Australia and New Zealand, Seasoned With a Bit of Salty's, on May Program

By Kathy Ward

The wine world is far-reaching, and often confusing. For example, who, what and where is Hermitage? It's a well-known French wine region of course. And up until two months ago, there also was a Hermitage Road winery in Australia, dubbed for its location along a same-named highway in Hunter Valley.

A recent trade agreement between the French and Australian governments dictated there would no longer be European regional wine names on Australian wine labels. Tending to be accommodating folk, these Aussies, simply dropped the "m" and pushed the letters back together to become Heritage Road. There apparently has been pressure to rename the highway, too, but this is Down Under dirt so stay tuned.

Come taste and learn about Heritage Road vintages, along with Kim Crawford wines of New Zealand, at the May program meeting. A local restaurant with a reputation and menu huge enough to complement this pair is Salty's on Alki Beach. Chef Stephen Brendlinger has selected bold flavor courses to match a classic wine tasting card.

Of the 30 distinct Australian wine-growing regions, Hunter Valley in New South Wales is the oldest. It has a long history firmly rooted in the Rhone Valley of France. Cuttings from Rhone's Chapoutier were planted in the Hunter Valley as early as 1830. Shiraz, Australia's trademark red wine, is virtually the same grape as Syrah, source of the famous Hermitage wines of the Rhone. Perhaps it's a small wine world after all.

Farther south, with its sandy loam soils and Mediterranean-like climate, Angle Vale Vineyard is well suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Roseworthy Agricultural College, the equivalent to U.C. Davis school of enology and viticulture, is located in this Adelaide Plains area. Australia's best olive oil also comes from the region.

The Crawford wines hail from New Zealand, a relatively new wine region promoting its clean, green image in an unspoiled paradise. Having earned his winemaking degree at Roseworthy, Kim Crawford started a career that covered four continents before establishing his own brand. He has twice been named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year (1995 and 1996) and his Chardonnay was first in New Zealand to be recognized as Best Dry White at the prestigious National Wine Show of Australia in 1997.

Crawford wines we will taste come from the Marlborough region on South Island. Kim, a hands-on type of winemaker, believes the modern wine industry's emphasis on technology has brought benefits but that there is no substitute for putting on "gumboots" and walking through the vineyard to test the grapes and sample wine as it ferments.

Guest speaker for the evening will be Gerrie Goddard, National Fine Wine Manager at Vintage New World. With more than 18 years in the wine business, he will round out our enological tour of Australia and New Zealand. Or as they say in strine slang, we'll get the ridgy-didge facts in a fair dinkum program.

A Dash of Salty's

Salty's on Alki is where you take out-of-towners for the quintessential view of a panoramic Seattle skyline and, of course, to show off the Northwest specialty dining we natives enjoy. Now sprinkle into your tour narration the fact that Salty's has the largest waterfront patio in Seattle and was chosen by Seattle Magazine readers as the top Sunday brunch spot in town.

Fresh seafood, steaks, chicken and pasta are part of Executive Chef Stephen Brendlinger's ever-changing menu. In addition to kitchen management responsibilities, he supervises Salty's growing banquet, bakery and catering operations.

Before joining Salty's in 1996, Stephen honed his culinary talents in the San Francisco Bay area for 13 years, including helping to plan and open the nationally acclaimed Restaurant Lulu. An interest in outdoor sports was his motivation to move to the Pacific Northwest.

A curiosity about the pairing of creative cuisine with a taste of Australia and New Zealand will motivate you to attend this May 10 event, the final tasting program of the season. In addition to wine and food, there also will be a raffle for special door prizes. Your entrance ticket puts you in the drawing.

Join us at the St. Demetrios Cultural Center in Seattle. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the program begins promptly at 7:30. Reservations are not necessary. The cost is $10 for members, $15 for guests.

New members who join the Enological Society for the first time the night of the program get a free wineglass. Others should bring their own glass - better yet, two for comparative tasting. Society logo glasses can be purchased at the meeting. Plastic cups are provided.