The Wine Land

Australia is a gourmand’s wonderland and a wine drinker’s paradise. A mélange of regions, with different climates, allow a range of grape varietals to thrive, giving excellent quality wines to choose from. Couple that with the diversity of its population, and gourmets have a delectable blend of culinary cultures to explore too! In a nutshell, Australia gives you a plethora of options, some of which will surely send you straight to gastronomical heavens on a daily basis.

Wining a fully paid scholarship, that entitled me to learn about Australian wines and wineries, thrilled the sommelier in me. Travelling over 5,000 kilometers, I explored eight regions and two capital cities. I was hosted by over 20 winemakers and tasted over 170 wines from 110 producers spanning 30 regions. The meals I ate were legendary, outrageously paired with the most sensual wines. A heady mix that made me buckle at my knees and drown in it all. I have clothes that I no longer fit into as evidence.

The journey took us to McLaren Vale, Mornington Peninsula, Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley and Margaret River. Sounds exhaustive? It was. But we were having too good a time to care. Even the 5.00 am alarm bells, when we got to bed at 1.00 am, were no match for the onslaught of fabulous tastes that we were experiencing.

If ever there was a day of indulgence, it was the second day of the trip. Lunch was at The Wine Library in a quaint town in Sydney. The four hour meal was an endless array of shared plates, prepared by true master chefs, paired with iconic wines like Torbreck’s The Steading and Tyrrells 4 Acres Shiraz, among others that were up there in quality, but perhaps not as well known in India.

We came together for dinner at Otto – one of Sydney’s top restaurants barely an hour or so after lunch. Well, ‘I’ll go with the flow’ was my reaction. We began the evening with a couple of bottles of the 2000 Tasmanian sparkling wine from Crosser and a 98 Sparkling from Blue Pyranees paired with oysters, sipping from elegant crystal and watching the natural light fade while the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge lit up. What followed was eight or more wines, the likes of Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, Peter Lehmans Reserve Riesling and By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir paired with beef carpaccio with truffle oil, beautifully cooked steak with a thin filament of dehydrated potato and of course the mandatory after dinner cheese platters, over yet some more wine. It was bliss.

 

 

Next stop was BrokenWood Estate, Hunter Valley. We attended a Shiraz master class and tasted the magnificent Penfolds Grange, among others. Hunter Valley was brilliant. I cannot continue without giving you an idea on how this day, prior to reaching BrokenWood, was spent. We did a Semillon master class which was conducted by Mr Tyrrell of Tyrrell’s Winery, who did an excellent job not only showcasing different producers within the valley, but also from different regions within Australia. After the tour and the master class, we were taken to a secluded spot high up in the nearby hills where we swung golf balls, launching them into the valley below. And the tasting didn’t stop there either! We were taken by wine makers of a few estates and we went about sampling their wines while we waited our turn.

The wine dinner pairing was superbly done with prawns and scallops served with an aged Semillon. We also tasted the ‘91 vintage of Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, Wendouree Shiraz and Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, paired with succulent lamb. Just layer after layer of flavours all coming together to gently lift you - making you almost weightless for a few moments. Well, it would make a poet out of you too.

The Yabby Lake Winery in the Mornington Peninsula was set in the midst of gorgeous rolling hills. We spotted our first kangaroo here as well! We experienced Australian Pinot Noir at its finest paired with quail wrapped in Proscuitto with chai infused crumbs followed by a six-hour oven-roasted Greek lamb. The wine, however, that impressed me personally, was the Lucy Margaux Vineyards Lucy M Pinot Noir. And if you get a chance, you absolutely must try this.

Next was eating kangaroos. Yes, you read that right. Lunch at the Coriole Vineyards in McLaren Vale was my first experience of eating kangaroo. Kangaroo meat goes well with a Coriole Sangiovese 2003 or their Shiraz, if you are ever in that situation.

My favourite wine region had to be McLaren Vale, not only for its famous wines, but for the charming vibes of the region too. We had one of our meals at The Victory Hotel, a gastro pub. The sheer casualness that Australia brings to fine dinning experiences made it so refreshingly charming. Our table was in the basement cellar where the owner of the establishment kept a collection of fine wines from Australia and around the world. We had the Grenache master class dinner here with SC Pannel, a super wine maker and one that immediately won my respect.

Various Grenache and Grenache blends such as John Duval’s Plexus Shiraz-Grenache-Mouvedre blend and other wines from D’Arenberg, Charles Melton (Nine Popes) Jasper Hill and SC Pannel himself were paired with house smoked salmon and seared scallop with sugar snap risotto followed by ricotta tortellini with jamon ham, sage buerre noisette and baby celery cress and then smoked organic lamb. This dinner was an absolute revelation of tastes. If you find yourself in McLaren Vale, visit this restaurant, and yes, be prepared to want to spend lots and lots of money. It’s all worth it.

We then travelled to Ferment Asia in Barossa Valley, a brilliant restaurant that serves Vietnamese cuisine. I have to be honest, the flavours here were a welcome break. The weather at our next stop, Clare Valley, was lovely, nice and chilly. I had spent some energy on 25 minutes of cycling and walked straight into The Artisans Table, our restaurant for the evening, with a sense that I deserved it. The prawn tails, duck confit, the porterhouse steak were all perfect and a reward to my half-baked cycling attempt.