It’s Friday and lunchtime is fast approaching. This week seems to have been very long and busy.
The hours are counting down to the weekend and that means a few bottles of my favourite wine will be drunk.
The truth is that it’s normally a few bottles on a Friday night, then a few more on Saturday and then cut back to just one on Sunday. I have to be up early on a Monday morning ready for another hectic week at the office.
Unfortunately I am still a bit of an amateur when it comes to choosing the right wines. Occasionally I have been known to serve a white instead of a red.
Now on Friday I was considering serving up a lovely piece of steak. To accompany this I think I should be choosing a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. However my predicament is I am an absolute lover of any sort of Shiraz, so perhaps I should get a couple of bottles of this.
This Saturday we have a family celebration and I will be laying on a nice finger buffet at my house. I expect my family will do their usual and not bring their own wine, so I will have to make sure I have extra supplies in. My absolute favourite wine is Cava, so I will definately buy some of this. My dilemma will be should I get Rosado Cava or Reserve Cava, or perhaps, as it’s a big event, I should just get a case of each.
Sunday night will be just the two of us, and I think it will be a good idea after our weekend of heavy drinking to just snuggle up on the sofa with a nice cup of tea.
I can’t believe it but that is another weekend done and dusted. Monday morning will soon be upon us, the alarm will be blasting into action and so another busy week at work will commence. Oh roll on Friday.
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The Barossa is famous for its red wine and it is in this region where Shiraz reigns supreme. Shiraz from the Barossa is used in the production of Penfolds Grange, Australia’s most famous wine. Henschke Hill of Grace also uses Barossa Shiraz for their wine.
The Barossa is located north of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. Something that surprises many people is that the Barossa actually encompasses two regions – the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.
The Barossa Valley is generally less than 400 metres above sea-level and stretches from Williamstown in the south to Kapunda and Truro in the north. The red-brown soils are more fertile than those of the Eden Valley but rainfall here can be up to 50% less. Temperatures are generally about 2ºC warmer.
Eden Valley includes the country from Truro in the north through to Mount Pleasant in the south. This region averages for 400 to 600 metres abouve sea level with the wine growing areas being situated in the higher sections of land. Eden Valley has much rockier, acidic soil than the Barossa Valley and also enjoys about 255mm more rainfall every year. Growing seasons in this region are longer due to the cooler temperatures.
A number of wine aficionados may be wondering what this all means, well to put it bluntly – great growing conditions!
The Barossa has a rich history of growers, some stretching back up to six generations – in total there are about 550 growers in the region. The total harvest each season adds up to a whopping 55,000 tonnes of grapes which has been grown over 8,000 hectares of land.
A unique aspect about the Barossa is that it has managed to avoid phylloxera This has allowed most of the wineries in the area to keep their original root stocks and has some of the worlds oldest vines.
Even though the Barossa represents about 5% of Australia’s national crush, the fruit produced is premium quality. The constant premium quality of wines produced in the Barossa makes them Australia’s most internationally influential regions with a large number of Barossa wines being categorized in the super-premium class.
Its easy to see why Barossa Shiraz is held in high regard amongst wine connoisseurs.
Follow the link for more information on Premium Barossa Shiraz .
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There is an enormous variety of wines out there. If you’re interested in learning more about pairing wines with your meals, then you’ll probably want to start with the popular wine varieties before delving into some of the lesser known varieties.
Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can’t go wrong with a wine of the month club, they’re fun and you’re always expanding your wine palate.
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Often abbreviated to the less-than-lovely name ‘cab-sav’, the flavorful cabernet sauvignon is a classic French wine that is one of the most widely recognized red wine varieties.
This well rounded red goes wonderfully with steaks and roasted lamb as well as being delicious on its own.
Merlot
This soft, full bodied red has significantly less tannins than do most other red wines. Merlot is bottled on its own as well as being a part of many red wine blends. Merlot is an excellent wine to pair with chicken and other poultry.
Shiraz
Also known as Syrah, Shiraz is a deep red colored, medium bodied wine whose flavor includes hints of black pepper and berries. This is one of the best wines to go with barbecue as well as many other meat dishes. Shiraz can be aged for a long time and improves well with age.
Shiraz was originally produced from grapes from the Middle Eastern countries although South Australia’s brilliant wine region is now said to produce some of the finest award-winning Shiraz wines in the world.
Served with peppery or mustard-based sauces on spicy, garnished meats, Shiraz is the perfect complimentary red wine.
Grenache
Grenache has a soft taste on its own with a very slight black pepper and plum flavor. It is often blended with Syrah, especially in Spain and France. Grenache also accompanies spicy foods quite well.
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir has a medium to light body, an aroma reminiscent of red and black fruits and floral notes – these become especially pronounced when the wine has been well aged.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is one of the most popular white wines, being made into a wine in its own right and being a major component of most white blends. These wines tend to have notes of melon and lemon and are generally aged in oak for anywhere up to 3 years. Chardonnay goes well with flavorful fish such as salmon and tuna. Chardonnay is easily one of the most popular white wines anywhere. Traditionally these wonderfully melon flavored wines are allowed to mature in oak barrels for up to 3 years. Chardonnay is ideal served along with salmon.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc produces a very flavorful, somewhat acidic wine with gooseberry and lemon flavors. This wine pairs excellently with seafood and grilled vegetables and is wonderful on its own.
Semillon
This classic full-bodied dry French white wine is often misunderstood by people living outside of France or Australia. Often criticized for lacking in intensity, Semillon has a distinctly fruity flavor that is more subtle than some of the ‘heavier’ white wines and so it’s often blended with a Sauvignon Blanc to create a wonderful light drinking wine.
Riesling
Originally a German wine, Riesling is now produced all over the world. These whites have a fruity, floral taste which reminds many of green apple and are made both in sweet varieties and dry. The dry Rieslings go well with spicy dishes.
Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.
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