Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Wine & beer / Australian Shiraz for WBW#3

Australian Shiraz for WBW#3

by Jeanne Horak on November 3, 2004 5 Comments in Wine & beer, Wine Blogging Wednesday

Australian shiraz bottles

I was pretty excited about Viv from Seattle Bon Vivant’s choice of Australian Shiraz as the theme. Coming from a New World wine-producing country myself, I find Aussie reds very accessible and very much suited to my palate. Because of their worldwide popularity, there is an abundance of Australian wines on the shelves here in London, so it didn’t look as if it would be too difficult to find something nice to drink for this month’s event. As I have mentioned, on the day of the terrine edition of Is My Blog Burning I was having a little lunch party and was planning to wow everyone with the terrine before launching into a nice wintry main course. Having decided that said main course would be beef in Guinness stew, it dawned on me that this was a dish that might play very nicely with Aussie Shiraz… so I told the guests each to bring at least one bottle of Aussie Shiraz and planned for a little impromptu horizontal tasting. So far so good. I went shopping for my Shiraz and found that it is quite hard to steer clear of the Hardy’s and Jacob’s Creek wine behemoths and try to find something a little more off the beaten track. What I really wanted to try was the Penfolds Shiraz – I think it was one named after a Bin number, but can’t quite recall the name now. In any event, it cost £40, so I didn’t think that was justifiable!! In the end I settled for a Shiraz from the McGuigan vineyards.

But before we uncork/unscrew anything, a few words on Shiraz. There is some dispute as to the origins of Shiraz – some say it originated in Persia (modern day Iran) from near the city of Shiraz and was from there brought to France where it is still planted as Syrah, but tests on French Syrah grapes show no evidence of this theory and confirm that Syrah originated from two ordinary French grapes, Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza, both from the Northern Rhône region. But the tenuous connection between the Iranian city and the grape lives on, if only in name, in Australia and South Africa where it is called Shiraz as opposed to the French and American Syrah – but it is one and the same grape. Shiraz is a very vigorous growing grape. It produces large bunches of anywhere up to 130 berries per bunch. They are long and loose bunches with very good disease resistance. Shiraz does very well in a cool climate and thrives in warm spring weather to produce a strikingly peppery wine. Here is some more info on Shiraz if you are interested.

OK, so we were all set for a nice Shiraz tasting last Sunday. Plans started to come undone when two of our guests called at the last minute to cancel because of illness. Not a problem – there was still another guest coming, and of course I had a bottle of Shiraz. But when said guest arrived, she had brought a Grenache-Shiraz blend as opposed to a 100% Shiraz – so after all my planning we were left with exactly one bottle of Shiraz! Anyway, undeterred, we opened and tasted both before pronouncing them sound and finishing them off 😉 For those of you who are interested, here are my tasting notes:

The McGuigan Gold Shiraz 2003 (South-Eastern Australia) 13,5% alc.

Colour: Very purply red with garnet tones. Lovely colour.
Nose: Very shy nose. Ripe berries?? None of the pepperiness I expected.
Palate: Very soft tannins, lots of Maraschino cherry fruit, vanilla on the palate. Medium bodied but with a very short finish. Very accessible – easy drinking, but unremarkable.

Jacob’s Creek Grenache Shiraz 2003 (South-Eastern Australia) 14% alc.

Colour: Very very deep garnet with purple edges. Almost opaque.
Nose: Almost exactly like port! If it had been a blind tasting I would have guessed port…
Palate: Quite a big wine but with fairly soft tannins. Ripe berry fruits on palate, very little spiciness. Medium bodied (more body than the McGuigan though!) and medium finish. Pleasant and uncomplicated.

In summary, I was disappointed with my wine. This is probably partly due to the fact that I really took pot luck when I bought it (no advance research – I just headed for the booze aisle in Tesco…) and partly because I was not willing to spend a lot of money! I was brought up on Shirazes that displayed all the peppery, spicy characteristics that one expects of the grapes, made with enough tannins to add complexity and structure. The McGuigan wine, however, was clearly made to enjoy now, which is fine, but it would have been nice to have SOME varietal characteristics showing… For your money, I thought the Jacob’s Creek was the better deal. It also illustrated why single cultivar wines are not always better – sometimes a wine positively cries out for some blending to add complexity, and this was the case here.

As my parting shot, I would like to share with you the little slogan printed on the McGuigan bottle: “Far, far too easy to drink”. I could not have said it better myself, sir!

More deliciousness for you!

  • Saturday Snapshots #108Saturday Snapshots #108
  • Individual berry meringue pots – and a cookbook reviewIndividual berry meringue pots – and a cookbook review
  • Van Lang restaurant – pan-Asian in North LondonVan Lang restaurant – pan-Asian in North London
  • Harbour House, Kalk BayHarbour House, Kalk Bay

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Paris food souvenirs
Bicerin – my new favourite hot chocolate »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. anthony says

    November 3, 2004 at 11:39 pm

    The Penfold’s “bins” can be confusing but a hobby in themselves. It may have been a Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, which is the poor/shrewd man’s choice instead of Grange Hermitage.
    I think winemakers take a bit less care with the lower end one’s as it’s accepted here as a bit of a roughy.

    Reply
  2. Spittoon.biz says

    November 5, 2004 at 9:52 am

    Wine Blogging Wednesday – Australian Shiraz.

    As selected by Seattle Bon Vivant this months theme is Australian Shiraz. A rummage through the Castel dominated shelves of Oddbins revealed a wine “so new I haven’t tried it yet” according to the assistant. Just wondered why it was stuck on the…

    Reply
  3. Jeanne says

    November 8, 2004 at 12:03 pm

    Anthony,
    I think you may be right with the bin number… I reckoned I could get a good Bordeaux for that price , so didn’t buy…
    What’s accepted in Oz as a bit of a roughy?? Be more specific! 🙂

    Reply
  4. anthony says

    November 9, 2004 at 12:01 am

    Yes Maam.
    The shiraz range, and maybe it’s just me, is usually a kind of none too fancy she’ll be right choice for barbies etc. while something with a Cab in it is the finer dining choice. My theory is that this puts less quality pressure on the makers and they shift their efforts elsewhere. Not that they don’t care about them, it’s just not seen as their flagship wines (a Benz van is still a Benz but it’s not an S series). I had a four year old bottle of Fonty’s Pool Shiraz from down south the other day and my friend hated but I could see its point. It’s got that kind of initial counterintuitively likeable whisky bite and that’s not a bad thing.

    Reply
  5. Bernie's Bargain Wine Reviews says

    May 1, 2005 at 2:11 am

    Jacob’s Creek Shiraz 2003

    Tonight’s bottle was $6.99 and comes from another neighborhood convenience store, the Congressional Market. First impressions of this wine is that it is has a harsh taste. I am letting it sit in the hope that it gets better, but so far no luck. I wil…

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Perfect broccoli and Stilton soup [keto, low carb, GF]
  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Courgettes stuffed with beef mince and cheese
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential

Featured on

Also available on

LONDON TIP: When last were you a tourist in your o LONDON TIP: When last were you a tourist in your own city? We have all seen Thames Clippers speeding up and down the river but have you ever taken a sunset ride on a summer evening? Cheaper than a tourist boat and same gorgeous views 😍 Plus you can use your Oyster card or contact less payment card - no need to buy tickets in advance. Routes and stops available on their website  https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map  #thingstodoinlondon #londondiaries #londonby night  #thamesclipper #uberboat #londonskyline #Londonriver #londontips #londontourist
Happy Cap Classique day! 🍾 Did you know that Happy Cap Classique day! 

🍾 Did you know that Cap Classique is the official term for sparkling wines produced in South Africa? 

🥂 For a wine to be able to describe itself as Cap Classique on the label, it has to follow some rules during the production process - most importantly that it needs to be made using the same traditional bottle-fermented method as Champagne produced in France. 

🍾 The first bottle of Cap Classique was produced by Simonsig estate In 1971.

🥂 Although most early Cap Classiques were made from Chenin Blanc, today they are made using the traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

🍾 Cap Classiques require a minimum of 9 months lees ageing but many producers leave their wines for longer, giving them the same yeasty, biscuitty character as Champagne.

🥂 Pictured is my all time favourite Cap Classique - @grahambeckbubbly - available in the UK from Waitrose,  Sainsbury's, Majestic and Ocado. 

Cheers! 🥂
A sunny afternoon in Soho, lunching with the one a A sunny afternoon in Soho, lunching with the one and only @neleen17 at @bocca_di_lupo. Fabulous sakura negronis to start (obvs!) alongside deep fried, cheese filled zucchini blossoms, stuffed olives and sage & anchovy fritters. Then seabass crudo  and a plate of coppa ham & melon. Finally, chicken escallopini with wild mushrooms,  orechiette with tomato, basil & red onion; and the best borlotti bean salad ever - all washed down with super food-friendly Malabaila Le Tres Roero Arneis. A fabulous meal and already looking forward to my next visit! And then a Turkish ice-cream and a little Soho dance as we walked home 💃. As you do.
Last week I went to the @royalacademyarts Summer E Last week I went to the @royalacademyarts Summer Exhibition,  the world’s oldest open submission exhibition – which means that anyone can enter their work to be considered for inclusion. It’s happened every year since 1769 and showcases a wealth of works on a variety of media from emerging and established artists. All works are for sale and prices range from a couple of hundred pounds to 6-figure sums and the exhibition runs till 20 August.  My favourite was the 3D St Paul's cathedral piece "Hemispheres "made of carbon fibre by @peternewellprice
Which one would you buy if you had an unlimited budget? #thingstodoinlondon
[AD] Have you ever tried Nepalese food before? 🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵 If, like me, you hadn't, then you need to get down to The Gurkhas, a new modern Nepalese restaurant between Oxford Circus and Great Portland Street. Right now you can buy a voucher (valid for a year) giving you a 41% discount on their 6-course menu (see below for what's included) - visit @thegurkhas_restaurant or https://thegurkhasrestaurant.com/ for details.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Nepal-born Shrabaneswor Rai, who hails from a Gurkha family. The Head Chef Joe Allen, whose wife is Nepalese and father-in-law a Gurkha, has created a modern take on Nepalese cuisine using authentic spices and the best British produce. Choose between a 4 (£45), 6 (£65) or 9 (£85) course set menu - we tried the 6 course (plus 2 extra plates from the chef marked*) and we had:
1. Jimbu focaccia with fermented greens gundruk butter 
2. Aloo nimki (spiced potato on crispy cracker)
*3. Bara (lentil pancake, beetroot, fenugreek)
*4. Lamb kachila (lamb tartare with crispy bitter gourd)
5. Kukhura ko jhol  momo (chicken dumplings in spicy tomato sauce)
6. Stone bass sekuwa with heritage tomato atchar 
7. Gorkhali pork secreto on turnip atchar with amala (Indian gooseberry)
8. Khuwa creme caramel with sorrel granita 

Highlights for me were the focaccia; lamb (crispy bitter gourd - who knew?!); stone bass; and pork (stunning quality meat and loved the gooseberries).

Alongside the food we also had 2 amazing cocktails, one with blue butterfly pea powder; and a guava fizz topped with a smoke bubble. With dessert we had Tongba, a fermented millet drink (rather like a less alcoholic sake) served in an eponymous wooden container - a wonderful match with dessert!

The restaurant is named after the famous Gurkha soldiers of Nepal who are known for their bravery and  have been recruited into the British, Nepalese and India armies during various conflicts including WW1 and WW2. They are famed for their bravery and former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw once said: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha."
Ever been to Palermo, Sicily? One of my favourite Ever been to Palermo, Sicily? One of my favourite things about this fascinating is the abundance of street markets. The alleys around the ancient Mercato della Vucciria are full of textile shops with the most amazing colourful fabrics - so hard to resist buying them all 😍😍😍 What's your favourite? Mine is right at the end... 🌵 

#palermosicily #sicilytourism #visitpalermo #mercatodellavucciria #textiledesigns #fabricdesigns #colourfulfabrics
Throwback to last week at @tasteoflondon where I h Throwback to last week at @tasteoflondon where I had the pleasure of drinking one of my favourite French summer wines:  @caveormarine ‘s Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet, a crisp and refreshing white wine made from 100% Picpoul grapes in the Languedoc-Rousillon AOC of Picpoul de Pinet, on the coast south of Montpellier. Did you know…
🇫🇷 the name Picpoul literally means “lip stinger”, a reference to this wine’s zingy acidity
🇫🇷 Picpoul was originally better known as a grape used to make Vermouth
🇫🇷 The appellation was granted AOC status in 1985
🇫🇷 The appellation is one of a tiny handful in Languedoc-Rousillon only allowed to make white wines
🇫🇷 65% of Picpoul wine is exported and the UK buys 75% of that!

So how does it taste? There is a lot of grapefruit, green apple and pear on the palate, balanced by a hint of salinity and minerality as a result of the vineyards’ proximity to the ocean - a perfect match for oysters and other seafood! Available for £9.99 per bottle at @majesticwine 

I also sampled:
- @maisonmirabeau rosé in an impressively large bottle
- @chef_francescomazzei ‘s amazing truffle & Parmiggiano pasta
- fabulous @remeogelato pistachio gelato
- @primetimelager gluten-free low calorie beer
- smoked nuts and olives from @belazu_co 

But the best part is always meeting up with fab friends old and new -  @eatcookexplore @thelondonfoodie @drgeraldcoakley @mecca.ibrahim and (briefly!) @elizabethwinegirl
When the London temperatures hit 30C, there’s on When the London temperatures hit 30C, there’s only one thing to do: grab a bottle of rosé and enjoy a braai (or barbecue if you are English!)

I am not generally a fan of the bland white Pinot Grigio examples that litter wine lists in London - but a Pinot Grigio rosé is a whole other kettle of… erm… grapes! One of my standby rosé wines for everyday quaffing is the Fiore Rosa Pinot Grigio rosé from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, Provincia di Pavia, with its pale salmon colour and fruit forward palate of ripe strawberries and cherries. It nevertheless retains a crisp acidity and a pleasantly clean finish, and pairs well with charcuterie, cheese and chicken dishes. But it also worked perfectly with my barbecued pork belly strips, grilled courgettes and salads this weekend. And for around £8 a bottle, not bad value at all - almost worth buying by the case and keeping on hand for unexpected visitors! 

Looking forward to many more bottles over the summer. Cheers! 🍷
I am not an early morning person - but when the re I am not an early morning person - but when the reason for a stupid o’clock start is a private tour of the Chelsea Flower Show & a tasting of South African wine, how could I refuse? 🌸🥂🍷 (see more about our show tour in my previous reel!)

The wine in question was a selection of 8 wines by Franschoek estate @babylonstoren . The farm itself is over 150 years old and lies at the foot of the Simonsberg mountains. It is named after one of the peaks in the range - literally translated as the Tower of Babylon - and was for much of its existence a fruit farm before being purchased by owners Koos Bekker & Karen Roos. In 2007 they commissioned architect Patrice Caravella to lay out an extensive formal garden comprising 15 clusters spanning vegetable areas, stone and pome fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, ducks and chickens, a prickly pear maze, and more. Every one of the more than 300 varieties of plants in the garden is edible or has medicinal value. They are also grown as organically as possible and in a biologically sustainable manner. The garden was the first RHS accredited garden in Africa. The couple also converted the fruit orchards to vineyards which now cover 150 hectares amd produced their first harvest in 2011.

The Babylonstoren Mourvèdre rosé was enjoying its third year of being the official wine of the RHS and we were fortunate enough to have winemaker @klaasstoffberg and cellar master Charl Coetzee on hand all the way from South Africa to talk us through the range. Here’s what we tried:

🥂SPRANKEL 2017 - 100% Chardonnay Cap Classique sparkling wine with a very fine mousse and notes of brioche, green apples and grapefruit
🥂 Chenin Blanc 2022 - ripe fruit palate of pears, quince & apples with a rounded mouthfeel & very long finish
🥂 2022 Viognier - baked apples and quince but with biscuits notes and  fresh acidity to balance the fruit - rounded mouthfeel and tarte tatin finish
🥂 2022 Chardonnay all matured in oak barrels but made in a restrained Burgundian style with buttery, toasty grapefruit and subtle spice flavours & beautifully integrated oak

[Continued in first comment]
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Bowls of broccoli and Stilton soup
Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2023 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2023 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT