SARAH WINEHOUSE

“Penfolds and renowned London-based designers Studio Toogood have collaborated to create an ambitious multi-sensory environment dedicated to wine and creativity called THE BLOCKS. Through art and design, THE BLOCKS encourages visitors to discover their palettes using sight, touch and smell before tasting some of the world’s greatest wines all matched to distinctive foods.” http://www.theblockslive.com/ 

This was intriguing… One the most well-known Australian brands Penfolds and a fine design firm from London, together to create a deeper sensory experience to tasting and enjoying wine. I wondered how they would achieve this…

On entering the vast space within the long-standing historical water-front buildings of the Rocks in Sydney, I was greeted by a friendly lady who took me to the main bar and temporary Penfolds lounge, and then I met the head sommelier of the event, Joshua from the Penfolds Magill Estate restaurant in South Australia, to lead me on my wine with all-5-senses-stimulated journey…

By using art, carefully produced to reflect certain wine styles, you could explore the tactile pieces, see how you feel and what you think about the artwork, what you like about it (or dislike), what you think about the aromas of the artwork (Parisian olfactory designers added their part to the wood in the artworks) and in general which ones you’re drawn to…

When you realise which one you’re drawn to, there’s a number for it that corresponds to a matching flight/set of wines to go with the artwork. After having a good look, feel and smell of each artwork (the hearing part is the sommelier’s guidance, as well as an audio component for one of the artworks), I was drawn to a big solid artwork, made of heavy wooden blocks stacked into each other with a large base, scented with something heavy but smooth and sweet. It was artwork No. 5, which corresponded to what happened to be my favourite all time wine variety – Shiraz!! Don’t know if it was a co-incidence since nearly all my wine collection is made of Shirazes (especially being my favourite variety from the start of my wine passion), but it certainly made an interesting experience… In addition, there was also a photograph work for No. 5 that was by far my favourite of them all (pictured above) – it recorded the photosynthesis energy of vine leaves (which emit energy for up to 3 days after being picked) – I was really drawn to it and found the image so beautiful!

The other artworks corresponded to:

White Aromatics (for example like Gewurztraminer) - lots of thin, separate slabs of wood strongly scented with floral tones. It represented more fine/delicate pieces than the other artworks, whilst remaining ‘airy’ - being horizontally layered and separated, allowing air to easily move through (like how floral tones waft through the air – and you could still smell the scents from the artwork without having your nose so close to it,

Chardonnay – a tall, smooth, tapering artwork with an egg-shaped carving at the top. The tall height also represented the high altitude that Chardonnay grows well in, producing very elegant wines. The simplicity of the artwork also represents the purity and seamlessness of a well-crafted chardonnay,

Blended Wines (eg. Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre blends) – zig-zag cut heavy wood, interlocking into each other, representing how different varieties can seamlessly join all together (creating more than the sum of its parts), whilst remaining obviously retaining their own noticeable characters. The scent was a serious oak with no sweetness or light floral characteristics.

and Regional Wines – varying blocks of wood, in a vertical line, representing juxtaposition of different wines/varieties/regions. Simple, but nice to see the blocks solidly next to each other, with each having its own sense of place in the artwork.

Things actually really started to make sense, especially with the sommelier’s information and guidance.

After sitting down at the dining table I followed through with my flight of Penfolds Shirazes, which included the popular Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz and Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, then finishing with the Penfolds St Henri Shiraz – always a classic!

Overall this was an unique experience combining different areas of interest (art, wine, food, architecture and design), and hopefully I’ll see more more innovative events like this being done in wine and in Sydney!

Cheers!

The “New Generation Hunter Valley” is a joint venture in showcasing exquisite examples of wine up and down the coast of Australia. This involves the winemaking talents of 6 dedicated lads - David Hook (David Hook Wines), Andrew Thomas (Thomas) (pictured left), Rhys Eather (Meerea Park), Nick Paterson (Mistletoe), Mike De Iuliis (De Iuliis) and Andrew Margan (Margan).

These winemakers decided to settle down in the Hunter after working all over the world in wine for a good reason – the Hunter has its own high calibre, unique and distinct styles, that are really coming to the forefront Australian fine wines and grabbing great scores from Australia’s most renowned wine ciritics. Even though the Hunter Valley has played a critical role in Australia’s wine history, I believe its fame is still emerging and evolving – and these winemakers are on to it.

The New Generation Hunter wine gig in Sydney was held at the Global Gallery in Paddington last week. It was a lot of fun chatting with such friendly people from these wineries, and the place was packed out with a completely new, younger crowd of people you wouldn’t see at trade tastings. I decided to stick to tasting the reds as I love reds (which I often buy from South Australia or Victoria), and am already more familiar with the great Semillons and other white wines from the Hunter. Other people to responded about the whites and I heard they were all simply stunning.

Now straight to the wines on tasting:

SEMILLON – David Hook “Old Vines” 2011 ($25/bottle); Thomas Wines “Six Degrees” 2011 ($22); Thomas Wines “Braemore” 2011 ($28); Meerea Park “Hell Hole” 2010 ($25); Mistletoe “Home Vineyard” 2010 ($20); De Iuliis “Sunshine Vineyard” 2011 ($25); Margan Semillon 2011 ($18).

OTHER WHITES – David Hook “De Novo Bianco” 2011 ($30); Meerea Park “Alexander Munro Chardonnay” 2011 ($35); Mistletoe Verdelho 2011 ($20); De Iuliis Verdelho 2011 ($18); Margan Verdelho 2011 ($18).

SHIRAZ -

David Hook “Old Vines Shiraz” 2009 ($40/bottle) – Nose bit reserved (as in it’s youth and needs more age) but can still tell intensity. Palate spicy and savoury, juicy black fruits (think sweet blackberry). Finish very savoury.

Thomas Wines “Deja Vu Shiraz” 2009 ($30) - Lifted, floral aromas (think violets). Palate elegant and concentrated, with good acidity.

Thomas Wines “Kiss Shiraz” 2009 ($60) – One of my favourites Nose is quite complex, full of lifted violet, warm spices (think cinnamon) and concentrated plummy fruits and blackberry – all on the palate as well with slightly chalky tannins. Really nice, full texture and long finish. Put it away for a while and it will be so rewarding! I just looked up this wine in Halliday’s Wine Companion – this was rated 97pts, along with an ageing potential until 2050!

Meerea Park “Hell Hole Shiraz” 2009 ($55) - Love the name! Fragrant nose presenting red cherry and a hint of earthiness. Juicy palate (full of dark berries) that’s silky smooth. Lean, smooth structure and juicy-ness that lasts all through the length.

Meerea Park “Alexander Munro Shiraz” 2009 ($75) - Good solid Shiraz. Fragrant plums and black cherry. Silky palate, medium weight and good, balanced structure. Long finish. Drink in 5-20 years.

Mistletoe Shiraz 2009 ($30) – Nice, soft perfume. Bright fruits with some spice yet easy drinking. Pleasantly finishes with both sweet and savoury elements.

De Iuliis Shiraz 2010 ($25) – Nose bit reserved. Palate full body and flavour with lots of black fruits, supported by balancing oak and soft, slightly powdery tannin which finishes well.

De Iuliis “Limited Release Shiraz” 2009 ($60) - Full flavour – juicy dark fruits (red/black cherries, dark berries), leather and spice all intermingle beautifully. Smooth, good support and structure, all through the finish.

Margan Shiraz 2009 ($22) - Outstanding value for $22! Very concentrated and needs more time. Intense juicy black fruits, dark spices, and firm, fine tannins. Long finish. Has more to show with time.

OTHER REDS -

David Hook “De Novo Rosso” 2010 ($30) - Nose bit restrained (young wine) but definite perfume comes upfront. Sweet and spicy palate with good acid levels to perfectly accompany a wide range of foods (red meat, duck, Italian, etc). Tannins are soft and last through the finish.

Mistletoe “Barrel Fermented Rose” 2010 ($20)

Margan “Margan Cabernet Sauvignon” 2010 ($22) - On the nose definite herbal, sage characteristic. Savoury palate with black pepper and juicy fruits, with underlaying oak that has a touch of sweetness. Tannins provide a very firm grip. Wine to age a fair while.

I found basically all of the good Shirazes from the Hunter had this beautiful, floral aroma on the nose which really lifted the concentrated intensity of the wines, which was usually accompanied with enveloping silky-ness or prominent spicy notes. The wines taste great now, but all have some more age to be had in my opinion – so much is still to evolve from the shackles of youth…

Anyway, great tasting! Cheers.

So… I’ve recently returned from an amazing holiday in London. I also visited Monaco and South France where there is so much great fresh food (as long as you’re avoiding those tacky tourist burger joints)… & I look forward to seeing the rest of France soon…

I felt I lived part of an elite gastronome’s life, chauffeured across many great restaurants, eating until the wee hours of the morning and trying as much food as imaginable with the staff – only in the end to try as much vino as possible… I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and what it had to offer from the hospitality industry. My favourite wine/restaurant picks are as below (click on images for larger view):

Chateau de la Chevre d’Or (France) – stunning 2 Michelin star restaurant in a quaint castle, with spectacular panoramic views all around. As you walk to the restaurant it feels like you’re in Alice in Wonderland… Was this a dream? Everything was beautiful, lush and green, with immaculately tendered gardens layered down a steep mountain, life-size chess game, large bronze animals – horses, lions, deer… and of course water fountains.  I had wines from Burgundy/Gevrey-Chambertin and can’t remember the exact names but all the wine was good. Food was good too of course – even their vanilla ice cream was special, and full of fresh vanilla bean specs!

Petit la Maison (France, Nice) – we dined with the owner of the restaurant, Nicole, a fantastic lady and pleasure to meet. I haven’t been to the one in London but this one was really fun. We ate until about 4am in the crisp morning air while the restaurant was closed, and all tables and chairs were gone except ours so we had the restaurant to ourselves, sampling many a drink and dessert. Good wine list, again just had Burgundy wines. Nicole is a great chef (and all the staff are great too), and as busy as she always is, she doesn’t let a single dish go out without her checking it first, as well as every single bill. Great restaurant, with two giant porcelain bon-bons at the front.

Mas Provencal (France). Now this was a real visual treat! The whole restaurant was adorned with plants, orchids, big floral arrangements, with grapes, orchids and cherry tomatoes hanging everywhere – all real, and no inch of wall could be seen. They have an amazing super-chessy risotto, which a man serves out of a big cheese wheel steaming hot. A tonne of wine was consumed. Can’t remember the names, but it’s all good! The special wines list also came out on thin slabs of rock  for each wine (mainly Bordeaux first growths) linked by a single rod – pretty funky.

Essenza (London, Notting Hill) – Great Italian restaurant. I actually had one of my favourite wines of my whole trip – BATASIOLO, VIGNETO CEREQUIO, BAROLO, DOCG 2004 : Nebbiolo. Intense garnet red colour. Bouquet full of red berries & hints of tobacco or cigar box following through to a full, dry mouthfeel. Plush.. Dense red and black fruits, with soft spice. Good length and vibrant finish. Really ripe but supported by savoury characters. Around $50-75AU. Beautiful! http://www.batasiolo.com/

Mediterraneo (London, Notting Hill) – Italian restaurant and the older sibling of Essenza. Had ILICO ILLUMINATI, MONTEPOLUCIANO D’ABRUZZO, 2008: overall a delicious palate and great value wine in Australia – thus recommended as it over-delivers on quality Some lifted violet on the nose, and plush, dense fruit characters (think plums and blackberries), with brightness (think raspberries) in a full mouthfeel, soft tannins and good acidity to pair well with food. Very pleasant finish. http://www.illuminativini.com/

Pizza East (London, Notting Hill) is a great Italian restaurant with really satisfying fresh pizzas and grub. I had a great value wine from the restaurant’s list which was the ITYNERA, MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, 2009: This wine was so easy to drink, but a medium weight red – very ripe and plush – great with food; Aromatic, full of berries and earthy notes, and a thick mouthfeel; good finish. Really great value quaffer at only around 10 Euros!

Cipriani’s / C (London, Mayfair) – really great Italian restaurant. Giuseppe Cipriani is a lovely person to meet and has done really well in all his restaurants, starting from Harry’s bar in Venice in the early 1930s. There are good wines on the list but for once I didn’t drink much wine. I had Bellinis as they are really outstanding there – of course because the drink was founded by Giuseppe at Harry’s Bar. It was so clean and refreshing – albeit went down a little too quickly!

Min Jiang (London) – is a Chinese restaurant around Kensington. There I had the CANNETO, VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO, 2006: Well rounded with expressive floral, feminine characters (think a lifted violet hue on the nose etc), soft spices with a ‘bit of a bite’ (black pepper), concentrated plush fruit (plums, blackberries and raspberries) and a hint of tobacco. Somehow the plush-ness of the wine went fine with the Chinese food, and didn’t overpower the cuisine. I later bought this wine at The Sampler wine store in Kensington, however it tasted differently like it needed more age – I didn’t have a decanter on me and it really does help open this wine up like they did in the restaurant. So, decanter you should… Around $20AU.

The Mitre (London) – I was quite surprised with this ‘by the glass’ wine – BARBERA DEL MONFERRATO ‘VOLPI’, 2009: For a casual place this is a good wine, possibly one of the best I’ve had by the glass at a pub. Good honest Italian wine – bright red and black fruit including cherry and blackberry, dark colour, good food-friendly acidity but also good on its own (unlike some Italian wines which some find hard to enjoy by themselves due to the austere acidity and tannin – however they are the perfect match with food). Around $10AU/glass.

Home House – club in London with a good red by the glass: AUGUSTINOS BIO BIO VALLEY, PINOT NOIR, CHILE, 2009 – Red & black fruits on the nose with deeper liquorice, leather and earthy characteristics (good for a wine by the glass at a bar, where Pinots can often be like a fruit bomb). Palate savoury with dense black fruits (like blackberry & black cherry), warm spice and a touch of black pepper, all enveloped in a smooth mouthfeel, with none of that ‘tarty acid’. Good example of Pinot from Chile.

Yauatcha, a nice Japanese restaurant (London) – had the PLANETA, CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA, SICILY ITALY, 2009, which they serve chilled. The red wine is a transparent ruby colour, with a fruity bouquet crammed full of strawberries, cherries, dry fig and raisins… The palate is full of these fruits, and also presents pleasant soft tannins followed by a pleasant acidity and round full mouthfeel. Nice, lean finish too.

Other good wines tried were at:

The Ebury, London – Saint Estephe, Chateau les ormes de pez, 1996;

Vinoteca Wine Bar, London – wide range of Spanish/Italian wines (as well as international);

Sake no Hana, London – Devil’s Corner, Pinot Noir, Tasmania, 2008, chilled & by the glass. I also had amazing sake there called Azumaichi – very easy to drink, rich, very soft/unique rolling feel in the mouth, semi-dry;

Kensington Wine Bar, London – tried a good amount of wines including a nice red under the name of Paul Pernot, 2008;

Berry Bros and Rudd, Wine Merchant, London – have a great selection of wines and I was lucky enough to have a tour of the underground wine cellars and rooms right underneath London city, which are beautiful;

Institute of Directors, London – good wine list with classic wines, I had Gevrey-Chambertin;

The Hilton Hotel, London – classic Penfolds Bin 128 at Freddie Flintoff’s charity ball – the table was filled with this never-ending juice!

I also added my favourite restaurants from this trip to my top restaurant page which are well worth a visit if you’re around the areas. Cheers!

   Spinifex winery from the Barossa… a reflection of all great things the Barossa can do in wines with Shiraz, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, Mataro, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Semillon and Ugni Blanc. With the heavy emphasis of respecting the terroir, signature wines are created in synergistic blends – every single wine I’ve tried so far has exceeded my expectations for a good winery. The wines also represent the finesse of French wine styles and each has its own personality.

Furthermore all the wines are great value for price… These are the wines tried recently:

Spinifex ‘Lola’ Marsanne 2010: Delicate but definitive wine full of interesting characters on the nose and palate – think floral notes, almonds, nougat, pears, white nectarine and fresh acidity with firm, rounded texture and minerality. Overall a dry and complex white wine with a smooth finish. Rrp $20.

Spinifex Rosé 2010: A rosé wine made from Mataro, Cinsault, Grenache and Shiraz. Lovely salmon colour as opposed to the hot pink rosés that taste like a tarty fruit bomb! Fresh, vibrant palate with red fruits and savoury spices. Rrp $20.

Spinifex ‘Papillon’ 2009: A bright, aromatic, fresh red wine made from old vine Grenache, Cinsualt and Mataro. Nose – raspberries, red currants, red cherries, roses, spices and earthy notes; all also on the palate full of vibrant fruit, spices, a touch of wood and tannin dryness. Warm finish, long length. Rrp $24.

Spinifex ‘Espirit’ 2009: Deep, fragrant bouquet full of red fruits and spices, also on the palate, along with black fruits and plenty of texture and mouthfeel. Lovely, impressive wine with good solid finish… Great reviews and accolades from last year’s release. This is a personal favourite and a great table wine. Rrp $32.

Spinifex ‘Bete Noir’ 2009: Made from Shiraz. Rich, deep cocoa undertones with roasted characters (like mocha?), plums, blackberries and cedar, all enveloped super silky smooth mouthfeel and delicious bright acidity. Intense but somehow lightweight… Rrp $40.

Spinifex ‘Le Maline’ 2009: Shiraz Viognier. Dark and dense in colour. Aromatic with interesting complexity – ripe plums and berries, tobacco, leather, some exotic herbal notes and spices. Full body with red plums, dark fruits, leather and earthiness. Rich and silky. Dense but not heavy. Savoury finish with a touch of ripe fruit. Rrp $52.

Spinifex ‘Indigene’ 2009: Shiraz, Mataro, Grenache blend. Nose a little reserved but needs time to age. Again, aromatic with interesting complexity – sweet plum/cherries, fresh earth and touch of liquorice. Palate dark, earthy, rich, silky, with interesting leather and dark chocolate. Again, intense but not heavy. Great length. Rrp $52.

Spinifex ‘Le Chemin’ 2009: Grenache, Mataro, Shiraz, Carignan, Cinsault… A fantastic blend! Nose full of dark fruits and spices, blackberries and cherries. Palate bright and juicy with red fruits but prominent savoury spices and highly satisfying texture. Length is consistent and very good. Rrp $64.

Spinifex ‘Tabor’ 2009: Mataro. Nose reserved but needs age, can tell it’s lovely with leather and black juicy fruits. Palate is quite ripe even though needs to age. Rrp $75 (Sold Out at cellar door).

Spinifex ‘Valee des Roches’ 2009: single site Shiraz from Barossa. Fragrant nose, full but delicate. This is a powerful wine which has spices noticeable straight away, but overall soft, firm, and tannins have a good grip. Definitely for the cellar! Rrp $85.

All these wines were stunning and very impressive, especially with having a wide range of wines all displaying obvious care in winemaking. The reds will age well and I would love to see how they all are in 3+ years. I bought a few cases of the Spinifex Espirit from last year’s release and it’s sensational – drinking beautifully now but also very cellar worthy, although it’s hard to resist not touching the remaining bottles now. Anyway, hope you enjoy them as much as I do… Each wine has it’s unique focus so it’s worth trying wines across their whole range. http://www.spinifexwines.com.au/

Cheers!

Established in 2002, Tapanappa wines are owned by Brian Croser (famous for distinguished winemaking and formerly of Petaluma), Jean-Michel Cazes of Chateau Lynch-Bages in Pauillac and Société Jacques Bollinger, the parent company of Champagne Bollinger. As you can imagine such expertise coming together quickly reached icon status in this 5-star (from Halliday) winery venture (http://www.tapanappawines.com.au/).

Tapanappa wines were presented at this month’s Wine Ark tasting (http://www.wine-ark.com.au/)  (along with Torbreck wines and Dom du Pegau – what a treat!). All the wines display “old world” (in this case, French) fine winemaking skills seamlessly integrated into the unique Australian terroir (terroir, pronounced “te wah”, is a French word that describes the unique aspects of a vineyard (in terms of geology, geography and climate) that influence the characters of the wine made from it). The result? Iconic Australian wines of distinction, made with minimal intervention, expressing each individual vineyard site. Tapanappa is located at the Whalebone vineyard in Wrattonbully, the Tiers Vineyard in Piccadilly and the Foggy Hill Vineyard in Fleurieu Peninsula. Their wines are single vineyard expressions of these sights. Tasting notes:

Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay (Piccadilly Valley) 2008 – Intense and prominent fruit flavour (white nectarine, peach) with elegant acidity and seamlessly integrated oak which adds to the body and texture/mouthfeel. Along with the fruit flavour there’s also a savoury element that balances the whole wine. Great length. Rrp around $80. Cellar up to 10 years, but is drinking beautifully from now.

Tapanappa Foggy Hill Pinot Noir (Fleurieu Peninsula) 2009 – My personal favourite! Hint of something floral on the nose, intense red and black fruits with good depth of the black fruits and spices (think liqorice and anise), with silky, savoury tannins and good length. Strong but smooth and elegant – Iron fist in a velvet glove… rrp around $50.

Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard (Wrattonbully) Merlot 2006 – Concentrated red fruits and plums with hints of fresh earth, savoury spice and herbal characters. Tannins provide a prominent grip while wine remains plush. Rrp around $70.

Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard (Wrattonbully) Cabernet Shiraz 2006 – Savoury characters with mulberry and blackberry, silky smoothness but with full body and flavour. Rrp around $70.

These wines compliment any wine collection or make a great gift of something special and unique as only limited amounts are made. Cheers!

   Rymill wines (http://www.rymill.com.au/) present great value, seamless ageing, and plenty of flavour across their range. In particular I’m mentioning the mc2 wines – a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc that’s rich, elegant and silky smooth. Rymill’s mc2 was stated “best buy under $20. Highly recommended” by Gourmet Traveller Wine last year (Peter Bourne). Being from Coonawarra this provides classic terroir for great quality Cabernet and other varieties. Rymill’s straight Cabernet Sauvignon also shows well across every vintage.

Overall tasting notes for the Rymill mc2 1999, 2000 and 2001: Really presents its elegance but with no sharpness that can come from a lot of young cabernet wines. Nose is lifted with violet and raspberry, with black fruit and plums. Palate has ripe plums upfront enveloped in subtle, silky and chalky tannins that give a slight grip to the wine, with dark chocolate and subtle spices such as black pepper and cinnamon, oak is well integrated and adds to smoothness of the wine through to a decent finish. Great for those who find straight cabernet wines a little too astringent – this is a good quality cabernet blend that’s very approachable and versatile. Can cellar well in the medium term, especially for a $20 wine.

Rymill Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 – Nose complex with sweetness. Palate upfront plums and earthiness with leather, oak and blackberries, through to a smooth and pleasant finish. Drinking even now, but I think as it was cellared correctly.

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 – Nose more vibrant than 1990. Plenty of red fruits on nose and palate, with savoury complexity and silky tannins. Drinking now with plenty of secondary characters.

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 – Hint of cedar, aniseed and plums on the nose with a pleasant palate, soft tannins and good mouthfeel. This would be the last year to drink it.

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 – Nose bit lifted and aromatic, with dark characteristics such as licorice and blackberries, as well as rhubarb and delicate spices. Palate rich with red and black fruits, cocoa and velvety tannins that are soft like the 1997 but a little more vibrant. Smooth finish with an old fashioned feel without the wine falling over.

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 – Hint of mocha on the nose with earthy and leather characteristics and a little bit of lifted complexity. Palate plenty of juicy (from the acid) plums and blackberries, with savoury, delicate spices and tannins well integrated to a smooth finish.

If you are interested in these wines they may still be available at great prices through http://www.wineiq.com/ via a personal wine broker to help you.

Cheers!

Last week Emmilou  hosted another wine dinner (http://www.emmilou.com.au/), matched to Stockman’s Ridge Wines from Orange (http://www.stockmansridge.com.au/). As people turned up we started trying the wines immediately and got some quiet time with the winemaker, Jonathan, before the place filled up. He makes wine without formal winemaking education and lab testings, and instead just uses his primal wine instincts. Stockman’s Ridge are a reasonably young/lesser known winery yet the diners really got into talking about them all night (perhaps the bountiful amount of booze flowing around also helped Food was delicious as usual, and usually I’m not a huge fan of small dishes coming out periodically that make me feel anorexic, but this dinner left me feeling well fed! Menu with Stockman’s Ridge wines matched on the night:

Seared scallops, marinated prawns, Champagne sauce and Crispy leek – accompanied with the Pinot Gris: Very fresh pinot gris with plenty of citrus and crisp pear, good texture and mouthfeel to the wine, with the finish not harsh like some around this price point. Rrp about $20/bottle.

Jamon Serrano with Fresh Figs, Walnuts and Truffle Honey – accompanied with the Rider Zinfandel 2009:  Very approachable red wine – Great for anyone actually getting into red wine. Zinfandel is a very popular variety in America but there is not much grown in Australia at present. Attractive perfumed nose with floral notes, berries and sweet rhubarb. Palate light and fruity with red berries, soft tannins and a hint of herbs and spice which adds some dimension. Rrp around $20 per bottle. Can stick it in the cellar for some more years, but it’s very drinkable now. Emmilou already serves their Zinfandel by the glass.

16-Hour Pork Belly with Apple Coleslaw – accompanied with the Rider Merlot Cabernet Franc 2009: Has no sharpness that can come from elegant, austere wines. Nose is lifted with violet, raspberry, black fruit and plums. Palate has plums enveloped in subtle, silky and chalky tannins that give a slight grip to the wine, with subtle spices such as black pepper and cinnamon, oak is well integrated and adds to smoothness of the wine through to a decent finish. Great for those who find cabernet wines a little too astringent – this is a cabernet that’s very approachable. Rrp around $20/bottle.

Seared Blue Eye Trevalla, Braised Beef Short Rib, Asparagus and ‘Bacalao’ – accompanied with the Rider Shiraz 2008: This wine’s won 5 Gold, 5 Silver and 8 Bronze medals. Aromas of warm spices, dark berries, plums and cherries with some toasty character. Palate savoury and warm, with silky tannins well integrated into the wine, and concentrated red and black fruits. Rrp $25/bottle.

Trago River Blue Cheese with Guava Paste, Quince and Date Brioche – accompanied with the Outlaw Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: Full Cabernet style. Herbaceous and blackberry characters on the nose. Palate juicy with plenty of acidity and dark fruits, slightly grippy tannins and overall savoury character lasting through the length.

Instead of having the winemakers/reps stand and talk (and doing so while some tipsy patrons keep talking), the winemaker was going conversing around with each table separately so we could all ask questions and share entertaining stories… Both Emmilou restaurant and Stockman’s Ridge wines presented a fun and entertaining night. If you’re looking for a good value emerging winery from Orange it may fancy you to check out Stockman’s Ridge. And in the meantime I’ll tuck into Emmilou for some more soul-nourishing grub! Look forward to next time…

Cheers!