And the winner is...

Congratulations goes to Neil Beck of Robina in Queensland, who is our winner of the 2006 Standish Wine Co. 'The Standish' Shiraz Magnum from Barossa Valley - well done!   Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned as early next year we will choose another great bottle of wine to give away to one of our subscribers.

Wine Cocktails - Sophisticated and Retro

It's December and your probably crazy busy with Christmas parties over the next few weeks.  If you're thinking about having a party yourself then why not consider these 'wine lover' cocktails?

Wine-based cocktails...This is where sommeliers and bar tenders get the chance to team up to create some exciting combinations.  For me, it's cool to see wine in a different light, where its 'part' of something as opposed to the main focal point.  More and more restaurants are incorporating wine-based cocktails, beer and sake into tasting menus in search of matches to take things over the edge.

'Virtually Venice'  (Sophisticated)

• 30ml Veneto inspired red (I'd recommend the 2007 Freeman 'Secco' from Hilltops in NSW)
• Freshly pulped raspberry (use 10)
• 30ml Dubonnet (a sweet wine-based aperitif)
• 30ml Armagnac
• Sugar syrup
• Prosecco sparkling wine

Method:  Thoroughly pulp raspberry, red wine, sugar syrup, dubonnet and armagnac. Add ice then shake and strain.  Slowly pour Prosecco in champagne flute over the pulped mixture. Garnish with one raspberry.

Would go well with:  Turkey and cranberry sauce, cured ham & olives, roasted pork with apple sauce.

Tell your friends:  The Freeman 'Secco' red is a blend of rondinella and corvina - these are the prized amarone grapes which are natives of the Veneto region in north-east Italy, but do well in Hilltops too.

Click here to buy a bottle of 2007 Freeman 'Secco' from Hilltops ($30 per bottle)

Click here to buy NV Serafini & Vidotto Bollicine di Prosecco from Veneto ($20 per bottle)

'Santa's Slay' (Sophisticated)

• 15ml campari
• 10ml ruby red grapfruit juice
• 45ml tanqueray gin
• 150ml dry rosé style Sparkling or Champagne (for the foam)  
• 20ml rose syrup (for the foam)
• 300ml egg whites (for the foam)

Method:  Muddle 1/3 ruby red grapefruit with a teaspoon of white sugar, add the campari and tanqueray, add ice, shake and double strain into a martini glass.  To make the foam you will need a cream whipper/soda syphon.. Add 300ml of egg whites, 150ml dry rosé sparkling and 20ml of rose syrup in a boston shaker.  Then add this to the soda syphon and charge.  I'd recommend charging it twice.  If you haven't got a syphon then not to worry, just use a mix master to blend the mix thoroughly.  Then you are set to layer the top of martini glass with the Rose emulsion.


Tell your friends: It's not from Champagne but it's French, dry and delicious. The NV Bouvet Rosé Excellence is a great value alternative, it is made in the Loire Valley from Cabernet Franc.  

Click here to buy a cream whipper/soda syphon (approx $95 each).
Click here to buy some NV Bouvet 'rosé excellence' brut  ($34 per bottle).

'Wet Your Whistle'  (Retro)

• 60ml Henriques & Henriques Madeira 'Monte Secco Extra Dry' 3 year old
• 1/2 fresh lime
• Dash bitters
• Soda water

Method:  Squeeze fresh lime over ice in highball glass.  Add dash bitters.  Fill half way with soda and then add 60ml Madeira. Add touch more soda..Stir with swizzle stick.

Would go well with with:  Smoked salmon with capers, fresh prawns with aioli, spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce.  If you want to give the Madeira a go by itself then serve it chilled - it would go great with christmas pudding or hard cheese with quince paste and crackers.

Tell your friends:  The island of Madeira is located west of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean. It has become famous for its fortified wine, which is deliberately heated to replicate the sea voyages during the 'Age of Exploration', where intense movement and equatorial temperatures transformed the wine into Madeira (an accident that was meant to be!).

Recommended:  At the start of the evening to get the palate going.

Click here to buy some lip smacking Madeira for this great aperitif cocktail! ($26 per bottle)

'80s Wine Cooler'  (Retro)

• 30ml cointreau
• 30ml strawberry liqueur
• Riesling (I'd use something youthful, bone dry from the Eden Valley, South Australia)
• Macerated fruits (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, mulberry).  Ideally you want to macerate the fruit in the cointreau and strawberry liqueur for 48 hours before using to intensify the flavours.

Method: Mix macerated fruits thoroughly and then in a white wine glass pour the Riesling over the macerated fruit mix.  If you like a bit of spritz then add some ice and soda.  Serve in a wine glass.

Recommended:  Making a pre-mix fruit maceration in bulk to save time.

As another option to keep the 'red' theme going, you might want to consider a sparkling shiraz at some point as it will also pair nicely with your turkey, ham and of course... the legendary pudding.  Stay tuned for more on this delicious drop!

Win a Shiraz Magnum - just in time for the festive season!

Magnums are a larger format of wine bottle (1.5 litres) that look fantastic, plus they are a great way to celebrate the festive season.. and for a bigger parties of people they tend to last that little bit longer!  Wine typically ages slower and more evenly out of magnum, as the ratio of wine to air is greater.


It's getting close to the 10th of December, when we'll be giving away a Magnum of 2006 Standish 'Standish' Shiraz from the Barossa worth over $200.  It's not too late to enter the competition - just by subscribing to this blog or leaving a comment puts you in the draw for this fantastic wine.


And if you've got friends and family who are interested in wine - let them know about it - if they win the Magnum I'm sure they'll invite you over to help drink it!


The Standish Wine Company make real wines that uniquely express the Barossa Valley- they have a distinct personality. The 2006 Standish 'Standish' Shiraz is from a single vineyard planted in 1912 and soils are fine white sand over deep, heavy red clay.   The talented Dan Standish, ex Torbreck, comes from a 6th generation Barossan grape growing family, so he knows a thing or two about the Barossa. Plus he has gained incredible international experience in Spain, America and France.


The 2006 Standish has a mouthwatering silky texture backed up by intense blackberry and plum notes and aromatic spices. Delicious now but also set up for the long-term.

Thanks everyone for your support so far  - and good luck on December 10th for the competition!

Pinot Noir - Try these two Australian wonder drops

Pinot Noir produces some of the most expressive (and expensive!) wines on the planet.  It's a variety that is super versatile with food and on its day can fly solo like no other.  Pinot Noir is known as the 'king' of red grape varieties and the name is derived from the French words for 'pine' and 'black' which alludes to the varietal's tightly clustered, pine-cone shaped bunches. Typically, it is thin skinned with small berries. 

The popularity of pinot has risen dramatically in the last few years, and a more defined approach in Australia has seen significant sub-regional differences from individual wine regions.  For me, good Pinot is so appealing as although it contains tannins, it can be the most silky, slurpy and downright seductive drink around.  One of my all time favourite 'pinot' moments was opening a 1987 Mount Mary Pinot at ARIA, and it being every bit as delicious as I'd hoped -  the acidity was still in check and it had really interesting secondary characters.

Victoria in Australia hails as one of the best producing cool climate pinot states and is one of my all time favourite places to visit.... but I thought it would be exciting to highlight a couple of 'lesser' known, but still excellent quality regions that can sing a serious pinot song.

2005 Hatherleigh Pinot Noir, Southern Tablelands  New South Wales ($45 per bottle)

This Pinot is made by 'Master of Wine' Nick Bullied, and the vineyard is located in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales.  Nick is a long-term Brokenwood partner, show judge and wine-maker..  These vines are located at Crookwell, at the Great Diving Range, so the vineyard is in excess of 900 metres altitude.  The label is Hatherleigh and the current release comes from the 2005 vintage.  This wine shows how good a pinot can look when it's given some extra time in bottle to develop.  Bravo to Nick for holding the wine back.

Tasting notes:  light body, brick red hue with aromatics of sour cherry, stewed plum, damp earth and spice. The palate has a 'Euro' feel with great intensity and unique, grippy tannins that cry out for some food.

Would go well with:  mushroom risotto with parmesan cheese, charcuterie plate with calamata olives and anchovy sticks, natural rinded cow's milk cheeses.  If your a fish fanatic then Barramundi is a winner with this - it has an earthy complexity and with a red wine based sauce it would marry well.

Tell your friends:  There are currently 299 people who have the 'Master of Wine' qualification in the world and 18 come from Australia.

To serve:  If you can serve your pinot around 16 degrees it will gradually warm up nicely in the glass.  If you serve it lightly chilled then you can pair it with a greater array of dishes.

To buy: Click here to get your hands on a bottle of Nick's pinot (or two!).

2009 The Lake House 'Premium Reserve' Pinot Noir, Denmark  Great Southern WA ($45 per bottle)

The second pinot of interest is from Denmark in the Great Southern region of Western Australia..  Denmark is one of five sub-regions of Great Southern and is set in a stunning location. 'The Lake House' vineyard are making some exciting pinot that will make you take another sip.  Dynamic duo, Garry Capelli (owner and vigernon) and James Kellie (winemaker) are pushing boundaries and their inspiration has come from Vanya Cullen's biodynamic practices in Margaret River.

Great Southern, like Margaret River, is typically more famous for Chardonnay and Cabernet, due to the warmer climates and more coastal influences.  On a wine list, I've found that listing pinots from W.A attracts interest, and at ARIA we have had great success with Picardy wines from Pemberton, which I believe age exceptionally well.

Tasting notes:  super light bodied with aromas of rhubarb, wild sage, freshly cut strawberries.. leading to a red fruit laden palate with a velvety texture and a lick of cedary/toasty oak on the back.

Would go well with:  duck breast with pomegranates & rocket with balsamic glaze, italian sausages with grilled onions and sweet potato mash, peking duck pancakes, roasted pork belly with hoisin sauce.

Tell your friends:  The Pannell family of Picardy in Pemberton are the pioneers of Pinot Noir in Western Australia.  They founded Moss Wood in Margaret River in 1969. Try their Tete de Cuvee pinot (best of vintage) - one of Australia's finest and one that will age gracefully.

To buy: Click here to grab a bottle of this Western Australian wonder drop.

Organic Sake that tastes like pears

Akishika Shuzō 'Pressed Moto' Sake 2010,  Ōsaka Japan ($56.50)

Sake is a super unique fermented beverage that's essentially made from rice, water, yeast and kōji (mold). The first records of Sake production date back to approximately 300 AD. I still see it as an under-rated beverage, but its popularity is increasing as is the awareness of how versatile and delicious it can be.


Courtesy of artisan purveyor 'Black Market Sake' we now have the opportunity to explore and taste some exciting styles of Sake never seen before in Australia that have been sourced from the finest Master Brewers in Japan.  The common theme throughout the range is that they are made without the addition of distilled alcohol (Junmai-shu). Some brewers of cheap Sake use lots of alcohol in order to increase yields but in this case it's all about quality.  The end result is incredibly pure examples which work well both as aperitifs and at different stages throughout a meal. I love them because they offer textures and flavours that enter the unknown... they will change your perception forever!  At ARIA, we have had great success in using some older Sake (up to 33 years old) as alternatives for sherry or madeira in food and wine combinations.

Sake producer Akishika Shuzō from Ōsaka  has been around since a staggering 1886 and the brewing of Sake in this prefecture began in the middle ages. The current master brewer at Akishika is Oku-san, a sixth generation owner who is setting incredibly high standards for others to aspire to.  This 'Pressed Moto' is a very unique Sake where before main fermentation Oku-san creates a starter mash  known as the  'Mother of Sake', which is known locally as 'Moto' (yeast starter). This begins the fermentation of the main Sake mash.  The traditional Yamahai method (created in 1909) is used here which takes about a month (for more modern sake methods this time is less), but the main focus from the brewer is to capture the heart or core of the Sake, so the lactobacillus bacteria from the air is allowed to join the Moto (creating lactic acid).  The result is a full-flavoured Sake with lower alcohol.

Akishika Shuzō - the Koji Rice

Tasting Notes:  pale straw colour, this sake has aromas of pear skin, granny smith apple and bran whilst the palate is remarkably refreshing with tangy citrus, grapey notes and a super-light, slightly sweet finish.  If your a fan of pear cider then this Sake is for you.


Glassware:  use your normal wine glasses - I really like the Riedel 'O' Series glasses (without stems), which keeps things informal but you still get all the aromatics and flavour profiles from the Sake.


Rice Variety: Omachi (like wine grape varieties, there are many rice types used in Sake, each of which exhibit different aromas and flavours).


Polishing: for this Sake it is 70%... varying polishing percentages present different flavours and aromas.


Alcohol:  this weighs in at 5.7% by volume which is very low compared to the more usual 14-18%.

Tell your friends: Sake contains no tannins and generally has a lower acidity than wine,  making it more versatile than wine for food matching. Tannins can give astringent or a tart taste in wine, but with Sake the removal of tannin bran during the milling process means the Sake will avoid these characters.


Would go well with: serve it chilled with smoked salmon and popped corn, roast pork with glazed apple, foie gras or duck liver parfait with rhubarb ... or in the dessert department I like it with passionfruit souffle, fruit-based desserts -even something really simple and fresh like mixed berry salad with pear sorbet.


Try it in a cocktail:  This week we created and tried this new recipe out.. it's delicious:

• 45ml Akishika Sake
• 30ml Vodka
• Fresh Lavender
• 15ml Sugar Syrup
• 1/2 Freshly Cut Pear

Muddle fresh pear and lavender together, add sugar syrup and then add the sake.  Shake and strain and serve super chilled in a Martini glass.  Garnish with thinly sliced pears.

To buy: Approx $56.50 for a 300ml bottle (or cheaper in a six pack)..  the best part is it will last for weeks once you open it.. Just keep it in the fridge. Click here to enquire about it from Annandale Cellars. Or call to order some: +61 2 9660 1947.

To find out more:  To visit the Black Market Sake website and to explore their uber drops click here .

 The 'Moto Room' at Akishika Shuzō 

 

Thinking outside the square - try this food and wine match at home

Last week my blog was all about food and wine matching and it proved to be very popular so I thought I'd share the food and wine match entry I submitted for the '2011 Yarrabank Sommelier of the Year' which is run in conjunction with Gourmet Traveller Magazine.

This match is left of centre,  but I wanted something unique and interesting while still being practical.  I was lucky enough to be this year's runner up and below you'll see what I put forward.

And the great thing is at the bottom of this post is everything you need to re-create both this dish and the wine match at home - if your up for the challenge!

Recipe Name:  Roast breast of pasture fed chicken with chicken oysters, 'mac and cheeese', mushrooms, leeks and turnips.

Chefs:  Matt Moran and Ben Turner

Wine Match: I chose the 2001 Yarrabank 'late disgorged' Cuvée (sparkling wine made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir at Yering Station in Victoria) to match this dish from ARIA Sydney's menu to put a new spin on the classic marriage of sparkling wine and cheese.  This wine has added complexity for 8 years on lees.

The chicken (from Bega NSW) is succulently sweet and melts in your mouth, the chicken oyster beignets bring savoury, herbal characters whilst the 'mac and cheese' adds complexity.  The jus gras tops the dish alongside mushrooms sautéed with eschallots, garlic and cream.

The 2001 Yarrabank 'Late Disgorged' Cuvée works so well with this dish because it keeps a good line of acidity, cutting through the cheese component, whilst still working in harmony with the chicken and the more savoury elements in the mushroom duxelle.

This wine match has two key concepts - texture and temperature.  That's why I chose to serve the Yarrabank in two different glasses, at two different temperatures, but at the same time.

Glass 1
Ten minutes prior to the dish being served, carefully decant a quarter of the bottle of Yarrabank into the 'Ovarius' decanter - a decanter originally developed in the Jura region of France, designed to enhance sparkling wine to showcase 'true terroir' characters through kinetic energy. (These are all hand blown decanters and are endorsed by some big name champagne producers). A taste can then be poured into a Red Burgundy glass just before the dish arrives.

Glass 2
Once the decanted Yarrabank is poured, immediately serve the same amount from the chilled bottle into a clean Champagne flute for the same person.

Explanation
When tasting this dish you get two small portions of the 2001 Yarrabank, in two different glasses, at two different temperatures.  The decanted Yarrabank is more specifically for the two meat components of the dish, the breast and the chicken oyster biegnets.  The bubbles are diffused in the decanter, resulting in a more 'creamy' texture, therefore showcasing more secondary characters such a brioche and also some earthy, herbal characters, which ties in well with the dish.  This glass is to be tried first and for me it's great to see this almost as a 'still' wine.

The second taste is from the Champagne flute and this is to be tried shortly after.  For me, this is more suited to the 'mac and cheese' and mushroom duxelle in this dish as it not only cuts through the richness from these ingredients, it leave the palate feeling fresh, enticing you to take another bite.

Idea behind the match
The idea of this match was to celebrate sparkling wine and to show how it can be enjoyed be over the course of a whole meal, as opposed to having it as an aperitif or for the first course.  In addition I wanted to show how a decanted glass of sparkling wine can take you on a different journey than that of a traditionally served 'glass of bubbles'. This can become a talking point for you and your friends and open the door to a larger spectrum of food and wine combinations.
                                                                                           
To cook: To cook pasture fed chicken with chicken oysters, 'mac and cheese', mushrooms, leeks and turnips click here. 


To drink:  To buy the 2001 Yarrabank 'Late Disgorged' Cuvée Sparkling  ($45 per bottle), Click here.


To decant: To buy a groovy Ovarius decanters, Click here.  Can be used for whites and reds too..

Tell your guests: Yering Station is Yarra Valley's first vineyard  (planted in 1838) and Yarrabank is a joint venture between Yering Station and Champagne house Devaux, making for one heck of team.

And finally, congratulations to Matt Brooke from Circa in Melbourne who pipped me at the post to be this year's winner - well done!  To check out more about the competition, the finalists, and some other great recipes and matches, click here.

Food and Wine Matching Demystified

Food and wine matching has been practised around the world for thousands of years and it's one of the most pleasurable yet challenging aspects of my job.

As head sommelier of ARIA I'm lucky enough to get feedback from customers on our matches.  It's often the match you think will work that doesn't and vice versa - but that's half the fun.  At the end of the day it's a matter of personal opinion what works and what doesn't but here are some thoughts to get you started.

1. The 'old school' train of thought is to match wines with food that has a similar or shared intensity  (eg rich food with rich wine,  or more delicate dishes with more elegant wines).  Wine and food pair well when they share common ground or backbone, just like people.  For example, twice cooked pork belly with glazed apple would typically marry well with an off-dry chenin blanc from the Loire Valley. This is because on the palate there are similar textures but the fruit sweetness of this wine would marry perfectly with the stickiness of the pork and the subtle apple component.
2. The 'opposites attract' (yin and yang) strategy was a revelation about 20 years ago and is still used and followed today.. this is where you might have a rich ingredient and use a wine to essentially 'cut' through it..  Such a match would be ripe Brie de Meaux cow's milk cheese paired with a non-vintage blanc de blancs champagne to go against the grain and cut through the oily richness.
3. Temperature and timing-  are you serving the wine at the correct temperature?  A red or white served too cold or warm may impair its true profile and hinder its partnership with the food.  Decanting white (yes whites) and red (and even sparkling) is a good way to bring wines to their optimum drinking temperatures and can also change/enhance their textures, flavour profiles and mouthfeel, making for more versatile options across a whole meal as opposed to just one course.
4. Always try to consider the focal point.. are you wanting to showcase a 'special' wine to your friends? In that case the food should work around the wine and play second fiddle, or are you promoting a certain dish or theme, in which case the wine should be part of the backstage crew.
5. You need to consider the cooking techniques (eg is it confit or grilled), plus what condiments/sauces (acidic or creamy?) are used as these all influence how a wine will pair 'overall'.  A simple dish with a potent sauce can often over-power a wine and the same can be said on the flipside.
6. For sweet foods... serve a riper style of wine from a warmer vintage, or choose a wine that has a similar degree of sweetness so they are on the same page (eg German Riesling from 2003).
7. For salty foods.... look at an off-dry or slightly sweet wine as they compliment each other.  Avoid high-alcohol wines or those with dominant oak. (eg try Alsace Pinot Gris or Joven Tempranillo).   
8. For spicy foods.... go for wines with some residual sugar or fruit sweetness, or dry and fresh Rosé (Bandol from Provence) is always a good option.  Gewürztraminer often has the spicy backbone to cover all bases but as a back-up I'd recommend you buy some beer as your secret weapon.
9. For bitter foods.... opt for wines high in acidity and that perhaps have a bit of oak dominance, drying tannins or a savoury finish (Italy is good.. Nebbiolo for red or for white try a Vermentino). 
10. For foods that are tart.... go for a wine with similar astringency or with greener characters.  Give red wine a miss here. (whites of choice: Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc or young hunter semillon)

Try the following experiments out on your friends - it's far better to get as many people involved as possible so I reckon its a good excuse for a dinner party!  And as always I'd love to hear your comments on what you uncovered.

• Try the same wine but in two different glasses to compare contrasting aromas, textures and flavours.  Glassware can make a massive difference so best to experiment.
• Try the same dish but with three different wines and go through a process of elimination, from worst to best. Do they sing on the palate with the dish or does one stick out more than it should?
• It's amazing what sight can do to 'trick' your mind.  It might make for a strange looking dinner party, but try a dish and the wine while blindfolded.  Pre-conceived ideas can limit a 'match made in heaven'.  Let the aromas and your taste buds do the talking.

One of the most inspiring 'wine and food' days I have had this year was with Catherine Faller of Domaine Weinbach in Alsace, France in June.  Her passion and enthusiasm blew me away and I really like her philosophy of producing wines of 'emotion' and 'pleasure'. When Catherine talked about their wines she kept listing great food matches.  She also had a great analogy: "the best wines I've tried are like a fine painting - everything is in balance and harmony.  The closer you get the more complex it is".  Catherine younger sister, Laurence, makes the wines now and a white of particular interest I tried that day was the 2009 Reserve Gewürztraminer which they paired with some Choucroute (local pork specialty), Foie Gras and Gruyere.  Pretty senstational stuff - one of the best I've tried...Gewürztraminer is the most aromatic grape variety in Alsace, on the nose there was a seductive perfume of pink florals (rose petals) with spicy sandlewood and candied orange peel, whilst the palate was silky with opulent stone fruits (white peach).  Powerful wine with some residual sugar but balanced by impeccable acidity.

The 2009 vintage of this wine is arriving on Australian shores soon. Click here to purchase. ($67 per bottle)

At the end of day keep food and wine matching fun - it's awesome to see faces light up when you get it right. If you can think outside the square and try some new techniques then you can experience a new journey, or perhaps re-live a favourite memory or blast from the past that can transport you to that special time or place.

Go on - I dare you to try a Riesling!

Riesling originates from Germany, first appearing in the Rhiengau region in 1435.  Its popularity is improving but it continues to be 'hot and cold' in the Australian market and with so many different styles people often still have the notion that it's going to be sweet.  In our restaurant it does have a following but it's often only sold by recommendation.  Many sweeter styles are produced (Australia included) but I challenge you to grab a bottle of a 'dryer' style, such as a young Clare Valley Riesling, and give it a red hot go.  Why?  Because in my mind, Riesling is one of the most versatile wines with food due to its acidity, plus it can live a long life and to see it evolve over time is both intriguing and rewarding.

So what is 'dry' Riesling? In Australia it's generally a Riesling with less than 8 grams of residual sugar per litre. Meanwhile the European Union classifies 'dry' as no more than 4 grams of residual sugar per litre.. no wonder things get confusing!  German wines labelled as 'trocken' (dry) are a good place to start, and are generally softer in their youth than most Australian Rieslings, usually there is a bit more fruit sweetness and the alcohol is a bit lower.

Kerri Thompson makes some of the best and purest Riesling in Australia.  Kerri is the owner/winemaker for 'wines by KT' in the Clare Valley and her CV includes previously being winemaker at Leasingham and working abroad both in Tuscany and France (Beaujolais). Kerri only picked 1 in 3 bunches during the very wet 2011 harvest, thus the yields are down on the previous vintage.  I have just tried her latest single vineyard releases and they are wines that will challenge your previous perceptions of Riesling.

This set of KT Riesling is on the 'dryer' scale and I like them because they have personality, energy and precision.  They also have a 'calmness' about them.  Kerri has adopted a natural farming philosophy going down the path of biodynamic practices.  This has lead to more microflora activity in the soil and improved that quality of the fruit.  Here's a run down of some of her latest gems:


2011 'Peglidis Vineyard' Watervale Riesling by KT  ($32 per bottle)
- highly aromatic and fresh with tangy citrus punch upfront (limey slate) and a dry, chalky finish.

2011 'Churinga Vineyard' Watervale Riesling by KT ($32 per bottle)
- riper than the Peglidis with floral fennel notes and lime/lemon freshness. Some more exotic yellow fruit characters.  Finishes dry and clean.

2011 'Melva' Watervale Riesling by KT  ($28 per bottle)
- contains about 9 grams of residual sugar, more of an off-dry style (slight sweetness).  Same citric profile with with a more pillowy texture and softer framework.  More opulence and upfront primary fruits.

Tasting Notes for Dryer Rieslings
 Goes well with:  Japanese cuisine (particularly sushi), quiche (holds up to egg really well), sweet shellfish. Gruyere style cheeses are also great with aged Riesling.


Try this with your guests:  Serve a young Riesling blind to your friends against a Sauvignon Blanc (same vintage) and ask them to pick which they prefer.  But the catch is... they must decide which they like better with and without food!  Then come back and leave us some comments on what you find - I think you'll be surprised!

Cellaring potential:  3-20+ years, depending on region and vintage. As Riesling ages it typically becomes riper, darker and more textural, with softening acidity and less upfront fruit characters. Sometimes the older vintages have distinct kerosene characters on the nose. This can create great synergy with the honey and toasty notes on the palate.

To buy:  If you want a dryer style of Riesling you need to look for a wine with lower sugar levels.  Many Aussie producers now show the 'RS' (Residual Sugar) amount on the front label (eg RS 16).  So keep an eye out for an RS that's 8 or less for a dryer wine. Otherwise if you're unsure then consult with the sommelier/wine merchant to guide you in your choice.  Cheers!

What's Hot for Beer O'Clock?

Burleigh Brewing Co. '28 Pale Ale', Queensland 330ml ($60 for a case of 24 bottles)

I don't know about you but after tasting all this wine I need a cleanser.. a beer that I can drink both with or without food.  In my travels up to ARIA Brisbane I've discovered a great little independent brewer on the Gold Coast that's going from strength to strength.  They do a bunch of hand-crafted beers that have hit the world stage and they've already won some high profile awards at the World Championships abroad. The hard work is now paying off for Gold Coast couple, Peta and Brennan Fielding, and Brennan has been mastering the art for a while now, a brewer for 17 years with previous stints in Hawaii and Japan. 


At the moment I'm loving their '28 Pale Ale' which is a medium bodied American style but packed full of flavour. At Burleigh Heads (Queensland) in the 1970s there was a famous 28-day swell and this beer has been dedicated to that moment in time, in a throw back style that you can enjoy with your mates.

Tasting Notes: pours cloudy and is copper coloured with vibrant hoppy aromas - scents of squeezed lime and grapefruit twist.  The palate is a ripper with some more bolder tropical fruits such as passionfruit and guava with a hint of caramel on the back.

Would Go Well With:  something super spicy like Som Tum if you like Thai Food (green papaya salad with thai red chilli), otherwise the brewers choice is Moroccan Lamb. I also rate it alongside satay chicken.

Tell Your Friends:  According to Wikipedia; "Pale ale was a term used for beers made from malt dried with coke (a processed form of coal). Coke had been first used for roasting malt in 1642, but it wasn't until around 1703 that the term pale ale was first used".

To Buy: Click here to buy a case for the fridge.

Does wine travel well? Things to consider when purchasing a foreign drop.

2009 Domaine Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté,  Burgundy  France ($32 per bottle)  

They say Guinness beer doesn't travel well and that a pint in Ireland tastes better than anywhere else in the world - purists say once it's travelled across the River Liffey that runs down the centre of Dublin it's travelled too far! Can the same be said for wine?  Have you every had a bottle of wine overseas and then tried it again at home only to be disappointed?  Did it taste better because you were in 'the moment' - what wine wouldn't taste great sitting in a cafe in France with loved ones! - or does the process of shipping wine cause it to change?  Australia is a long distance away from some of the 'old world' wine regions - so it's something worth thinking about next time you splurge on a special bottle or two.

In my view wines do seem fresher at their origin, especially when you're not tasting these wines every vintage. A wine can take some time to recover from bottle shock (or sickness) due to transport from overseas, making it seem unbalanced or disjointed in its early life.  For a new vintage this could last only a couple of  days or weeks while for much older, more fragile bottles this can cause irreversible damage.  If a red wine has sediment then stand the bottle upright for a couple of days to let everything settle downwards.  As well as time spent in transport, exposure to heat and light can also be an issue.  Heat and light speed up the ageing process of a wine's life, and a 'cooked' wine brings unpleasant odours and flavours, making it undrinkable.  


As a general rule you're better off buying an overseas wine from a reputable distributor when you get home rather than trying to ship it home yourself or via a general courier company.  The same can be said about purchasing wines online from overseas - make sure the courier company they use are diligent about what they're doing!  

The 2009 Bourgogne Aligoté from Domaine Goisot is a white wine that tasted different (but delicious) on its home turf compared to back here in Australia.  When I visited the cellars in France this June it tasted rich but fresh with green melon characters (honeydew) on the palate and aromatic herbal notes with some intense exotic notes.  Last week I tried it again back in Australia and although I thought it showed a similar freshness, the palate to me seemed slightly riper with some more nectarine notes and a slight creamy edge. The acidity and backbone were still firm (a trademark) with a fresh finish to keep everything in balance.

Domaine Goisot is a fully-biodynamic producer located in Saint-Bris which is the biggest village in Burgundy, located in greater Chablis. Father and son team, Jean-Hughes and Guilhem Goisot are the current wine-making team, but the family has been there since 1596! The incredible cave underneath the winery was built between the 11th and 12th century.  Aligoté is a variety that has been around since the 11th century and the vines at Goisot are are between 30 and 90 years old.

Domaine Goisot is an exciting producer to follow closely and if your a fan of a textural white that tastes great back here in the Antipodes - this Aligoté is for you!


2009 Domaine Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté,  Burgundy  France ($32 per bottle)  

Tasting Notes: aromas of nectarine and lemon pith, almost pinot gris-like with exotic spices. This is  followed by a mouthfilling palate with stony, earthy characters and a waxy but nervy, lively finish.

Would Go Well With : barramundi with ginger and shallots, whole-roasted chicken with mixed bean salad and potato mash, gruyere cheese with quince paste.

Tell Your Guests:  Domaine Goisot also makes a white wine from a grape called 'Fié Gris' -  which is an ancient cousin of sauvignon blanc.  It is one of the very few wineries who still use this variety.  

Cellaring Potential:  3-5 years.

To buy: To purchase a bottle or two visit International Fine Wines of Europe.   Click here to buy.

Grüner Veltliner - A White with Cellaring Potential

2009 Domäne Wachau Terrassen  Federspiel Grüner Veltliner  ($25 per bottle)

A lot of people ask me to recommend white wine varieties they can put in their cellar.  The majority of cellars are stocked with reds, but people want to balance that out with white wines that will also improve with age.

The reality is that it's more challenging to keep most white wines and they don't often benefit from cellaring. So why do some white varieties improve with age when others don't?  The variety planted, the rootstock and the clone itself are all important factors as they all have differing relative concentrations of the compounds - acids, alcohol and polyphenols - that influence ageing.  Riesling, semillon and chardonnay are examples of white wines that can age gracefully if they are carefully cellared.

A quirky white that ages really well is Austria’s native white varietal, Grüner Veltliner, which is versatile with food and compelling in its own right.  The grape has been around for centuries but was considered ‘jug’ wine until the 1980s. It's exact origin is unknown, but one of its parent grape varieties is Traminer.

On a trip to Austria last year for the 'Vie Vinum' festival I tried more stunning Grüner Veltliners than I thought possible and the 2009 vintage has produced some cracking wines.  Compared to the more classic wines produced in 2010, I find the 2009's are drinking very well now.

‘Vie Vinum’ is a Springtime wine extravaganza held in Austria’s capital every two years at Vienna’s stunning Hofburg Imperial Palace.  With around 400 local producers on show, the scene is set for some pretty serious tasting and a chance to compare Austrian wine regions against each other.

When drunk young, Grüner Veltliner shares similar characteristics to Riesling: racy acidity, floral citrus notes, often some minerality and a dry, crisp finish.  


Once it ages however it becomes more like chardonnay in terms of palate weight and texture, although the aromatics of Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay are vastly different. Older chardonnay has more neutral characters whereas the old Grüners I tried still had the trademark citrus characteristics (lime with grapefruit) alongside more peppery, spicy and exotic notes.   This opens the door for a greater scope of food matches and in Austria it was matched with some brilliant home made breads, cured meats and of course Wiener Schnitzel that requires a bolder style of wine.  


And the great thing about Grüner Veltliner is it's capable of lasting decades if stored correctly, so if you can get your hands on a bottle or two it'll send you on a wine journey that's well worth the effort.  With both Australia and New Zealand wine makers getting in on the Grüner act, access to these wines will hopefully become easier, and if Aussie cult vineyard Lark Hill’s latest release, the 2011 Grüner Veltliner is anything to go by we should be seeing some pretty serious local examples in the future.  

In the meantime a young, vibrant wine to get your hands on now is the 2009 Wachau Terrassen  Federspiel Grüner Veltliner from Austria which is a solid single vineyard wine which is a great value, entry-level example of the variety.  It's good now but will benefit from time in the bottle. This is an old estate but has been reinvigorated of late, thanks to the dynamic duo of Horvath and Frischengruber.  I rate them because even though they're one of the larger producers, they make consistent wines that are true to their variety.

2009  Domäne Wachau Terrassen  Federspiel Grüner Veltliner

Tasting Notes:  mountain herbs and white pepper on the nose, whilst on the palate there is classic freshly squeezed lime juice and grapefruit notes with some more exotic stone fruits as the wine warms up in the glass.  Dry finish with chalky, wet stone notes, medium acidity and a slight touch of fruit sweetness.

Would go well with:  classic Thai food - show me some spice (red or green curry).   Also, vongole or the classic Schietzel is always a winner with some sweet potato mash.  Washed rind cheese such as Pont l'Eveque from Normandy is also a great option.

Tell your guests:  The Wachau is a world Heritage site in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history.

Cellaring potential:  5-25 years - try it now and then track how it changes over time.

To buy:  The 2009 Wachau Terrassen  Federspiel Grüner Veltliner is available for $25 per bottle.  Click here if you want to buy a bottle or two.

p.s The oldest Grüner I've tasted is a 38 year old 1973 Schloss Gobelsburg ‘Renner’ Grüner Veltliner.  If you can keep one in your cellar for that long without drinking it you're doing well!

How to pick a good Shiraz - the perfect Winter Drop

Shiraz is a dark-skinned variety that can produce strong, full-bodied and intense wine.  James Busby brought it to Australia in the early 1800’s but the origins of Shiraz (known as Syrah in France) are debatable, with one theory suggesting it was brought back from the city of Shiraz in Ancient Persia by a French Knight and planted near his home in the Rhône Valley, France.  This - while a great story - is unfortunately not true with DNA tests revealing the Syrah grape variety is actually native to France.  This testing also concluded that Syrah is the offspring of two obscure varietals which are native to Southeastern France – ‘Mondeuse Blanche’ and ‘Dureza’.   

So what is Shiraz like to drink?

Colour

Anywhere from medium red through rich purple/red to black in the bigger styles.

Nose

Primary fruit characters from cooler climate styles to warmer region examples include: herbs, mint, spice, pepper, menthol, eucalypt, raspberry, dark cherry, mulberry, blackberry, plum, blackcurrant, black olives, aniseed, licorice, stewed plum, chocolate, jammy and raisin.

As Shiraz ages its primary aromas and flavours begin to evolve into more complex and savoury secondary/developed characters. These include: chocolate, earthy, barnyard, cowyard, cigar-box, coffee, gamey, meaty, salami and leather, mushroom.

Palate

The palate should have plenty of flavour, usually with a lovely sweetness in the mid-palate due to ripe fruit and alcohol.  Young wines will often give a firm tannin impression of big, but soft, chewy, mouth-puckering tannins. In older wines the tannins will be finer giving a grainy sensation. Higher alcohol levels, usually in warmer climate examples, can give a hot warming feeling as the wine is swallowed.

Oak characters are usually present, but should not dominate. French oak is the subtler of the two main oak types adding notes of cedar and spice, and fine-grained tannin which integrate well as the wine ages. American oak loads the wine with coconut and vanilla flavours and it can easily dominate and does not integrate as well as the wine ages. Sometimes a combination of the two oaks can be used.

How to pick a good Shiraz

If you like a young, full-bodied Shiraz it can be drunk within a few years but because it generally has higher tannins and higher alcohol content is can also go the cellaring distance.    For the much older vintages, make sure the level is good at the top of the neck, and that there is no wine leaking through the cork. Enquire about it's origin and how long it has been there.  If you have the chance to taste before you buy, look for the defining fruit characters mentioned above that Shiraz should offer, and also the structure is very important. Try to avoid 'baked' characters, this can sometimes mean the wine has been stored badly, or it may be past its peak.


For me, great Shiraz producing regions in Australia include the iconic Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Heathcote in Victoria and I'm a big fan of the Canberra District which produce the more subtle syles. 

2007 Radford Shiraz, Eden Valley  South Australia - $38 per bottle

For my palate The 2007 Radford Shiraz from Eden Valley is a perfect example of what a Shiraz should be.  This is the work of Ben and Gill Radford, who are making small parcels of excellent high-altitude wines that have great depth of character but finesse and restraint.  Ben has been head winemaker at the cult winery Rockford  in the Barossa Valley since 2007, so Gill has taken charge of the Radford labels. If your a white wine fan the Radford's also have the oldest Riesling vines in the Eden Valley (planted in 1930).  Their bio-dynamically grown Riesling is some of the best I've seen.

Tasting notes: Medium bodied, blackberries, ripe plums and spice (white pepper) on the palate.  Firm but approachable tannins, very intense, moorish style that makes you crave that second glass.

Would Go Well With :  Lamb chops and coriander pesto, hard cheeses (cheddar such as Quicks), veal schnitzel

Tell Your Guests:   The Barossa Valley is home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world, with the oldest block being at Langmeil which was planted in 1843.

Cellaring Potential:  5-12 years so your choice to drink now or cellar for later.  The following vintage (2008) is also a good drop,

To buy:  The 2007 Radford Shiraz from Eden Valley it is available direct from the vineyard website for $38 per bottle.  Click here if you want to buy. 

Sauvignon Blanc with a twist

2008 The Pawn 'Jeu de Fin' Reserve Release Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills

Is Sauvignon Blanc on the way out, or have newer experimental styles wowed us enough for people to dig it again?  If you think it's becoming yesterday's wine it may surprise you to know it's still the single most popular white varietal in our restaurant.  In June this year I visited Sancerre and spent some time in the beautiful village of Chavignol.  At Gerard Boulay in Sancerre I tried some 2001 Sauvignon from his ' Clos de Beaujeu' vineyard, where they continue to produce Sauvignon Blanc with a twist. Boulay himself compares the terroir of this vineyard to that of the best sites in Chablis, where Chardonnay is king and limestone soils thrive. He is a man who uses natural ferments and no added sulphur.  There was more opulence and more texture in this wine. Instead of the pungent greener notes that are often associated with Sauvignon Blanc (grassy and gooseberry notes) there was hints of orange blossom, with fresh fig and stewed apple. The acidity didn't tear your mouth apart and the finish was balanced and dry with solid length.

A local Australian producer also making a slightly left of centre Sauvignon Blanc style is The Pawn with their Adelaide Hills project. This is the work of the three Amigos:  Tom Keelan, Rebecca Wilson and David Blows.  The 2008 reserve release is partially barrel fermented and has improved from an extra year in the bottle. I like it because it's slightly richer and still has great energy with high tropical notes and a savoury, long finish.  Overall this is a more complete package because it matches to a greater spectrum of flavours, and can also be more versatile across a whole meal.

Tasting notes: Tropical aromas (guava) and a zesty citric finish (fresh lime) with some more savoury elements at the end (broad beans and white flowers).

Would Go Well With :  Seafood BBQ, fish and chips, mixed leaf salad with goats cheese.

Tell Your Guests:   Sauvignon Blanc is the mother grape and Cabernet Franc the father grape of Cabernet Sauvignon (DNA tests in 1997 established this fact - the result of a spontaneous field crossing)

Cellaring Potential:  Normally Sauvignon Blanc is a 'drink young' style (1-3 years) but this wine could cellar for 5 years.

Other options:  If you like Sauvignon Blanc why not try other varieties that display similar characters in their youth such as Pinot Grigio, or try an Arneis white varietal from north west Italy.

To buy:  The 2008 The Pawn 'Jeu de Fin' Reserve Release Sauvignon Blanc is available direct from the wineries website for $24 per bottle.  Click here if you want to buy.

An English Eatery and a (bottle of) Riesling

'The Fat Duck' Restaurant Berkshire, England


1993 Zilliken 'Saarburger Rausch' Auslese Riesling from the Saar, Germany.

From the outside you could easily walk past and not know it was there. On the inside it's packed with presence, but in the most unobtrusive way.  It's 'The Fat Duck Restaurant' in Berkshire, England which is one of only four restaurants in the UK to have 3 Michelin Stars and was named best restaurant in the world in 2005.  Don't ask me how I got a reservation, but let's just say I was lucky.


I loved the theatre, the drama, the precision and the WOW factor that Chef Heston Blumenthal brings to the table. Each server had their own unique personality and made us feel comfortable. Was there a favourite dish or a wine match that stood out? For me it was the 'Roast Foie Gras with Barberry, Braised Kombu and Crab Biscuit' and it's interesting to see how they wine match there. With this it was a 1990 St.Urbans Hof 'Ockfener Bockstein' Auslese Riesling from Mosel, Germany. Honeysuckle notes with citrus, stone fruit and a bold palate, but not overtly sweet. More please! 


You can't get this wine in Australia but something similar is the 1993 Zilliken 'Saarburger Rausch' Auslese Riesling from the Saar in Germany.  In 2011 it's definitely hit its straps and has deep layers of rich nectarine fruits with white flowers and lanolin notes while the fresh acidity keeps everything in balance.  It would also work extremely well with soft cheeses.  I've given the details below.

Oh, and back at The Fat Duck Restaurant the dessert we had was called 'Like a Kid in Sweet Shop' which nicely sums up the whole experience of dining at one of the world's best.


1993 Zilliken 'Saarburger Rausch' Auslese Riesling from the Saar in Germany


Tasting Notes - Deep layers of rich nectarine fruits with white flowers and lanolin notes.  Fresh acidity keeps everything in balance


Would go well with  - Foie Gras, Soft cheeses such as Fromage D'affinois, Pork Belly

Cellaring Potential - Riesling is a truly noble variety that ages gracefully whilst exhibiting variety definition, so when produced in a good year, it can last the distance - 20 to 30 years if cellared correctly


To buy - The price of the Reserve Release 1993 from Zilliken is about $115.  Click here to buy

Grower Producer Champagnes

NV Agrapart 'Blanc de Blancs' Grand Cru Champagne from Avize,  France


In 2011 it looks as though it will be an early vintage in the Champagne region, in fact across most of Europe...about 3-4 weeks ahead of normal vintage time. Yields are also down on 2009 but quality is high.


On June 5th I visited Pascal Agrapart in the village of Avize, France and tried some seriously impressive champagnes. The vineyards are managed bio-dynamically and fruit is picked on ripeness - in the burgundian way. If you haven't had the chance to try Grower Producer champagnes – small production, small parcels of fruit and a hands-on approach - then it's time to begin. There’s just an extra ‘wow-factor’ from good Grower Producer Champagnes, wines that speak of their origin..  And at an attractive price-point. 


Tried several champagnes matched with Comte cheese, local lentils and charcuterie.  If you like a dry, crisp champagne, the stand-out for me was the NV Agrapart 'Terroirs' Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru for it's freshness, its spiny and stoney characters and its sourdough notes.


Shipments into Australia have just arrived, and this champagne is ready to drink now or cellar for 3-5 years. The price per bottle is around $85.


To buy NV Agrapart 'terroirs' blanc de blancs Grand Cru online, click here.

An Australian Spin on an Italian Icon

2007 Greenstone Sangiovese, Heathcote Victoria


Last week in the restaurant I had the opportunity to re-visit the 2007 Greenstone Sangiovese which is from the red volcanic soils on the Cambrian Ridge in Heathcote, Victoria. A couple of customers had tried Italian Sangiovese before but were after something Australian, so I recommended the Greenstone Sangiovese.

I hadn’t tried it for about 4 months and it looks spectacular at the moment, the only problem now is waiting for the next release..  This exciting vineyard project is still a baby in the Australian wine scene (being established in 2003), and is a collaboration between local viticulturalist, Mark Walpole (ex Brown Brothers), uber Italian wine-maker Alberto Antonini, and English Master of Wine – David Gleave. 

The Greenstone Sangiovese is made at the Kooyong Winery in the Mornington Peninsula.  It’s from new clones and is a remarkable local example of the variety, showing great structure and poise and all the brambly red fruits you could imagine (red cherry, currants) with a fine, grippy but delicate finish.  In comparison, Sangiovese from its homeland in Chianti, Tuscany, is generally higher in acidity, bone dry and herby, with tart cherry and pit characters.

This New World example is delicious because it’s more up front and approachable, making it a great substitute for Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.

Need to know….

• On the nose, it is redolent of raspberry, blueberry and floral perfume with a fresh herbal edge with spice and plum. 
• The palate shows firm tannins and good length with fine fruits. There is some succulence and good tightness that increases the length.

To buy other products from this vineyard click here