Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rosé 2013

The best Rosé In Australia. That's pretty much it. Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rosé 2013. Red fruit - tart; Acid - bright; Freshness - there. But the big winner is a flavour that you just don't see in Rosé, be it here or the old world. The flavour is French fermier cider.  I cannot explain it, its just there. And its great. Smokin Hot Great.

Drink with ouzo cured smoked salmon, made by me and cold
Drink till 2015
97
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $25 Seddon Wine Store

Château Bel Air Saint-Estéphe 2009

Saint-Estéphe. Think the kid at school who always got bullied. When they grew up they became people like Bill Gates, Quentin Bryce and Tim Winton. Saint-Estéphe. The sub-region on the Left Bank that always gets overlooked, but then, Schazamm!!! In your face Haut-Medoc and Paulliac.

Two days later. 

The Château Bel Air Saint-Estéphe 2009 is super sexy on day 1, getting spesh day 2 - just a wee sip though, and all baby-got-back on day 3. Today. Baby-got-back indeed.  The nose is all coco powder with a tinge of pepper corn - think the big tree on Barrow Street in Brunswick if you are in the area. More chocolate on the primary palate with achingly precise cassis and cedar pushing through. Seriously, a great wine now and plenty down the track and a possible new club house leader

Bullies out there, suck on this!!!

Drink with char grilled lamb
Drink till 2020+
98
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $58 Seddon Wine Store

Warner Glen Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Its crazy weather out there today and Erin wants me to clip the hedge at the side of the house. Its too windy and I just want to drink this and listen to Paul Weller. The Warner Glen Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 has got cassis, mocha, acid, chewy tannins and is just a real drinkable wine on a day like this one -  a little warm hug in a bottle. And it's just $16!!!

Drink with left over roast beef and Paul Weller on the tunes
Drink till 2015
95
Screwcap 14%v/v $16 Seddon Wine Store

Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Coal River Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

A few years ago I posted a blog about Domaine A proclaiming that they were the best Cabernet producers in Australia. A big call some suggested. This post reaffirms that position. The Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Coal River Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 in all intents and purposes may be an entry level wine or second label to many, but for me it stands as one of Australia's premier Cabernet Sauvignons. Simple!

The wine in the glass opens up with characteristic Left Bank wafts of cassis, dried herbal notes and profound  prickly dust. The palate has instant chewy tannins all woven in with layers of cassis, blackberry and tart cherry all washed clean with pitch perfect acid. What a great wine and certainly a no-brainer for these coller months.

Drink with slow cooked lamb shoulder
Drink till 2020+
98
Diam cork 13.5%v/v $34 Seddon Wine Store

A. Rodda Beechworth Cuvée De Chez 2011

Picture the scene if you will.

The camera pans in slowly with clouds lifting from the floor - (narrative)There is a chill in the air. Winter is here (narrative fades). there is a shadowy figure in the foreground with camera now focusing on its silhouette.

Camera pans right suddenly; the silhouette emerges from the cloud; there is a scream somewhere in the distance; the camera searchers for the scream but is drawn to the silhouette. A leg appears, but just the leg. It has a boot and a sock rolled down over the top. There is a ball, a soccer ball.The leg draws back and the camera is now firmly fixed on the leg. A scream enters the air again but the camera does not budge from the leg. The leg move but moves too quick and just like that the ball comes hurtling towards the camera and it smashes with furious force.

The camera is now filming with faint clarity while on its side laying on the ground. The cloud again appears. There is another scream but it is now drowned out by an evil laugh.
Camera fades .....

Thanks for humouring me. The A. Rodda Beechworth Cuvée De Chez 2011 is all dark and mysterious, is made for the cooler months and is made by a guy with a laser sight on his left leg that can find your head from any corner of the winery. Yes Adrian, my head remembers the ball very well ya mongrel!!!

Made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Petit Verdot (16%), Malbec (13%) and Merlot (12%) this wine is a ripping example of what a Left Bank wine looks like when it is made here, not Bordeaux. Cassis and bitter chocolate dominate the nose with a faint but ever present waft of dusty tannins lurking in the background. The palate is an instant hit of soft furry tannins and blue fruit that is quickly gobbled up by more cassis and bitter chocolate with acid holding everything in sway. An awesome wine and certainly one to look out for at the pointy end of winter. And watch out for his left leg too!!!

A. Rodda Beechworth Cuvée De Chez 2011, the quintesential Christopher Lee of the wine world. Exit stage right....

Drink with bloody lamb chops

Drink till 2019

97

Screwcap 13%v/v $34 Seddon Wine Store

Château Léoville-Poyferré Saint-Julien 1996

This was quite special. The Château Léoville-Poyferré Saint-Julien 1996 was opened at about 9am, double decanted, and finally left to sit for about 6 hours before emptied and used to wash down a Côte du Boeuf. Intense is a word that can describe just about every facet of this wine, but i will just say that this wine has plenty left in the tank, something that Left Bank wines take from the 1996 vintage and Right Bank unfortunately do not. Super tort tannins are ever present, with the wine moving through a wave of flavour and aroma profiles; mocha, black and blue berries, leather, dry spice and plenty more but the cocktail napkin I wrote my notes on got a bit smudged so that's all there is. Super sexy it was.

Drank with Côte du Boeuf - medium rare
Drink till 2030+
98
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $$$

Forest Hill Mount Barker Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Just hear me out for a sec. Block 5. Block 5 wines are fast becoming a marketing tool to so many producers. Don't quote me on this, but I think the first Block 5 in Australia was from Bindi in 1997 - the Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 1997 I recall was listed at $400 not so long ago at The Lincoln in Carlton; not bad for a vineyard that was planted in 1992!

Anyway, the Block 5 tag seems to have that marketing 'midas touch'. Here's just a few that I can recall of the top:

• Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
• Yabby Lake Block 5 Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
• Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir, Central Otago
• Chalice Bridge Chapman Series Block 5 Shiraz/Cabernet, Margaret River
• Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Pinot Noir, Marlborough
• Forrest Estate Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon, Marlborough 

Talk about doing your block!!

So it was about 2 weeks ago that I had a tasting of the new Forest Hill wines from Mount Barker with their very pregnant winemaker Clémence Haselgrove; for me the Springvale Estate Riesling is pound-for-pound one of the best in Australia, but thats for another post. The last wine in the bracket was, now wait for it, the Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Block 5's aside, this is truly a cracking wine.

Deep ox blood colour in the glass, the nose throws up aroma's of whispy mint and eucalypt with the smallest hint of dusty tannins to come. The palate is all Left Bank with subtle blueberry notes woven together with pitch perfect acid, tannins and dry dusty cocoa powder. This wine has all the hallmarks of spending another 20 years in the bottle for plenty of reward.

Drink with shephards pie - I did last night
Drink till 2025+
96
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $60ish

Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

In my endeavour as Business Development Manager for Vranken-Pommery-Monopole in Australia, one of my tasks is to go out there and source quality producers for our domestic (including NZ) wine portfolio. Real tough job that one! Over the past twelve months I am happy to say that I have managed to bring in Paradigm Hill, Ostler Vineyards, Blue Poles Vineyard and Vinea Marson. My task is simple; approach producers from each region, represent only one producer from each region, but most importantly approach a producer whom I really like and wine I reeeaaalllyy like. Keep it simple stupid!

So with a good chunk of the mainland and NZ sorted, my attention turned to the apple isle. For me there is one producer down there doing it spot on. All rather there is only one producer I could think of off the top my head whom I would like to represent. Domaine A. Simple. But not so simple. I also believe in not poaching producers from other wine businesses; if they wish to contact me all the good, but I like to think I have some sort of integrity.

Not long ago I posted Domaine A’s 2003 Cabernet, a wine which I believe is Australia’s best Left Bank version; a theory that has met with much guffaw I must say. Anyhoo, Matt from marketing down at Domaine A was kind enough to write me an email thanking me for the write-up. And for the write-up came a bottle of the Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – with a little Cab Franc, merlot and Petit Verdot. What a Stirling chap!

The wine. Dark and lush in the glass with flowing aromas of chocolate, soy sauce and cherry with licorice coming the longer in the decanter. The palate followed the nose with more cherry and chocolate with coffee imparted at the end. An amazing balance also with the acid and fine and savoury tannins. A winner, no doubt about it!

It’s interesting; however, that Domaine A markets this wine to be drunk early and the flagship wines to be cellared. In an age of second and entry level wines, Domaine A is producing two distinct wine labels that can both be struck in the premium category. Again, simple!

Drink with lamb rack
Drink till 2020
96
Quality cork 13.9%v/v from http://www.domaine-a.com.au/

Henry's Drive Parsons Flat Padthaway Shiraz Cabernet 2006

JABS JABS JABS JABS JABS JABS JABS!!!

It says 15%v/v on the back of the label. If this wine is below 16%v/v I'll go hee! The Henry's Drive Parsons Flat Padthaway Shiraz Cabernet 2006 . What do you say. Too much fruit. Too much alcohol. Too much. This is a wine that would have been really good in 1988.

Drink with well done steak
Drink now
70
Cork 15%v/v $?

Sassingo Fattoria Casablanca IGT,Tuscany 2007

It's $21 so it shouldn't be fantastic right? Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong! Such a great wine and such a great price. The Sassingo Fattoria Casablanca 2007 from Tuscany is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon and uses both varieties fantastically with the Sangiovese delivering savoury tannins and bitter chocolate and the Caberent supplying subtle brambly fruit as well as tannins and a ripper cassis nose.

I guess I'm lending a line from the Vermentino blog, but when you want something authentic and an insight in how it's done traditionally, go to the source.

Drink with lamb shanks
Drink till 2016
93
Cork 13.5%v/v $21 Enoteco Sileno, Lygon Street Carlton

Australia Day 2011 and Donny Goodmac Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

I do love Australia Day. Lamb on the BBQ, good wine and most of all a day off – even though I’m on holidays anyway. One thing I did love about this one was the fact that my 5 year old daughter (almost 6 she will tell you) Imogen has recently fallen in love with cricket. More to the point, back yard cricket. So as well as a multitude of lamb, cider and wine, there was also back yard cricket, with the obligatory breaks to climb the fence and fetch the ‘6-and-out’ shot.

Like most of the posts, there is wine. There were a few bottles open, but the most enjoyable was the Donny Goodmac Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. I worked vintage in the valley in 2008 and it was a quick one, with most of the fruit being processed in about 6 weeks. That’s sparkling base wine to Merlot in 6 weeks. What I do remember however was that there wasn’t prolonged heat. It was hot, don’t get me wrong, but the heat didn’t hang around for the 4, 5, 6 or 7 day periods that you will have in SA.


So to the wine. Like I said, the 2008 vintage was one where they got the fruit of the vines in a quick time, so with this you are going to have your cool climate wines showing through. There is almost a coolness about the wine with blackcurrant and cassis very primary. A bit of greenness to the wine up front, but I like that.

It may sound like I am boganing it up for this post - not at all. Like I said, I love Australia Day, but I will not chant "oi, oi, oi', no-sir-ri-bob!

All in all, another bonza Australia Day.

Drink with BBQ lamb
Drink till 2015
90
Screwcap 13%v/v $32 Blackheart and Sparrows Brunswick

I have been corrected

Some amendments if I may; the wine is in fact a Left Bank blend with Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Thanks to anon in Tasmania I now have my facts straight; and I still stick to my comment that Domaine A is the best Cabernet Sauvignon producer.

Cheerio

Tim

Domaine A Tasmanian Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Dark and rich and sexy and dark. The Domaine A Tasmanian Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 sits almost black in the glass with heavy dark chocolate wafting up the olfactory. Clean soft tannins with every sip, with each subsequent sip better than the last – sort of reminded me of The Godfather part’s I and II, the long standing question of which is better. That’s what it was like, which sip is the best. Anyway, clean tannins and clean acid all wrapped around quite ripe dark fruit, something was a little bit surprising seeing it is only 13.5%v/v. But aside of all that waffle, I’ve said it before and that is I believe Domaine A is Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon producer. It’s that simple really.

Drink with lamb shanks
Drink till 2020
96
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $70 Rathdowne Cellars http://www.domaine-a.com.au/

Suckfizzle Augusta Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

My first look at a Suckfizzle wine was a corked bottle of the SSB at Piraeus Blues in Fitzroy just after I returned from four years in Europe and the US. In an Iron Chef moment, if memory serves me correct, the manager quickly took the wine away, and instead of another SSB she opened up the Cabernet Sauvignon. The three of us seemed a little surprised but just went along with it – we were glad. The banquet that we ended up having been accompanied with a further two more bottles of the Suckfizzle CS.

That was effectively the start of my love-affair with Suckfizzle wines, in particular the CS. And with this Suckfizzle Augusta Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 1998, my cellar is a little bit sadder today for there is no more hiding away. But no more tears, let’s get to the wine.

Still very dark in the glass, with no signs of any brickie hue to be seen. Fantastic wafts of cassis, cedar and brown spices with cinnamon the most obvious. More cassis in the palate with the acid a surprising hit in the mid palate followed by blueberries, more spice and another surprise with checked and still firm tannins bobbing up – very Bordeaux and very Left Bank.

My cellar has taken a hit in the past six months, so armed with Mr Visa, I think Suckfizzle may be getting an email from me sooner rather than later.

Drink with Corsican lamb stew – my recipe
Drink till 2016
98
Quality cork 14%v/v Parkhill Cellars Richmond $38 – still have receipt, but Cellars are now closed

Dindi Murrindindi Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Quite frankly the best bargain I have seen in yonks and it’s been yonks since I’ve said yonks so there you go. The Dindi Murrindindi Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 was such a good wine that I had to phone up Psarakos Markets in Thornbury and ask them if they had made a mistake with the price. And the price, a crazy $8.99!!!

Now I pretty much do all of our fruit and veg shopping down at Psarakos because simply they have the best range and lowest prices, but they also have a very good bottle shop with cheap imported Stella and Heineken; not the crap brewed here in Australia but the real stuff from Holland and Belgium. But every-now-and-then you find a little bargain, something odd and something different that you cant pass up on; the Dindi was this little bargain.

Deep purpley and red in the glass, the nose instantly throws up soft pepper, red capsicum, raspberries, tobacco and mocca – very surprising. The palate was lean and cool – winter helps with that – with long clean acid and tight chewy tannins with more raspberries and mocca. Such a bloody good wine and a fantastic reason to head down to Thornbury for some fresh galangal and a botlle or two of something something.

Drink till 2013
Drink with lamb korma
93
Screwcap 13%v/v $8.99 at Psarakos Markets, Thornbury

Watershed Margaret River Shiraz Cabernet 2005

“Although Woundwort had shown himself at the last to be a creature virtually mad, nevertheless what he did proved not altogether futile. There can be little doubt that if he had not done it, more rabbits would have been killed that morning on Watership Down. So swiftly and silently had the dog come up the hill behind Dandelion and Blackberry that one of Campion’s sentries, half asleep under a tussock after the long night, was pulled down and killed in the instant that he turned to bolt” Watership Down, Richard Adams

For those of you who know me, I am a sport tragic. Every now and then you can hear “Tim from Brunswick” on talk-back radio SEN 1116 AM, be it a quiz or singing the praises of my favourite ever footballer, Stephen Michael, the great South Fremantle ruckmen who decided to stay home instead of pursuing a VFL career; I love you Stephen if you ever read this.

So, it was a month or so ago that SEN were discussing books that made the transition to the big screen (not exactly what you would call sport talk-back). It must be said, before I go on, that a good proportion of SEN listeners are your quintessential Aussie Bogans; very myopic in their beliefs about pretty much everything. So anyway, SEN were asking listeners to phone in with what they would consider good book/movie transitions; Star Wars (true), The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Godfather, The Club (David Williamson) and plenty more were announced. Me? I phoned in with Richard Adams ‘Watership Down’. You know the one; rabbits.

I was quite surprised with the ‘guffaws’ I was getting from not only other listeners but also from David Schwarz, one of the presenters. Fortunately the worldly Francis Leach was there to explain what the book/movie is about (I am not going to explain the pretext of the book now – I will be here for sometime).

It was time to announce the best call, and it was me!!!!! My prize? Not the round of golf at Devil Bend (which I had won on a previous call), not the Adidas pack, but two bottles of Watershed wines from Margaret River. Geez I thought, I won some wine on a sport talk-back radio station discussing a book about rabbits – funky shit that one!

So, the wine in question today is the aforementioned Watershed Margaret River Shiraz Cabernet Shades 2005. Off the bat I must say that I am not a big fan of the ‘Aussie Blend’ of Shiraz and Cabernet. To me the combination strips away the primary characters of each varietal. But hey, who am I to complain – the wine was free.

Well, to my surprise, this was actually quite good. Wonderfully dark in the glass, the nose threw up cassis, saddle leather, tobacco and a real waft of Margaret River green; think dried herbs. The palate was a bit restrained early but then produced some really good licorice and black fruit. A really good wine and a nice surprise.

So next time you tune in to SEN 1116AM, don’t be surprised if “Tim from Brunswick” is rambling on a bout South Fremantle and Stephen Michael , because he really is the best player I have ever seen, even if he did not play in Victoria.

Drink with a cheese burger and onion rings
Drink till 2011
90
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $19 or there about’s at The City Wine Shop, Spring Street Melbourne

McWilliams Barwang Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This is a wine that is far too often over looked for something cheap from SA. The McWilliams Barwang Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is one of the best cheap wines you will find this and for that matter any year.

Quite bright in colour, with a real purple hue, the nose of this wine is jam packed with blueberries and herbs such as bay leaf and oregano wafting up tea from the billy in the bush – very bloody Aussie! This is a wine that certainly needs decanting; dark chocolate and licorice comes out towards the end with tight furry tannins driving this wine all the way to the bottom of the glass.

Drink with roast leg of lamb
Drink till 2014
90
Screwcap 14%v/v $14.99 from Purvis Cellar Surrey Hills

Pierro Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot L.T.Cf 2005

‘Lucky is he who has been able to understand the causes of things.’ Virgil 70-19BC.

Lucky indeed are the people who are able to blend wonderful wines. The Bordelaise have been doing it for quite some time, with their wines constructed based on geography; left bank based on Cabernet Sauvignon with flavours dominated by blackcurrant and the right bank based on Merlot with a more fruitcakey flavour and more aromatic in character.

If this Pierro Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot L.T.Cf 2005 were to be imported from Bordeaux rather than Margaret River (the L.T.Cf standing for little touch of Cabernet Franc), it would definitely be a first or second growth from the left bank. Decanted for a while, this wine shows visible SO2 dissolving through the dark deep garnet colour. The nose is absolutely dripping in cassis and other red fruit – totally seductive. More cassis in the palate but it is not the dominating presence however; spine tingling acid and firm grippy tannins drive this wine. An dead-set food wine this one; definitely not a quaffer and definitely not a wine that belies it's massive 14.5%v/v.


Seamless balance and complexity and a bargain at $35!

Drink with roasted shoulder of lamb
Drink till 2025
96
Quality cork 14.5%v/v $35 Dan Murphy’s Parkdale

Mount Gisborne Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2005

When people talk about wine and food matches, the two obvious to me are lamb with Cabernet Sauvignon – a no-brainer in my books, and Pinot Noir with duck – ditto. Yet the Pinot Noir/duck pair is based on the old world Burgundy style Pinot Noir and not so much the new world style that is usually dominated with strawberries. There are however some very good Pinot Noirs in Australia that are very duck friendly, but these tend to be quite expensive; think Bindi Block 5, By Farr and Bass Phillip which all come in $100 and then some.

Just down the road from Bindi is Mount Gisborne Wines, and for those of you who are regulars you would know I am a massive fan. A part of the selection of wines proprietor David Ell dropped off for me to taste, the Mount Gisborne Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2005 is a fair dinkum super wine and a Susan with Duck.

With no fining or filtering, this wine presents a very dirty nebulous red with a tinge of brick red hue. The nose has plenty of funk and wet earth with plenty of prickly acid tickling the olfactory. There is massive acid to this so I would definitely decant this one for a good hour or so before getting stuck in. Soft spice of cinnamon and bay leaf gives way to a more green tomato leaf feel. Bloody good wine this one.

Fantastic balance, great length with plenty of complexity. Mucho Fantastico.

Drink with, well, duck!
Drink till 2017
97
Diam 14%v/v $58 from Gertrude Street Enoteca, Gertrude Street Fitzroy
http://www.gertrudestreetenoteca.com.au/

Summer BBQ Time! - Cookbooks Part 2: Ross Dobson's Chinatown: sweet sour spicy salty

Home from hospital – it’s a good feeling! The stay at North Park Private to try and get Henry to sleep has sort of worked, cos’ I have come home with some better strategies for him to sleep longer – fingers crossed!! Home from hospital also means no more hospital food. I can categorically say that I will not miss their cooking! Sitting down and filling out my meal orders was probably one of the hardest things I did in the last week. All I could think about was my BBQ - pork, beef, crabs and prawns sizzling away while I sip a frosty beer.

It is going to be a bit tough to get organised for a feast tonight with not much in the fridge or pantry, so it will have to wait until tomorrow night for our gourmet spectacular. So to continue my series on summer cookbooks, tomorrow I will be using Ross Dobson’s Chinatown: sweet sour spicy salty.

A couple of weeks ago I had a massive hankering for some home cooked Chinese food. My cookbook range on the subject was very thin, so instead of spending mucho $$ on some new glossy from Kylie Kwong, I borrowed one of the many cookbooks my sister has on the subject, with Ross’ definitely looking the best.

So, in no particular order of what’s going on the BBQ this summer, here are some of the dishes that will get a decent circulation; and yes, I know I have two tofu recipes here carnivores, but they are both delicious so get used to it you meat lovers out there.

Salt and Pepper Tofu – this is such an easy and cheap dish to prepare. It will only work on the BBQ if you have a side wok attachment.
• 600 grams of silken tofu, cut in cubes
• 750 mL vegetable oil
• Half a cup of cornflour
• 1-2 teaspoons of Sichuan pepper and salt mix – one tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, two teaspoons and two tbsp salt
• One lemon, cut into wedges
Cut up tofu in to cubes and carefully place onto a plate lined with paper towels. Place a couple more paper towels on top and leave for about 30 minutes so the water may be absorbed; roll in cornflour. Heat oil in wok and gently slide/place tofu cubes in wok two at a time for about a minute or golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain then toss in salt and pepper mix. Serve with Peter Lehman Barossa Semillon 2006.

Char Siu rack of Lamb - another super dish for the BBQ with fantastic sweet and spicy flavours from the marinade combining with the juices of the lamb.
• Third of a cup of Chinese BBQ sauce – Char Siu
• Two tbsp honey
• Third of a cup lemon juice
• One teaspoon sesame oil
• One tbsp peanut oil
• Rack of lamb, about 750 grams
Combine Char Siu, honey, lemon juice and sesame oil and rub marinade in to lamb rack and refrigerate for at least eight hours. Char the rack on the BBQ for about 30-45 seconds to burn a little; this gives a really good flavour hit from the Char Siu. Place in a baking dish and cook for a further 20 minutes in BBQ. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes and carve up. Serve with Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 or De Bortoli Estate Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

Chilli Blue Swimmer Crab or Singapore Chilli Mud Crab - this will get messy so don’t forget finger bowls and not your children’s wading pool!
• Four blue swimmer crabs/mud crabs
• Three tbsp Chinese chilli sauce
• Three good glugs of tomato sauce, not ketchup – we are in Australia people!
• 200mL chicken stock
• One teaspoon castor sugar
• Half a cup of vegetable oil
• Two garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• One tbsp grated ginger
• Two spring onions, white bit chopped and green bit sliced diagonally
• Two large red chillies, not birds-eye, thinly sliced diagonally
• One egg, lightly beaten
Combine chilli sauce, tomato sauce, stock and sugar in a mixing bowl and dissolve the sugar; set aside. If the crabs are still alive, put them in the freezer for about an hour. Using a cleaver or a heavy bladed knife, make and incision through the head of the crab, put the crabs on their back and lift the tail apron and using your thumb, lever off the top of the shell. Remove the spongy grey gunk and rinse. Cut the crab in half and half again and refrigerate until ready.

Heat the oil in the wok to very high heat. When it reaches smoking point, toss half of the crab contents in and give a good toss for about 3-4 minutes or until coloured. Remove from wok.

Drain almost all of the oil from the wok and add garlic, ginger, spring onion whites and half of the chillies and cook for about 7 seconds then toss in crab and sauce mixture and bring to the boil – keep the kids away at this time cos’ it gets really hot! Keep tossing for a while then slowly pour the egg in as you keep stirring. Cook for another minute. Serve with green spring onion and remaining chilli as garnish. Serve with Provenance Geelong Pinot Noir 2007 or Pepper Tree Hunter Valley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 – this has a lovely tang to it!

Tofu with soy and ginger – this is a great appetiser for something like the last recipe.
• 600 grams of silken tofu, cut in cubes
• 750 mL vegetable oil
• Two tbsp light soy sauce
• One tbsp fish sauce
• Two teaspoons grated ginger
• 40 grams tapioca flour
• Half a teaspoon of fine ground white pepper
• Two spring onions, green part only thinly sliced, diagonally
Prepare the tofu the same way as the first recipe. Simmer fish sauce and ginger in a small bowl to soften ginger. Remove from heat. Heat the oil in the wok to very high. Toss the tofu in flour and cook until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Reheat the sauce mix and pour over tofu with spring onions to garnish. Serve with Bloodwood Orange Riesling 2009.