European Theme.....Welcome Spring!

After our winter hibernation, the Grapenights wine tasting group re united on Friday 7th September.
The European theme was inspired by my recent visit to Europe where I traveled through France, Italy, Hungary and Croatia.  During my travels I tasted food and wines from different producers, there were so many I cant name them all.  One my highlights was a visit to Epernay, the home of Champagne and Moet & Chandon. Love Champagne!!

The wines we enjoyed for European Grape night;

From France.... Louis Bouillot Blanc de Blancs, matched well with a Mediterranean antipasto platter

From Hungary....Laposa 2011 Rizling, combined with dutch style voulet vents

From Italy, near Tuscany.....Tenuta Le Calcinaie 2010 Vernaccia Di San Gimignano, enjoyed with a vegetarian Lasanga

Also from Italy.....Tramin Pinot Grigio, enjoyed with antipasto featured in the picture above.  Special mention to the Woodside Cheese Wrights Monet Goat Cheese - sensational!

Final wine from Italy....Castello Romitorio 2009 Chanti Colli Senesi, enjoyed with a delicious spinach and ricotta cannelloni

All the wines were enjoyed by all and offered us something new and different than what we would generally enjoy on a Friday evening. 

The Chanti was the number one pick, it was the only red wine we had, however despite no competition with other red varieties, the complex flavours, its dry style with peppery taste on the palate kept us coming back for another sip.

The Best value of the five was the first wine, for French Champagne, the Louis Bouillot Blanc de Blancs offered exceptional value.

Next Grape nights will be Spanish Speaking countries and held on Friday 5th October.
Cant wait to see our Spanish inspired delights and wines!

 

Bay of Shoals Wines - Wine Tasting Night

Friday 22nd June has been locked in the diary.  The Grapenights group will be gathering to taste the latest release wines from Bay of Shoals, Kangaroo Island.  This will include the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Tawny as well as the new Riesling and 2009 red wines - Hill Shiraz and Beach Shiraz.

Grape Escape to Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend

The Grapenights concept has evolved to a Grape Escape this month.....last weekend the usual suspects and some additional friends departed Adelaide and travelled 2 hours north to the beautiful Clare Valley.
Congratulations to Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend organisers - we all had a fabulous time!!

We started the day with a stop at Mintaro, as we drove through the town the historic cottages caught our eye, with many a comment made.  After a visit to the Maze, we played a giant game of chess before moving onto our lunch stop.
We enjoyed lunch at Stone bridge wines.  We feasted on gourmet wood oven pizzas, a farmyard special, vegetarian and a scrumptious smoked salmon pizza.
The rain stayed away for most of the day, a light shower called for some closeness under the marquee while a local band entertained us.
The third and final stop before returning to Adelaide was the highlight. 
Little Red Grape....a regional cellar door, showcasing over 14 boutique wine producers from the region put on a great show. 

The next Grape nights will be on 22nd June, Bay of Shoals Wines from Kangaroo Island will be showcasing their range and showing us what Kangaroo Island can offer.
Loving the regional evolution!

Kangaroo Island Signature Dish

The 2012 inaugural Kangaroo Island Seafood Feastival was held last weekend in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island.
Saturday 28th April 2012

I was lucky enough to make the trip across the water to attend the opening function, My BBQ Rules dinner by Pete Evans on friday evening and the Feastival on the Kingscote wharf on Saturday 28th April.

As I approached the Kingscote wharf I was taken back by the lighting which has been erected, highlighting the historic wharf area, it looked fantastic. 
Kangaroo Island Spirits were up to their usual delights creating some amazing cocktails, my favourite was the Margarita, although the coriander special was a close second.  The oysters were delicious, freshly delivered to the wharf area.
My BBQ Rules dinner stood out from the crowd,  the entree, fresh figs & sheep's ricotta set the scene for a decedent evening.  The main was cooked at the end of each table, with each table having their own BBQ & chef (Pete of course!!) the whiting with tomato salsa was outstanding.  Dessert was a local Kangaroo Island cheese platter and who could forget the wines - Dudley wines, located on the east coast of Kangaroo Island.  If you haven't been to their new cellar door on Cape Willoughby road, get out there and check out the view, taste some wine and have a gourmet pizza!

Saturday was a highlight for me as I was asked to be a judge for the Tourism Kangaroo Island Signature Dish competition.  As chair of Tourism Kangaroo Island, Pierre Gregor was the master of ceremonies.  Pierre introduced the 4 contestants, each of extremely high standard and it was very difficult to pick a winner. 

The winner was Tony Nolan, here is the description of this dish.  All I can say is, get over to Kangaroo Island, get some local whiting & produce and get cooking - you wont regret it.  Some pictures below to share my weekend....

The winning dish was Kangaroo Island King George Whiting groached (grilled and poached) with False Cape Silver Mermaid, topped with Kangaroo Island Capers and Island Pure Haloumi Cheese flamed with KIS Lime and Ginger Spirit, served with Locklands Potatos, KI Fresh lettuce medley Fryars free range eggs, Latitude 36 homey Mustard dressing and Emu bay chilli chutney, Is Good samphire and KI Pure canola oil aoli.

Alternate Varieties

Our fourth evening.....19^th April, Pebbles was the perfect party host!

The theme – Alternate Varieties.  I find it a nice change to try something different other than the varieties we are all used to drinking on a regular basis.  April represents a change in seasons and this Grapenights was a change to our usual favourites and we had some amazing wines, enjoy!

The wines we enjoyed tonight ranged from sparkling dessert wine to an unforgettable Zinfandel from Barossa Valley and unique varieties in between.  Tonight the food matches were exceptional, careful consideration was given to contrast the flavours and textures of the food with the wine.

The wines we enjoyed were...

2011 Pikes Pinot Gris (Clare Valley):  This wine was very fresh, floral, easy to drink.  Food match was dips plate, natural yogurt based beetroot dip & veggie sticks

2011 Houghton Chardonnay Verdelho (WA): Well balanced wine, chardonnay style with Verdelho provided additional stone fruit flavours.  Smoked salmon & horseradish provided a nice contrast to the flavours in the wine, very tasty!

2010 Tscharke Savagnin (Barossa Valley): This surprised the crowd, demonstrating apricot & oak characters we thought it could be a Viogner, the new variety Savagnin (otherwise known as Alberino) was a good match with satay chicken skewers.

2006 Temple Bruer Shiraz Malbec (Langhorne Creek): The Malbec was distinctive on the nose, blended with Shiraz provided a subtle finish and perfect match with dark chocolate for a post dinner delight!

2006 Irvine Zinfandel (Barossa Valley): A very distinctive nose, beautifully developed fruit characters, a truly great wine.  Food match was toasted sourdough with Kangaroo Island Source beetroot relish, Island Pure Haloumi & fresh rocket.

Nebbilo: In traditional Italian style, this is a light style red wine, good for a summer red or well suited to dessert – caramel tarts & chocolate covered fruit delights.

D’arenberg The Stump Jump Fizzy Sticky (McLaren Vale): A botrytis style, subtle sticky honey flavours, good food match with cheese platter – Mersey Valley cheese & fig paste on lavosh!

Pick of the Day.....2006 Irvine Zinfandel, another great Barossa wine!!

Value Wine........D’arenberg the Stump Jump Fizzy Sticky which was purchased at $11

Special Mention....

To Cherrie – “you can put that on your cornflakes” was said about several of the wines tasted, particularly of the Stump Jump Fizzy Sticky

Our next Grapenight’s is a Grape Escape to Clare Valley for Gourmet Weekend – 19^th & 20^th May 2012.  See you there!!

Cheap and Cheerful....Our third evening together

Our third evening.....15^th March 

The theme – Cheap and Cheerful.  Adelaide is a very busy month in Adelaide, we have so many events to enjoy that sometimes a cheap and cheerful wine is a requirement to make sure we don’t miss out!

The wines we enjoyed tonight were all $10 or under.  We discovered that the wines shared one thing in common, they were easy to drink, no distinctive characteristics, however very pleasant drinking and could be adapted to suit any occasion.  The other common theme was the food.  Being cheap and cheerful seemed to encourage lots of meat, meatballs, meat pies, hotdogs, luckily it was balanced with some toasted sandwiches and beautiful brushchetta – go team!!!

Back to business...the wines we enjoyed...

Willow Point Sparkling Red:  Easy drinking red bubbles, great with brunch on a Sunday morning.  Food match was spinach & ricotta triangles, these were a crowd pleaser.

Martini Prosecco Cuvee: sweet but soft, this wine brought back memories of when we first began drinking sparkling wine.  Food match was tomato & basil brushetta with Bononcini, very Italian combination, well suited.

2011 Bullock Track Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills): This is a very nice, dry style wine, easy to drink.  Food match was home made meatballs, great cheap and cheerful combination.

2007 The Barossa (Shiraz, Mataro, Grenache): This wine had a distinctive nose, easy to drink same as the other wines we have tried tonight.  Food match was gourmet beef party pies, go the meat!!!

2011 Banrock Station Cabernet Merlot: Light style wine, very soft and easy to quaff down at a Sunday afternoon BBQ.  Food match was mini hotdogs, with caramelised onion & tomato sauce, not much more to say, very enjoyable.

2010 Yalumba, The Y Series Shiraz Viognier: Once again a very light style wine, very soft, well balanced.  Food match was toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches, easy dinner in the colder weather, enjoy with a nice red wine on the couch!

Special Mention....

Bullock Track Sauvignon Blanc is from a single vineyard in the Adelaide Hills.  This is a very nice wine, very affordable.  Get into it!

Also, the Banrock Station, the conservation project they are leading caught our attention and prompted a special mention in the write up.  Support the wetlands!

Our next Grapenight’s is scheduled for Thursday 19^th April

Theme.... Alternative varieties.

Wines.....stay tuned.

Our wines we fell in love with...........

Our second night.....9^th February

The wines we enjoyed...

Clover Hill 2005 Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir (Tasmania): Dry style, velvet bubbles which sparkle in your mouth.  Served with French goat brie on fresh sour dough bread, the combination of silky bubbles on the mid palate with the distinctive flavour of the cheese created a mouth sensation.  Take your best friend & watch the sunset while enjoying this combination.

The love story: This wine was chosen as an iconic wine from Tasmania. This bottle was originally purchased to share with a special friend, tonight it was shared with 6 special people.  Love to everyone xx

Mesh Riesling 2011 (Eden Valley, SA): Distinctive lemon/lime characters on the nose, well balanced wine with a crisp finish.  Easy to identify as a Clare Valley wine.  This was served with a delicious Rocket, crab, avocado salad.  The Japanese flavour in the salad was offset by the citrus flavours.  Miri is very sweet; this brought the sweetness of the fruit to the front of the palate.   Try the combination for yourself 

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/crab-and-avocado-salad-with-japanese-dressing-37

The love story: This wine was the first Australian wine that this person fell in love with when living abroad.  It remained in her heart from the first time it was drunk.

Rockford’s Alicante Rose 2011 (Barossa Valley, SA): A classic Rose, its delicate nose was easy to identify.  Strawberry, candy, cherry starburst lollies were detected on the nose.  This was combined with Meredith Dairy Goat cheese from Geelong, creating a distinct creamy mouth feel, softened by the Rose.  A strawberries and cream mouth sensation, before the main course!

The love story: This wine was chosen as it symbolises a significant first date.  Rockford’s cellar door is an old favourite, the basket press shiraz and sparkling can also be confidently recommended.

Kangarilla Road Rose 2010 (McLaren Vale, SA): Initial impression was it had reduced fruit but upon secondary sip, it was purely a dry style of wine, food match was haloumi cheese, fried with a squeeze of fresh lemon.  This was very salt, but offset by the dry style Rose.

The love story: This bottle was carefully selected from North Adelaide for tonight's theme.  The thinking behind the choice was, the colour red, this represented love, heart etc. 

Eldridge Blue Chip Shiraz 2008 (Clare Valley, SA): A big wine...definite potential to cellar for a few more years/  A strong pepper & berry combination, dry style, short palate, good oak use.  The food match for this occasion was spinach & ricotta triangles – some would say these were easy to cook, but you would be amazed at how they can be challenging when wax paper is mistaken for baking paper.

The love story: This wine represents a fall in and out of love, a couple of dates and this bottle remained, great wine.

Hugh Hamilton Tempranillo 2010 (McLaren Vale, SA): Great wine, showing long legs, smooth on the palate, well balanced.  The food match was red velvet cupcakes, these were cooked to connect red, heart to the love theme of the night.  Very tasty cupcakes.  Better food match with this wine was goat cheese & beetroot dip on sour dough – love the combination.

The love story:  Everyone loves a black sheep.  This wine was chosen as it was the first winery she fell in love with.

Our top three..........

Clover Hill Sparkling 2005

Mesh Riesling 2011

Hugh Hamilton Tempranillo 2010

Our next Grapenight’s is scheduled for Thursday 15^th March

Theme....Cheap & Cheerful.  Wines under $10 per bottle & food to match

Wines.....stay tuned

Round Two Tonight.....A Wine to Fall in Love with

Ladies, I hope you have your wines picked out and ready for tonight.

My wine is an Australian Sparkling wine, a wine anyone can fall in love with but has a special place in my heart.

See you tonight
xx

Summer Nights....the beginning of the journey

Last week a group of ladies came together with a common interest in mind...wine tasting.
This was the first gathering and we themed the evening summer nights.

We tasted 7 wines from across South Australia and even one from New Zealand.

The wines we enjoyed...

Bird In hand Sparkling Pinot 2010: Dry style, representative of cool climate fruit flavours

Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot 2011: Dominant strawberry flavour, popular with any crowd

Coriole Chenin Blanc 2011: Good fruit, peach, apricot, hint of floral, easy drinking wine

Tim Adams Pinot Gris 2011: Great nose, fruit, floral, well balanced, wine of the day in my opinion

Domain Day one Serious Rose: Dry, crisp wine with a crimson dark hue.

Stoneleigh Chardonnay 2010: demonstrated classic oak chardonnay characters, Marlborough region, strong cool climate fruit characters

Chandon Sparkling, Yarra Valley: French style, traditional method, peach and stone fruit characters, well balanced sparkling, great to celebrate any specials occasion

Our top three..........

Tim Adam Pinot Gris 2011

Domain Day One Serious Rose

Chandon Sparkling, Yarra Valley

Surprise of the day (best value wine).......................

Domain Day One Serious Rose

Our next Grapenights is Thursday 9^th February

Theme....A wine to fall in love with

Wines to be tasted???????.................stay tuned