I came to appreciate wine when I lived in South Australia. I would visit wineries with my friends whenever we are free to taste various wines in South Australia. We would pair our wine with cheese, crackers, dried fruits, and so on. Whenever there’s gathering, there will be wine. Strangely, no one would get drunk for drinking wine, at least I’ve never experienced it. However, when there is whisky, gin, or other alcohol around, people will surely ended up drunk and wasted.
Was fortunate to be able to taste Wolf Blass wine last week. It’s from South Australia!! Taste like home… We tasted 6 types of wine.
Left to right: Gold Label Eden Valley Riesling 2015, Gold Label Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2016, Gold Label Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
Left to right: Gold Label Barossa Shiraz 2015, Grey Label Langhorne Creek Cabernet Shiraz 2013, Black Label Cabernet SHiraz Malbec 2006.
Which wine do you think goes well with the food below? Well… To me, there is no fast and hard rules for pairing wine and food. Some said if you are having white meat, you should go with white, while red meat should go with red. At the end of the day, it is all about your own liking. Everybody has taste and preference of their own. I’m not a wine expert. I’m more of a white person but sometimes I do go for red depending my mood rather than food.
Left: Appetizer, Chawan Mushi with Local Smoked Fish & Fragrant Shallot Oil went really well with Gold Label Eden Valley Riesling 2015 which brought out crisp and clean subtle blossom notes of the wine. Some how it cleansed my palate from the taste of smoked fish and shallot oil for the second course of the meal.
Right: Cream of Onion with Lobster Ravioli was great to pair with Gold Label Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2016 in which the fine acidity helped in balanced out the taste of onion in the soup. I’m not a fan of onion hahaha! With this wine, some how it made the soup tasted better. The wine tasted sweeter and smoother too with this soup.
Left: Main course, Pan Seared Local Sea Bream Fillet with Lemongrass Butter Sauce served with Ratatouille Vegetables and Dauphinoise Potatoes, went well with Gold Label Barossa Shiraz 2015 or Gold Label Eden Valley Riesling 2015. Both red and white complemented the fish and its sides.
Right: Dessert, Gold Dusted Chocolate Brownie served with caramelized banana, was great to go with any white or red. I don’t know about you but chocolate and wine always go well together for me hahaha…
Which one would you choose for your next meal?
Do you know that Wolf Blass luxury and premium ranges made up of the Black, Grey and Gold Labels? Normally people here would just go for Yellow Label which is more affordable. Why don’t you try out the premium range next time?
Wine is meant to be enjoyed in small amount or in moderation. Don’t binge on it, it’s not meant to be drank this way and not meant to make you drunk. Each wine has its unique characters, you just need to find the one that suits you best, it’s a never ending discovery. To me, no wine is bad wine unless those gone bad due to improper storage hahaha…
Wolf Blass Chief Winemaker, Chris Hatcher, shared his knowledge of wine with us. He told us that Wolf Blass was named ‘Red Winemaker of the Year’ at the prestigious International Wine Challenge in London in 2016, making it a three-time winner for this accolade, having previously awarded the honour in 2008 and 2013.
ABOUT WOLF BLASS
Wolf Blass was established in the Barossa Valley in 1966 and has grown from a humble tin shed to become one of the world’s most successful and awarded wine brands. A recipient of more than 10,000 awards at national and international wine shows, the essence of Wolf Blass wines is exemplified through the passion of its custodians past and present as they continuously strive to produce wines of quality, character and consistency.
Look at the box! Would you like to get a hold of it? It consists of a bottle of award winning Gold Label Wolf Blass wine and a Bordeaux RIEDEL glass. Definitely good to get if you are shopping for gift or for your special occasion.
For those in Kuching, the gift pack is available from October to November 2018 at Cold Storage Kuching, Ta Kiong, Choice Premier 101, Niche Gourmet and Aeon Kuching Mall for a suggested retail price of RM139.90.