a playlist that works with this whole vibe. Good tunes, good food, good wine – you know the drill.
If you’re after more summer entertaining ideas, check out our summer cocktail recipes or have a look at what’s on at the cellar door over the next few months.
Asian Pork Belly Skewers & Mango Slaw
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 500 g pork belly
For the Marinade
- 6 tbsp hoisin
- 6 tbsp kecap manis
- 2 tbsp soy
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Slaw
- 1 mango
- 1 cup red cabbage
- 1 cup white cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt
- 1 tbsp honey
To Garnish
- 1 red chilli – sliced finely
- Coriander
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix all marinade ingredients together and split it into ¾ & ¼ amounts
- Remove the skin from the pork belly (you can also ask your butcher when you buy it to do this for you)
- Slice pork belly into ½ inch strips, then Slice the strips into ½ inch pieces so you have small cubes
- Marinate pork in ¾ of the marinade for 30mins – 4 hours
- Skewer the pork onto skewers – if using wooden skewers soak them in water for minimum 30mins to stop them burning
- For the slaw, slice the cabbages thinly using a mandoline or sharp knife and julienne the mango and carrot
- Heat the BBQ to 250c, once at temprature, Grill the pork for 8 minutes, turning a couple times to char all over
- Combine all slaw ingredients together, ready to serve up.
- Drizzle the skewers with the remaining ¼ marinade mix and serve with slaw
Notes
- Don’t skip removing the skin from the pork belly or it’ll be tough as old boots
- Can’t be bothered with skewers? Just grill thick strips of pork belly instead (about 1cm thick)
- Pork belly loves hot and fast cooking, but watch it – overcook it and it goes tough
- Not a pork belly person? Chicken thighs work great (though honestly, this recipe might convert you!)
- Time-poor? Grab a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw and just add the mango – I promise no one will know
what food goes best with Rosé?
Rosé’s actually pretty versatile. Grilled meats, seafood, Asian food, salads – it handles most things. The Emily May especially works well with anything that’s got a bit of fat to it (like pork belly) because the acidity cuts through nicely.
how cold should Rosé be?
Fridge cold. About 8-10°C if you want to be technical, but honestly just put it in the fridge and you’re good. Don’t freeze it though – that mutes all the flavour.
can you drink rosé with BBQ?
Absolutely. Rosé is one of the best wines for BBQ actually. The acidity handles fatty meats, and because Emily May’s a dry style with no sugar, it doesn’t clash with savoury marinades.
is rosé just for summer?
Nah, you can drink it year-round. But let’s be honest, it really shines on a hot day when you’re eating something off the BBQ.
let us know how you go
Seriously, we love seeing what people do with our wine and recipes. Tag us @koonara_wines on Instagram or use #EmilyMayRose
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