Jericho Adelaide Hills Fumé Blanc 2013

Do not blink. This wine is all but sold out. Really.

The Jericho Adelaide Hills Fumé Blanc 2013 is part of a new project by the Jericho family (funny that) who if you add it up have been involved in the Australian wine scene for over 100 years. And this is the first release. Good things come to those who wait I guess.

So the wine. I guess it is no secret that I am a Sauvignon fan. A very rare beast in this industry I must say: lots of folk would rather walk blindly out in to Punt Road traffic then quaff a Savvy B. Dumbarses. Again, the wine. A great mix of pithy passionfruit and sharp pink grapefruit on the nose. The palate has an instant hit of chalky minerality followed with long dry herbal notes, more passionfruit pith and finishes with a creamy barrel leesy feel. Just great.

Drink with roast chook - will be doing that tonight. Again
Drink till 2015
96
Screwcap 12%v/v $24 Seddon Wine Store

Brumont Gascogne Gros Manseng-Sauvignon Sec 2011

As summer whites go, this is it. The Brumont Gascogne Gros Manseng-Sauvignon Sec 2011. And yes it has a lick of Sauvignon Blanc in it so those Savvy B poopooers stop reading here... ya flogs.

Smokin hot nose of dried grass clippings and tropical fruit - guava comes through. And once again, Savvy B is here and is all class giving the Gros Manseng bright acid and structure. This one is a winner.

Drink till 2016
Drink with mango chicken salad
95
Diam cork 12.5%v/v Seddon Wine Store $23

Winstead Estate Tasmania Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Having children at an age where they are old enough to own their own iPod is a little bit good, little bit not good sort of existence. The good bit is they will take themselves off to a quiet part of the house and sit down and read Judy Moody or Harry Potter while listening too some inane pop track. The bad is once their attention drifts they will sound you out and start reciting, with little or no pitch, the latest chorus of such musical geniuses as Katy Perry and Pink; no where is all of the kids books I was forced to read did it mention this!!!

The latest such musical luminary coming out of my daughters is 'Icona Pop', whom today are on top of the world and next year, or next week for that matter, maybe be back on the dole; the cynical world of Pop music Anywhoo, Icona Pop is feasting on my nerves, yet there is a line in the song that I will now employ here in my blog; 'I don't care - I love it!!' My Icona Pop wine right now is the Winstead Estate Tasmania Sauvignon Blanc 2011; I love it!!!




It is common knowledge from this blog that I am a Sauvignon fan and do not suffer from all of the SB bashers out there just because its from across the ditch. This one is also from a cross a ditch; a much smaller on but a ditch nonetheless.

The nose straight away grabs your attention with its barrel ferment and lees stirring which have produced great wafts of oyster shell brine followed by ripe locuts. The palate starts similar to the nose with clean rush of minerality and brine, and followed by more ripe locuts all held together with a checked, yet intense, mandarin acid wash. A classic example of a wine that does not follow the lead. Great grape growing and great wine making.  I love it!!!

Drink with whiting fillet
Drink till 2015
97
Screwcap 12%v/v $25 Seddon Wine Store

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Yes, I'm going to say it again. I am a Savvy B fan. This blog exists to write about worthwhile, and sometimes unworthwhile, wine. This blog does not suffer for sycophantic rock-stars who get frothy at the thought of having a thimble full of DRC La Tache. It exists for good wine. Sorry, but I sometimes have to stand up for the variety that is so often lambasted as undrinkable lighter fluid.

So now that we are once again reminded of my love for Savvy B, let me introduce Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2012; my favourite Savvy producer. Packed full of cracked dried green herbs and spice on the nose with a lick of tropical fruit at the back. The palate is fresh with acidity keeping all in check. Last year I had the 2011 Fumé Sauvignon Blanc as my wine of the year. This may not scale those heights but it is still a cracking wine that should be sort out in retail land. And a bottle of this is better that a thimble of La Tache too; wonder if they'd drink 'drinkable' lighter fluid?

Drink with Thai fish cakes
Drink till 2015
91
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $25ish at Albert Street Food & Wine, Brunswick

Fikkers Two Bricks Sauvignon Semillon 2011

The owner of the coolest wine name and label, Anthony Fikkers, knows what to do with Sauvignon Blanc. No you holier than thou wine snobs out there, he doesn't pour it down the drain, he blends it with Semillon and a lick of Muscadelle and pulls out a little ripper of a wine. The Fikkers Two Bricks SBS 2011 from the Yarra Valley is quite easily one of the easiest drinks right now, jammed full of green and white spice and a palate that has more weight, depth and flesh than Paris Hilton. Bad simily; dishwater fills that category.

Drink with pork schnitzel
Drink till 2014
93
Screwcap 12%v/v $22

Wine popsicle anyone?

This is what happens when you have the best intentions in bringing home a bottle of wine for your better half after they have had a very big week back at work. So I pop it in the freezer whilst I try and make the house look pretty and all of that palavar, and then... No and then. It stayed in the freezer until this morning and what do I see? The perfect way to celebrate Australia Day 2012 - Wine popsicle! Sorry dear xxx

Vadiaperti Campania Falanghina IGT 2009

This is not for the faint of heart. The Vadiaperti Campania Falanghina IGT 2009 is a wine that cannot easily be pigeon-holed like a chardonnay, riesling or sauvignon, where all three in one way or another can be mistaken for the others. Very often with ‘exotic’ varieties you have people ask what other variety is it similar to; well this variety has a ‘hole’ all of its own! Captivating on the nose with a touch of candied grapefruit and dried herbs, the palate throws all manner of savoury notes of more dried herbs, acid and white phenolics. It is the mid palate where the dried herb aspect makes you stand to attention; its something that takes a while to put your finger on, but its there, trust me. A cracking wine and club house leader in my fridge right now.

Drink with risotto of goat’s cheese and asparagus
Drink till 2014
94
Natural cork 13%v/v $33 Albert St Food & Wine, Brunswick

Top Six in 2011

It’s that time of the year again when we make resolutions and spend money on gym memberships that rarely get used. 2011 came and tomorrow its 2012’s time to shine. But 2011 year has been pretty huge for me, starting off still working in champagne and as agent for eight Australian and New Zealand producers to be now heavily involved in one of Melbourne’s newest, and biggest I think, restaurant – Albert Street Food & Wine. Yes, it has been positively Heaps Bunta (South Australian Oxford Dictionary meaning HUGE!).

This year has also been a great year for new and not so new wine, which I have come across. Even though there has only been just shy of 90 posts this calendar year, it’s been a year when so much has been awesome, and so little being crap; that a good thing! So here are my Top 6 (5 just couldn’t justify) wines of the year in no particular order. You will notice that there is a leaning towards whites. This is by no means a ‘White Power’ salute to white supremacy, just worked out that way I guess.

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – a recent post on Cooked and Bottled, and a truly great wine. What I loved about this wine is the wonderful nose of dried white herbs of coriander, fennel seed and white pepper. Just love it.


A.Rodda Beechworth Chardonnay 2010 – the first wine produced by Adrian Rodda under his own label. I met and worked with Adrian in 2008 doing vintage at Oakridge in the Yarra Valley and hit off pretty quick with a shared passion for The World Game; I think he still follows Melbourne Victory, me Melbourne Heart. Anyhoo, I smashing debut up in Beechworth.


Bindi Macedon Ranges Original Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 – What more can I say about Bindi that i haven’t already. This is Australia’s answer to Burgundy. That’s all I’ve got!


Vinteloper Clare Valley Watervale Riesling 2011 – made by possibly the tallest wine maker in Australia, David Bowley producers a beautiful wine loaded with never ending flint and river stone minerality without the predictable lime acid that is known from this part of SA.


Marcel Deiss Alsace Pinot D’Alsace 2010 – a blend of Pinot Gris, Blanc and Auxerre, this wine has beautiful floral notes on the nose and a seductive fullness in the palate that just makes me want more, more and more....


EKK Weissburgunder Südtiroler Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2010 – a real wine out of left field when I first came across it. Rich and viscous with orange blossom and a tickle of honey, this wine has a real residual feel to it, but this is more from lees stirring that left over sugar. But eat it with rich fatty pork like i did last night. Delicious!!!!


There you have it. If there was a real favourite I think it would be the Mitchell Harris Sauvignon just because it made me fall in love with this much maligned variety all over again. So leave your preconceptions behind and do yourself a flavour favour and get some.

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011

This is close to the best wine of the year for me. The Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011. In past posts I have mentioned that I am an unabashed Sauvignon fan; done right that is and not to a regional formula. So the first thing to say is that I should not be confused with the ‘Savvy Bashes’ and secondly buy this wine. Full of cracked white pepper and fennel on the nose, the palate also too surprises with a crisp and, this next one I had difficulty with, unctuous and almost tangible herbal note to it. This persisted throughout the bottle. The only trouble with this wine was the glass and a bit I left in the bottle for the next day had no impact like the first three. So I went back to Albert Street Food & Wine the next day and picked anotherie up. A truly great Australian example of how to do this grape justice.

Drink with goat’s cheese
Drink till 2013
96
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $24 Albert Street Food & Wine, Brunswick

I was Wrong!..... Vavasour Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010

.... and before you know it, it’s hot. Then it’s going to be cold, then hot, then cold, then.....

Melbourne; what a great city to live in hey? Yes summer has once again side-stepped spring in Melbourne and we find ourselves again switching from central heating to air-con over night. And that’s what this post today is based on – switching.

Now, to all those too cool for school rock n’ rollers out there, look away now. Everyone else, I like Sauvignon Blanc. It’s almost a Fonz moment, ‘I was w-w-w-w-w-w-wrong....’, but hey, when it’s warm and the nights are muggy, Savvy B really does hit the spot. And the Savvy B that floated my boat this week is the Vavasour Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010. Crisp, fresh and just a real good sense of balance about this wine; its got great acidity yet it is not astringent; the fruit is there but its not cloyingly sweet. This is a very nice wine.

So people, give this much maligned grape a go. And if need be, look up your local SBA (Sauvignon Blanc anonymous) group and tell the world that yes, I love Savvy B.

Drink with goats cheese and scallop salad
Drink now
93
Screwcap 13.5% v/v $17 from Dan Murphy’s Hawthorn East

Alvins bruised salad and Hidden Bird Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Version I

I like Masterchef. I think it is great and actually. I love Masterchef. There you have it, an unashamed and spontaneous pledge of affection. And like most Australians this year, I have taken a few recipes from the Masterchef website and given them a go myself. But the one I reckon has had the most hits is the one that the judges loved; Alvin’s drunken chicken and bruised salad.

Version II - bowl licked clean 2 minutes later

In the past four weeks, not once, not twice but thrice, I have fixed together Alvin’s bruised salad – minus the drunken chicken, that stayed quite sober each time. A fair-dinkum ripper (that mind you is the 383,590th time that ‘Fair-dinkum’ has been uttered since this election started). No really, this salad is the dogs bollocks, the ridgy-didge, the full-lot and the narly dude all rolled into one – even my daughter Imogen thought it was ‘rad-man’ – on my mother’s life!

It really is that good!

Oh yeah, we had a bottle of Hidden Bird Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 to wash it down – quite nice actually (the word 'Martinborough' is hidden on the label; get it, Hidden Bird), not bitter and astringent like those other savvies from the south island. This has got a bit more minerality than cats pee if you know what I mean!

Drink with http://www.masterchef.com.au/drunken-chicken-with-bruised-salad.htm
Drink now
90
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $21 from Kooyong Cellars, Glenferrie Road, Kooyong

Blue Poles Margaret River Viognier 2009

"Things are pretty, graceful, rich, elegant, handsome, but until they speak to the imagination, not yet beautiful" Ralph Walso Emmerson.

Viognier. It was a contender not that long ago until Marlborough Savvy B entered the fray. Yes, Viognier five odd years ago had such a bright future. Thing is though, no-one really harnessed Viogniers true potential; enter stage right Blue Poles Margaret River Viognier 2009.

The first thing that I noticed from tasting this wine is that there wasn't that great big smack in the face of apricot that you generally associate with this variety, instead you get lovely honeysuckle and floral notes on the nose with a more subtle burst of apricot in the form of those little apricot and coconut slices you find at school fetes; I did anyway. Another plus for this wine is that it does not come with a massive whack of alcohol with 13.7%v/v for less than the norm of about 14.5%v/v you may find from producers in SA.

Overall, a lovely pretty thing that definately deserves your attention.

Drink with chilli prawns
Drink till 2012
90
Screwcap 13.7%v/v $20 at Decanters by the bay, Port Melbourne

Koots Salle A Manger, 474 Glenferrie Road Kooyong

It’s been some time now that since I’ve added Birk review, not that I haven’t been out, just that lately I haven’t had too many experiences that have floated my boat. Yes I have been to MoVida and Gingerboy quite a few times recently. And yes, Gingerboy right now is my favourite eatery, but it like MoVida, have been critiqued so much that a recent blogger commented on the creases in the MoVida’s linen napkins – geez people, just eat and be happy!

And speaking of happy, it was me who was happy last week when I stopped in to Koots Salle A Manger in Kooyong last Thursday for lunch. Located in the hollow of Glenferrie Rd Kooyong, which is effectively a Roger Federer top-spin lob away from the Kooyong Tennis Club, Koots has recently celebrated 10 years service in the little village where with what locals say are the noisiest train signals in Melbourne. Add to this a chefs hat in the Good Food Guide, Koots has lasted a lot longer than plenty of other restaurants that have recieved sicophantic praise over the journey, let me tell you!

Having recently sold Koots some champagne – Pommery Grand Cru 1995 – I thought I would pop in before the lunch service and have a chat with the very likeable Denis, the maître d’, about this and that and how the ‘Le Blue’ will do in the World Cup (45 more sleeps to go people). The longer the chat went, the more the little dining room was attracting my attention. Furnished with huge cushioned seats and crisp linen table cloths with the walls being adorned with minimalist prints of various food stuffs, Koots seats about 35 in the front room with the bar able to seat a further 7 or 8. Yet it was the growing aroma from the kitchen that was becoming the real distraction. Denis, I said, can you fit me on the bar for lunch at about 2? But of course Tim, Denis replied. I went back to work and waited for my lunch booking.

Track about two hours and it was 1.15pm and I couldn’t wait anymore. Fifteen minutes later, I was back in the dining room and ready for lunch. A quick hello to Patrice, the chef-owner, who was having a chat to Denis in the bar, and I was seated at the bar looking out to the four tables of locals enjoying their lunch. A little more small talk with Denis and it was time to order. I went for the $30 lunch special, entrée and main with a coffee at the end. I like this option because Koots is not a restaurant that is pushing a very inferior glass of wine on to you, rather giving you the option to choose a glass that suits your meal, rather than a have a glass of un-oaked chardonnay or shiraz from Rutherglen or Mildura!

For starters I had the crumbed veal sweetbreads with frisée salad. It is a shame not more chefs are cooking with sweetbreads, offal from the thyroid glands and not sugar coated bread, because the gorgeous flavour that Patrice has extracted is quite stunning. The main consisted of twice cooked chicken with carved baked potatoes. The glass of wine that I was able to chose, was actually expertly chosen by Denis - 2008 Picpoul De Pinet Ormarine ‘’Sur Lies’’ Coteaux Du Languedoc, France – a blend of Roussanne, Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon, and a wine that is only available at Koots. This is why it is better to spend an extra $10 over lunch and get the right glass of wine rather than something red or white! Quite possibly Melbourne’s best express lunch menu, simple!


Koots Salle A Manger, 474 Glenferrie Road Glenferrie 9822 3809
www.koots.com.au

Hunky Dory Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009

That’s right, I was shocked too! Turns out the Hunky Dory Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 isn’t just another bottle of insipid grape juice from across the ditch, but there is actually plenty to like about this wine. Plenty of passionfruit and gooseberry come wafting up the nose with a real pleasant acid rush in the mouth followed by a tinge of green and more passionfruit. An easy wine without the astringent cats piss finish – definitely worth a look.

So if you do find one out there, tell me where you got it from; this bottle was brought over to our place last Sunday by some friends of ours for a BBQ, but we never got a chance to have some so they left here. Thanks Joanna and Jeremy!

Drink with BBQ asparagus and goats cheese
Drink now
89
Screwcap 13%v/v from somewhere for so much?

Merry Christmas - a very long lunch in Brunswick

Well, another Christmas Day is done with! I was sheepishly greeted by my daughter Imogen this morning with, ‘...only 364 sleeps till Christmas dad’. I certainly hope that this countdown does not have legs; she already has one for when she starts prep and her birthday is in March so three countdowns before New Year would not bode well here in Brunswickistan.

Yes, yesterday here in Brunswickistan was a massive effort; presents, more presents, mud crabs, prawns, smoked salmon, Champagne and then Grandma and Papa arrived with Aunty Meaghan with even more presents for a sugar hyped 4 year old and more wrapping paper for Henry’s first Christmas Day

As usual, when there is a get together at my place, I do the cooking, so yesterday, bar the Christmas pudding and one massive ham was all up to me. The menu sort of read like this:

BBQ Tiger prawns with a fennel and Chinese salad like coleslaw (inspired by Andrew McConnell)
Grilled zucchini and asparagus with truss tomatoes and chevre goats cheese
Singapore chilli mud crab
6 kg Bertocchi ham!
Tasmanian Smoked Salmon
Home made ginger bread men - Henry's favourite as you can see below with Grandma
Christmas pudding with brandy jelly

The eating started at about 2.30pm and wound down by about 7pm I’d say (the obligatory picking ensued of course). Now for me, you cannot not have a Christmas Pud on Christmas day; it is by far my favourite plate. Yet yesterday my fancies were certainly with the smoked salmon and mud crab (that’s if you could get some from Mum’s plate!) The chilli was just right without offending more sensitive tummies.


There was no real thought to the wine yesterday, with some favourites and crowd-pleasers making up the numbers:

Heidsieck & Co Monopole NV Champagne from Epernay
Pommery Brut Royal NV Champagne from Reims
Swings and Roundabouts Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from Margaret River
Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay 2008 from Adelaide Hills
Majella Sparkling Shiraz 2001 from Coonawarra – Wine of the day!
Willow Creek Tulum Pinot Noir 2008 from Mornington Peninsula
Buckleys dark Bock ale from Healesville in the Yarra Valley

As I said, the Majella Sparkling Shiraz was the wine of the day, but it was the Buckleys dark Bock ale that was the obvious Susan for the day with an abundance of rich malt, coffee and raisin chocolate.

I am not going to bang on about the wines from yesterday cos’ I did not sit there with pen and paper jotting down notes on colour, nose and palate. Instead I sat back with my family and enjoyed the smiling faces of my two kids – that’s what Christmas day is all about. Now it’s time for leftovers for lunch and the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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.

Summer BBQ time! - CookbooksPart 1: Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook

‘Nature forms patterns. Some are orderly in space but disorderly in time, others orderly in time but disorderly in space.’ - James Gleick ‘Chaos’

A few years ago I bought this book for a little bit of light reading over summer. It turned out that it wasn’t, and isn’t, the type of ‘light reader’ you look for over summer. Though it was while reading this last night that I came across the above sentence that made this post seem all so necessary.

It is sort of getting warmer here in Melbourne, and with that the BBQ is going to get rather busy. There was a time in my life when a BBQ meant burnt sausages and greasy onions, but these days, with a little bit of culture under my belt, I am lending towards a more ‘anything goes approach’ – the Chaos Theory you might say, where chaos begins, classical science – or in this case classical BBQ – stops!

It is with this in mind that I have trolled through some of my more worn cookbooks, and Maeve’s DVDs of ‘Food Safari’, and put together a taste of what will be prepared for the 2009/2010 BBQ season here in Downtown Brunswick. Let the drooling begin!

Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook
A personal favourite of mine with many of the pages stained with sauces. I have chosen three very classic French dishes, with all of them needing the BBQ in one manner or another.

Salade Niçoise – this one will have two versions; no bonjovies for Erin and lots for me and Imogen.
· Salt for cooking and to taste
· 170 grams haricots verts or green beans
· four small red bliss potatoes, scrubbed
· One garlic clove, peeled and crushed
· Extra virgin olive oil
· About three tbsp red wine vinegar
· Black pepper
· Bibb lettuce
· One green bell pepper, cored and cut into thin slices
· Anchovy fillets, white preferred
· 100 grams Niçoise olives. Get these bad boys from a very good deli such as the French deli at the Queen Vic markets for all of you Melbournians
· Four ripe Roma tomatoes
· High quality canned tuna or seared fresh tunaFour hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut length wise in to quarters.

The ingredients follow very easily onto the plate, but a tip is do not leave the blanched vegetables sit too long; pat them dry when you remove them from water. I'd go for something like the Sorrenberg Beechworth Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008.

Moules Marinières – this was a favourite when I was living in London all those years ago.

· About 150 grams of quality butter
· Two shallots, sliced thin
· 500 mL white wine, cooking – not drinking, yet
· 3 kg mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded just before cooking
· Flat parsley, finely chopped

Melt the butter off in a big pot over a medium flame and add shallots to cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in wine and bring to the boil and season. Throw the mussels in and pop the lid on to cook for about 10 minutes or until all mussels have opened – never force a mussel open; very, very bad for your tummy! Shake the pot as you go and keep the lid nice and secure so you don’t get any of the very hot juices scorching your private bits (always cook with your clothes on). Toss in parsley, stir some more and serve in a massive bowl is you have one. Open a Grosset Springvale Watervale Clare Valley Riesling 2009 with this one being a bit more flinty than the 2008.

Côte de Boeuf – this is the one from my Father’s Day post this year – super mucho fantastico!!!

· 1.5kg rib steaks, on the bone
· Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
· Olive oil, a couple of glugs

This is a big piece of meat, so it is going to be very cold when you pull it out of the fridge; get it out about 30-45 minutes before you put it on the BBQ so to bring it down to room temp.

I am not going to pontificate, but this is best cooked medium rare because it is so big. Only poke and slice until rested for about ten minutes or so. Eat with something like the Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2007 - masses of rich dark fruit combined with chewy tannins make this one a Susan.

I think it wise at this point to break this post in to instalments, otherwise I will be writing this, and you will be reading, until tomorrow. So off you go, clean the BBQ, get your gas cylinder re-filled and cook, cook, cook!

Mount Gisborne Macedon Ranges Florina Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Australian Sauvignon Blanc is back! Not that it went anywhere, but with the Kiwi Savvy B’s monstering the local market for the last decade, Australian producers are showing our cousins across the ditch that we can hold our own.

One of the reasons for this is that Savvy B is being propagated in the right viticulture areas. Sauvignon needs a cool growing season and conditions that are not susceptible to disease in the later stages of the growing season. This means areas such as the Swan Valley, Barossa, McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley and the Riverina should stick to varieties that relish the hot steamy weather that these areas through up and leave it to the cooler districts such as Tasmania, Gippsland and the Macedon Ranges.

And it is the Macedon Ranges where we find David Ell and Mount Gisborne wines. In one of my earlier posts I spoke about David’s enthusiasm when it comes to the Ranges and to his wine. Now I have known for a while, and I must say it is always good to have a catch up with David, and the last time was in my kitchen about three weeks ago when he was good enough to drop off his current batch of wines for me to have a look at with some food – you gotta love that! Over the space of about 45 minutes David and I chatted about numerous topics, his wine obviously, but also on issues such as restaurant mark-up’s, wine media in Australia and possible remedies to get my son Henry to sleep – unfortunately this has not worked, Sigh!! But I digress.

We were talking Savvy B I recall, so here is David’s offering, Mount Gisborne Florina Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2009. The Florina vineyard is about 500 metres from David’s own vineyard, and is situated on the western aspect of Mount Gisborne. This is the third Sauvignon offering from David, and he pretty much follows the normal routine when it comes to Sauvignon production; no wood with a tank fermentation. Where it differs is David does plenty of lee’s stirring to bring a bit of softness to the wine and also does not fine or filter the wine which gives it a bit of a hazy look to it with potassium bitartrate crystals (below picture) evident in the wine, but don’t fuss, they are harmless. The wine has a real softness to it without the sappy tropical feel that we get from Marlborough. The 2009 offers a lovely white floral aroma with subtle grassy notes coming through also. A very well made wine indeed.

The Mount Gisborne 2009 Sauvignon will be released from October, so be on the lookout for it at Independent wine outlets, good restaurants or direct at http://www.mountgisbornewines.com.au/

Drink till 2011
Drink with pea and goats cheese salad
90

Screwcap 14%v/v

Season of Soup - Broccoli soup with Torrent Bay Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2008

This soup has caused quite a stir; Imogen and I like it but Erin cannot stand it. And why? Cos’ it’s broccoli and green and tastes like broccoli!! This is a simple one that does not take much time to prepare, and eat at that matter, where all you need is broccoli, water, salt and that’s it!

I saw the 'enfant terrible' Gordon Ramsey dish this up in one of his restaurant re-vamps a couple of years ago (this was when Gordon was popular on the box), and really, like I said previous, it is so simple to cook.

· Broccoli, about three bunches – florets only
· Water
· Salt
· Glass of wine - to drink, not for cooking

All you need to do is boil the broccoli, strain out to another pot. Add the water the broccoli was cooked in while blitzing. Make sure you don’t have it too thick – you don’t want to be chewing it now do you! Add salt to taste. Simple hey?

Now the wine. A lot of people say that you cannot match wine to food that is high in sulphur. These are probably the same people who also say you cannot match food with Sauvignon Blanc. These two points may hold merit, but I am going to rock the boat and say that two wrongs make a right with this one! Broccoli soup with Torrent Bay Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2008.

Located on the northern tip of the south island just west of the capital of Sauvignon, Marlborough. This wine has a very light colour to it, bone straw will do. The nose has very definite hay aromas followed by stone fruits – nectarine. The mouth is similar with grassy flavours, big acid then more stone fruit to follow. After about ten minutes a sweeter feel of passionfruit coming through.

This match is a no-brainer, but not a Susan people!

Torrent Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Drink now
86
Screwcap $18 12% v/v

Chateau Doisy-Daene 2007 Bordeaux Blanc

Wine is sexy stuff; I have said this many times. Wine is sexy, but these are not words I would generally describe me old mate Savvy B. The Doisy-Daëne Bordeaux Blanc 2008 is no Savvy B, this is real Sauvignon Blanc let me tell you.

This wine straight away seems to betray all the characters that new world Savvy B gives you; pale straw colour, rancid cats pee and vegetal nose followed by the lip smacking acid rush that comes in the mouth.

This wine is pure delight. Nice pale gold colour seems a bit odd for such a young wine of this calibre, but this is put to rest with a nose of clean and clear lemon curd. The mouth is very true to the nose with a lovely mouth feel, clean acid which with this wine is playing the second fiddle, followed by more lemon and a hint of sherbet and melon. Bloody good stuff I say.

Drink with cervice scallop
Drink till 2012
17.4/20