Australian food and wine website
www.campionandcurtis.com
Wine and food
Like most people who are interested in food we're just as keen on a glass of wine. We have a small stash
of wine at home which we allow to mature for a special occasion or a celebration dinner, (mostly riesling and sparkling red)
but we usually shop for wine as the need takes us. We like to visit wineries on our travels around the country, but most of our purchases
are done at wine shops or on-line.
A lot of what we drink is local, but we're not totally parochial. We love wines from New Zealand,
Spain, Italy, France and Germany too. We're big fans of shiraz, pinot noir, riesling and sparkling
red, not that this stops us trying cabernet, grenache, rose or a decent bottle of sparkling! If the wine is a good match with the food we about to eat then it's one we'll have, it's as
simple as that.Recent bottles - Wine and food matches - Warm weather food and wine - Cool weather food and wine
Recent Bottles
Recent Drinks
A few interesting bottle have been enjoyed in recent times, so here's a run down of a few favourites. Rutherglen durif may not be the most friendly
of wines when young. Rutherglen durif may not be the friendliest of wines when young. They're packed with mouth puckering tannin and quite
unmanageable. Having kept a bottle at the bottom of the wine cupboard for 10 years, it was time to tackle it. The tannin had done its work and the
resulting wine was a real winner, especially with homemade pasta and a braised rabbit sauce.
Also loved a recent Chapel Hill Cabernet 2002. The wine is sourced from fruit grown in Coonawarra and McLaren Vale, and it
shows in the glass. It's on the big side for a cabernet, but still elegant, rich and stunning with beef and duck dishes. A delicious drop.
We've been in serious recipe testing mode in recent weeks which means there's no shortage of food to enjoy. This usually leads to a couple of great Saturday night
dinner parties for a few mates to 'taste test' the latest creations. Recently we hosted a dinner with two duck dishes and one pork dish for main course, so we
encouraged everyone attending to bring along a bottle of pinot noir and see if we could get a couple of great food and wine matches. From a large field of entrants we
were most impressed with Scotchmans Hill Norfolk Vineyard Pinot Noir 2000, the Six Foot Six Pinot Noir from Geelong
(especially as it's usually under $20), Somewhere Else Pint Noir from Tasmania,
Farr Rising Pinot Noir (also Geelong) and the much lauded Kooyong Meres Pinot Noir.
On the night however most felt the
Gravitas pinot noir 2004 from Marlborough in New Zealand came in by a nose ahead of the other
wines. It had a beautiful intensity and complexity of cherries and berries with great length. With our duck and pork it was an absolute winner.
As it was a special night we also uncorked a few bottles of aged Australian whites, the most impressive of these were the 10 year old Pewsey Vale Riesling and an
8 year old Mitchelton Riesling. All in all a great time was had by all.
After a couple of excellent weeks on the hunt for great drinking we've had a couple of duds. Definitely a few corked wines (great news when you've parted with
$30.00 a bottle at cellar door), or wines that were just poorly made. One shining light in recent days has been a bottle of Kim Crawford 2004 Marlborough
sauvignon blanc. Usually we're sauvignon blanc fans in summer months, however this wine has a richness and good mouth feel that adds to the classic gooseberry,
herbaceous flavours. This makes it a terrific choice for drinking at this time of year. On the subject of corked wines perhaps its time to stick with screw cap wines
to avoid the hassle of trying to return a bottle of wine to a winery many kilometers away.
There have been a few decent reds enjoyed over the past few weeks including the Seppelt Victorian Premium Reserve Shiraz. We
first had a taste as a by-the-glass offering in a regional restaurant and were impressed with the complex, savoury nose and ripe
fruity flavours. Beautiful with our French onion soup. Just the next day we were able to taste a five year old version of the same
wine and here the wine had developed into a deep and brooding red with hints of old leather, cigars, spice and ripe berries.
For a wine that is offered at under $15.00, it's amazing value for money. We've also become big fans of the James Squire beers
recently. The India Pale Ale is probably our overall favourite, but we're pretty keen on the Original Amber Ale and the Pilsner too.
It's great to have quality boutique beers at a reasonable price.
Have to admit we've been getting onto the shiraz viognier bandwagon in recent months. We're loving the aromatic freshness the viognier brings to the red, and also feel
it makes a great food friendly drink. A few recent favourites include Innocent Bystander shiraz viognier which is vibrant purple in the glass, with a decent whack of
tannin to balance the full-on fruit flavours. Also loving the Mr. Riggs shiraz viognier. Again a big, food friendly wine we loved to the last drop.
Great Barossa shiraz is often purple in the glass, fresh and peppery on the nose and rich on the palate. You'll find all this and more in a bottle of Mountadam
Barossa Shiraz 2002. A great example of an iconic Australian wine. In the $16.00-$18.00 price bracket.
We've moved from the fresh, light wines of summer to richer whites in recent weeks. A real favourite has been the Coffele soave classico which is rich, nutty and full
flavoured. It's a terrific food wine with prosciutto wrapped figs or a rich seafood pasta. A number of bottles were enjoyed with friends over the Easter weekend. Priced in the low $20.00 range.
A rediscovered favourite has been Wirra Wirra Church Block which used to be our 'expensive' wine when we we're
budding foodies. A recent bottle reminded us that this wine is still a force to be reckoned with. Deep berry and spice on the nose and intense,
complex fruit flavours made it perfect with a recent pan fried steak dinner. We've also really enjoyed a number of Foxeys Hangout
wines, in particular the Foxeys Hangout pinot gris which was crisp, aromatic and refreshiingly dry and perfect with vegetarian dishes. We've also
pulled the cork on a number of Foxeys Hangout pinot noir which have been quickly dissapeared.
Fettlers Rest chardonnay from Geelong way was absolutely stunning, which is saying something from two us who
are not known for their love of chardonnay. It was beautifully balanced and absolutely delicious with a recent dish of chicken
saltimbocca. Also excellent was the Coldstream Hills Briarstone that was a delicious blending of cabernet and
merlot. Try it with a few steaks brushed with a little pomegranate syrup for an excellent match.
If it’s a fresh zesty riesling your after we loved the fragrant citrus flavours in a bottle of Clonakilla riesling
we enjoyed with friends.
A real white favourite of ours is the Mitchelton Blackwood Park Riesling. We have yet to be
disappointed with a bottle of this wine and it'll pay big dividends if you can put it away for a
few years. It's packed with intense lime and lemon flavours and has a delicate, full flavoured
finish. If you get an opportunity to visit the cellar door you may be able to get your hands on
a magnums or two, which are fantastic for big dinners as we experienced recently. 750ml $14-$17.00.
We're also big fans of the Evans & Tate Margaret River Classic made from a crisp blending of s
emillon, sauvignon blanc and a dash of chardonnay that is absolutely seamless. The wine has great
mix of stone fruit and tropical fruit flavours and a dry, fresh finish. Try it chilled with
barbecued prawns or freshly opened oysters to enjoy it at its best. Excellent value at around $15-$17.00.
Want to promote
you products to
food and wine lovers?
Look no further!
Campion and Curtis offers
compeditive monthly rates.
Contact us at
allan@campionandcurtis.com |
A friend brought along a bottle of Seppelt DP59 rare tokay and it was an absolute
knockout. Intense rich toffee, chocolate and caramel flavours were abundant in every sip. In fact
the empty bottle still retains considerable aromas weeks after it has been enjoyed. Without a doubt
one of the most outstanding aged tokays we've ever tasted. We enjoyed every drop with a chocolate
self-saucing pudding. The pudding will cost you around $3-$4, the tokay somewhere in the vicinity
of $55-$70.00
At the other end of the price spectrum was a bottle of Preece 2001 pinot noir.
Unlike a lot of pinot in this price range the Preece had a real savoury character to it and a
good balance of sour cherry/strawberry flavours and a few hints of subtle spice. Well worth a
try in our opinion and retailing somewhere in the $12-$16.00 range.
When it comes to Australian wines we're suckers for a well aged shiraz. A couple of dinner guests
brought a bottle of 1992 Mitchelton Print Label Shiraz to our table recently and it was an
absolute winner. Beautifully balanced with a seamless mix of ripe, rich berries, mild vanilla
and spices it was hard to believe it was ten years old. It still tasted as fresh as daisy and
was absolutely magic with our rich chicken casserole. At around $40-$50 a bottle for the
current release, it's hardly an everyday wine, but if the budget allows this flagship wine is a
great example of why shiraz can be so good in this country.
January has provided us with an opportunity to enjoy a few of those bottles of wine we’d gathered
over the past twelve months. Two of our favourites included William Ferve petit chablis, which
was an absolute delight with plates of seafood nibbles. While a chilled bottle of
Pipers Brook gewurztraminer matched beautifully with Thai chicken salad,
see recipe further down the page.
We've had a pretty good run of wines appearing just before last Christmas too. One of the more
memorable was the Seville Estate Old Vine Reserve Shiraz 2000. This is a serious complex and
more-ish wine is packed with rich berry, mild pepper flavours and just a hint of mint.
Definitely one for the cellar, if you can resist the temptation.
We've also had a very good bottle of Brown Brothers Shiraz 2000, which was blood red in the
glass and packed with plenty of berry/cherry flavours, aromas of stewed plums, and a decent
whack of spice to round it off. Have a bottle, as we did with a pot-roasted chicken.
We’re always keen to try European wines when the opportunity arises and we were recently offered
a taste of a brilliant wine called Douro Tinto from Portugal. It’s from a winery called Quinta
do Vallado which is situated on the Corgo river in the Douro Valley (according to the label).
We’re not sure how wide distribution is, so you may have to hunt it down.
Wine Spectator described the wine in the following way "Bursts with intense flavours of cassis,
berry, and red cherry, powered by strong acidity. Finish of game and bittersweet chocolate.
Almost Burgundian in its elegance and balance." Couldn't have put it better ourselves.
Tatachilla Foundation Shiraz is a wine we buy when the budget allows, and then try to keep the
cork in it for a few years. We brought a bottle of the 1995 to friends for dinner recently and
were not disappointed. The wine was packed with concentrated fruit and intense flavours, just as
the best big McLaren Vale wines should be. It was enjoyed by all.
A bottle of Giesen pinot gris from New Zealand went down a treat a few weeks ago too. It’s just
the sort of wine to enjoy with Japanese and Chinese dishes, particularly seafood and chicken.
It had a long finish with hints of oak, stone fruit and pears along the way.
Crawford River is cool climate wine district and winery in far west Victoria. We recently tasted
the 2001 riesling and were very impressed. It was a classic pale lime colour in the glass and had
hints of tropical fruit and apricots with a delicious mineral finish on the palate with hints of
spice. Definitely one for riesling lovers to search for.
The Evans & Tate cabernet sauvignon 2001 really struck a cord with us recently, particularly as
we're not usually fans of young cabernet. The wine was particularly elegant with lots of ripe
blackberry flavours, a little spice (cinnamon and cardamom) plus mild tannins carrying it all
along. Definitely one to enjoy now or after a few years in a cool dry place.
Seppelt Original Sparkling Red is the must have drink on the Christmas table for us. It 's our
way of enjoying shiraz when the weather's hot and is a beautifully balanced wine, with an
abundant depth of flavour and a hint of sweetness. At around $15-$18 it's also fantastic value
for money.
Domaine Chandon really set the standard a few years ago with top quality sparkling wines in the
$25-$35.00 range. We're big fans of the Chandon Rose because the fuller flavours and body makes
it fantastic with food. The vintage brut is also very, very good - especially if you can leave
the cork in the bottle for a few years after release. We recently popped the cork on a bottle of
the 1994 and found a rich, elegant wine with rich sourdough bread flavours and a strong yellow
hue.
Having recently taste tasted the new Summer Blonde beer around the barbecue you'd be led to
think that Cascades' brewers were barbie lovers from way back. This is a part of the brewers
seasonal beers range and is intended to be the perfect summer drink. Summer Blonde is a wheat
beer with a hint of fruitiness, a little spice and a clean crisp finish which is really
refreshing. If you thinking about picking up a slab or two this weekend be aware this is
targeted as a premium beer with a premium price. A four-pack with set you back around $15.00,
and you can work out the carton price from there.
Wine and Food Matches
This is our 'general' guide to matching wine with food, don't forget to check out our recipe page
and the barbecue page for lots more recipes and food ideas. 
Sparkling and chardonnay - antipasto, oysters or shellfish
Young riesling or gewürztraminer - stir-fried prawns with Asian greens or Vietnamese vegetable salads
Central Chenin blanc, marsanne or pinot gris - a terrine of roasted vegetables or Thai seafood curry
Full flavoured chardonnay - barbecued fish and chicken; a ripe brie or a smoked trout salad
Rosé and Italian varietal reds - Peking duck rolls; barbecued quail or prosciutto and melon
Pinot noir and lighter shiraz - Italian rabbit casserole, rich fungi risotto and barbecued poultry
Full flavoured shiraz, merlot and grenache - roast beef; coq au vin or barbecued kangaroo
Mid weight cabernet and shiraz - braised duck with shallots and hearty beef pot roast
Sparkling red - roast turkey on Christmas Day
Botrytis riesling or semillon - oven-roasted stone fruit or passionfruit and mascarpone tart
Port, tokay or muscat - full-flavoured apple cake, chocolate panforte and blue cheese
Warm weather food and wine
We don't just like main course salads, we adore them. So easy to prepare on a hot day, and so refreshing
too.
Thai chicken salad
This beautiful dish offers the perfect excuse to enjoy a glass of chilled young riesling or gewürztraminer.
2 chicken breast fillets, skin removed
250 ml (8 fl oz) coconut milk
1 lemongrass stem, thinly sliced
2 small red chillies, halved
1 iceberg lettuce, washed and broken into bite-sized pieces
1 cucumber, skinned, halved and sliced
Handful of bean sprouts
6 shallots, sliced
1 cup coriander sprigs
150 g (5 oz) roast peanuts
1 tbsp shaved palm sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and diced
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Place chicken in a small saucepan and cover with coconut milk. Add lemongrass and chillies. Bring to the boil, lower heat and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Check that chicken is cooked through. Allow to cool completely in coconut milk, then drain and slice thinly. Discard cooking liquid.
Combine lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, shallots, coriander, peanuts and cooked sliced chicken.
Prepare salad dressing by dissolving palm sugar in lime juice. Then stir in fish sauce, chilli and black pepper and whisk in olive oil. Toss dressing through salad and arrange on a large platter
Serves 4.
Vietnamese beef noodle salad
Lots of zingy flavours and great textures make this dish ideal for a light lunch or entree, especially good with a glass or rose or grenache.
500 g (1 lb) beef - girello or scotch fillet
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp peanut oil
200 g (7 oz) rice vermicelli noodles
Juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp chilli paste
2 tbsp fish sauce, additional
1 tbsp shaved palm sugar
12 Vietnamese mint leaves, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp peanut oil
100 g (3 1/2 oz) snow peas, blanched and thinly sliced
1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
100 g (3 1/2 oz) fresh shiitake mushroom, finely diced
100 g (3 1/2 oz) cashew nuts, toasted
100 g (3 1/2 oz) bean sprouts
60 g (2 oz) crispy fried shallots
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
Rub beef all over with fish sauce and peanut oil and marinate for 30 minutes. Heat a heavy-based pan over a high heat. Add beef and brown all over. Place on a baking tray and cook in oven for 30 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
Put the kettle on to boil. Pour boiling water over noodles. Allow to stand for at least 5 minutes, then drain.
Mix together lime juice, chilli paste, additional fish sauce, palm sugar, mint and pepper. Whisk in peanut oil. Thinly slice beef, then shred thinly. Place beef into a bowl with any cooking juices and the dressing. Stir until beef is coated and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Toss noodles with snow peas, red capsicum, mushrooms, cashew nuts and bean sprouts. Pile high on a platter, spoon the beef and dressing on top and scatter crispy fried shallots over.
Serves 4-6.
Cool weather food and wine
Our current winter favourite is the beef pot-roast recipe from Every Day in the Kitchen with a bottle of merlot, or merlot with a decent splash
of cabernet added. When we feel like something with a little spice we turn to recipes like the Beef and prune tagine just below. That means we can indulge in a bottle of velvery pinor noir.
Beef pot-roast
This recipe is an absolute must for us to cook several times in the cooler months.
The first sign of a cool night and we're into it. It only takes about 15 minutes to get it into the oven,
then it looks after it-self. It'll finally appear as a magnificent roast complete with its own gravy.
1.5 kg (3 lb) beef, fresh silverside or bolar blade
2 tbsp olive oil
125 ml (4 fl oz) beef stock
125 ml (4 fl oz) red wine (merlot is good!)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs of thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Heat a large heavy-based saucepan or roasting dish over a medium heat. Rub the beef with
oil and add it to the saucepan. Cook the meat on all sides until well browned all over,
about 10 minutes. Add stock, wine and tomato paste. Scatter the vegetables around the meat.
Add fresh herbs along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover with a tightly fitting
lid or with foil and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours,
then check the meat for tenderness and adjust the seasoning of the sauce if required.
Cut into thick slices and serve with vegetables and the sauce.
Serves 4-6.
Enjoy with a bottle (or two) of great merlot.
Beef and prune tagine
The casseroles and stews of the Middle East and North Africa are generally known as tagines.
They typically include dried fruit, which produces a beautiful sweetness to complement the meats,
vegetables and spices.
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 kg diced beef, blade or skirt
750 ml (1 1/4 pt) beef stock
250 g (8 oz) pitted prunes
Coriander leaves
Mix spices, salt, lemon juice and oil to form a smooth paste. Coat diced beef with spice mixture
and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place marinated beef in a casserole dish with a tight fitting lid, add stock and cook for
1 hour. Remove lid, add prunes and return to the oven for a further 45 minutes. Check to see if
beef is nearly cooked. If so, remove lid and finish cooking for the final 30 minutes with the lid
off to reduce liquid. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with rice pilaf.
Serves 4-6.
Enjoy with a bottle of great pinot noir.
Looking to promote
you products to
food and wine lovers?
Look no further!
Campion and Curtis offers
competitive monthly rates.
Contact us at
allan@campionandcurtis.com |