• Cork Club: August Austria Australia •
Chillable Reds!
Berger Zweigelt from Austria and The Chook Sparkling Shiraz from Australia
Berger Zweigelt
-new grapes from a new appellation
Austria is divided into 9 wine regions. The largest is Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), within which there are nine subregions. Weingut Berger (Berger Winery) is in the Kremstal wine region - a relatively new appellation created in 2007. The Danube flows through the middle of the Niederösterreich.
Austrian biologist Fritz Zweigelt crossed St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch grapes in 1922 to create a hearty productive plant- now the most-planted red grape in Austria.
If you’d like to read more about Austrian wines, check out the Austrian Wine website, an almost obsessive, but very handsome, showcase of everything you could wonder about Austrian wines.
Zweigelt is juicy, acidic, light, with soft/low tannins; medium-bodied, it should be served at room temperature or chilled.
Food Pairing: Picnics, grilled meats and vegetables, tomato soup with a grilled cheese, fried chicken and potato salad, venison, pizza, and… African greens and cornmeal! I found a YouTube video from a now-defunct importer of Austrian wines to Africa, in which she eat this very combo with Zweigelt. Basically, the dish is savory collard greens cooked with onions and tomatoes, meat optional. It is served with a common dish- ugali (also called sadza, pap, fufu, depending on where you’re from). It reminds me so much of grits, just thicker.
Here’s the video: RED AUSTRIAN WINE PAIRED WITH AFRICAN FOOD
And here are two recipes to inspire you:
The Chook Sparkling Shiraz
Region: South Australia
Sub-Region: McLaren Vale
The Winery: Penny’s Hill
The Winemaker: Alexia Roberts
Sparkling Shiraz
From Wine Guide Australia:
the best way to drink Sparkling Shiraz is in a red wine glass- this allows the full spectrum of aromas to be experienced
With a history in Australia that tracks back to the 1880’s this highly regarded festive drink is a true Australian wine icon.
It is typically made using the same process as champagne in which the wines undertake a secondary fermentation in the bottle to create the bubbles.
From https://www.winecompanion.com.au/articles/news/sparkling-shiraz-is-all-you-need-this-christmas
The foods that pair well with sparkling shiraz are just as full flavoured as the wine itself. Breakfast is a common companion to the variety, paired with omelettes, eggs, beans, and pastries. Decadent dishes balance perfectly with sparkling shiraz, including rare beef with red wine sauce or roasted duck, as well as sweet and sticky mains: Chinese sticky barbecue pork, teriyaki salmon, and peaking duck pancakes to name a few. Conveniently, almost every classic diner dish marries romantically with sparkling shiraz. Roasted lamb and beef, baked potatoes, beans and vegetables, and fruit-forward desserts like pudding or tarts are all winners.
A breakfast strata would be an excellent excuse for a brunch with sparkling shiraz. This make-ahead dish is flexible, easy, and delicious: https://twokooksinthekitchen.com/make-ahead-brunch-strata/