a r e p O e h T t A t h A Nig T FOOD, WINE & ISLAND TIMES
winelander
here is a degustation dinner at new Vernazza Restaurant at The Bribie Island Golf Club on Saturday 12th March which I have been asked to match the wines with each of the courses and I thought I would explain which wines I have chosen for each course and the reason why. On arrival on the lawn, (weather permitting) canapés will be served to consist of Arancini balls, Smoked Salmon cream cheese crostini and Mediterranean stuffed pumpkin flower, to accompany this and to start the evening in style we are serving Henri Laurent French Champagne. This will be accompanied by singing from Steven Hyndman who will entertain throughout the evening. Henri Laurent Champagne is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes which is probably the most consistent blend in Champagne and whilst Australian sparkling wines are receiving great reviews especially those from Tasmania the very name Champagne evokes a special feeling of a great night ahead. The first course is a Charcuterie board comprising a selection of cold meats, breads, cheese and dried fruits. I have chosen The Yalumba Y Viognier rather than a Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling. The Viognier has aromas and flavours of pears and stone fruit and should match this course where a sharp acidic wine would overpower the selection. The second course is a chilli lush coffee crusted salmon and again rather than go for an acidic white wine which suit shellfish I have chosen a new Chardonnay on the market from The Napa Valley in America and carries the provocative title “Fat Bastard”. Salmon is a fish that needs a wine of substance to match it and I tried to find an older style of Chardonnay that wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the salmon and this wine should do just that. The third course of Braised Beef Cheeks needs a couple of red wines that can carry this rich serving and I turned to my old friend from the Barossa, Wayne Dutschke, whose family have been making outstanding red wines for over 70 years I have selected The Sami 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon and The Oscar Semmler 2017 Shiraz. I sold Dutschke Estate Wines for several years in Western Australia
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www.thebribieislander.com.au
The Bribie Islander
and wherever we did special evenings such as this the wines always stood out. The Chef is serving a traditional Tiramisu for the dessert, and we are serving a wine that I came across a couple of weeks ago when a friend dropped off a bottle of Calabria Belena Moscato. The first impression was the packaging which is incredible, and the wine has enough sweetness to handle the cocoa, espresso, rum and Marsala wine. To complete this exciting evening, I have once again turned to Dutshke Estate and his magnificent aged Muscat that will accompany an Espresso with biscotti.
Anyone interested in joining us for the evening should contact Catherine in the
office at The Bribie Island Golf Club on 3408 1457 the cost for members is $80 a head and $90 a head for non-members. Cheers Philip Arlidge arlidge@bigpond.com.au One of Benjamin Disraeli’s characters in his novel ‘Sybil’ written in 1845 comments. “I rather like bad wine,” said Mr Mountchesney; one gets so bored with good wine.”! There are those of you that mix a little water or even a couple of blocks of ice so consider these words of wisdom from one of the greatest Roman lyric poets Catullus. “Away with you water, destruction of wine”
