Aussie and Argentine Make Lovely Pair

By Kathy Ward

Tasting Card • Tatachilla • Balnaves • Buenos Aires Grill • New Zealand Pure

February is for lovers. Think luscious red wines, tantalizing foods, and the romance of Latin tango. Such was the lovely fare at the February program.

Featuring prestigious Australian wines were importers Jennifer and Carl Sheath, who did a program for the Enological Society two seasons ago. Also returning was highly acclaimed chef Marianne Zdobysz, partner in Seattle’s new Buenos Aires Grill.

As purveyors of select wines — as well as meats and cheeses mainly for the restaurant trade — the Sheaths trust the wholesome products they import for their New Zealand Pure company. Shortly after startup in 2000 they expanded the portfolio to include Australian wines.

Jennifer says they began with Tatachilla and Balnaves because both are in the southernmost part of South Australia where the climate is cooler. (Our North American perspective that north is cold, south warm is reversed down under.) “The wines are still elegant and a bit more subtle and complex in character than many of the intensely hot regions that produce extremely ‘jammy’ wines,” she notes.

The wines are a good accompaniment to their meat and cheese imports, Jennifer adds, because they have great tannins and are full-bodied food wines. “It is also a real plus that both of these wineries are able to hold on to some of their bigger reds for a couple of years before releasing them from the winery so that they have more time to age and mature and are therefore more complementary with food.”

The Wines
Tatachilla, an Aboriginal word for “red earth place,” is entrenched in the history of McLaren Vale, where origins of the winery reach back to 1901. Owned by the Penfolds enterprise for eight decades, the property was purchased by a consortium that started the modern winery in 1995.

Australian Vogue Entertaining named Tatachilla 1997 Winery of the Year. Wine and Spirits deemed them a 2002 Value Brand of the year.

Flagship of Tatachilla is the Foundation Shiraz. The ‘96 won a Best of Class at the 1998 London International Wine Challenge. Wine Spectator awarded 90 points to the ’97 Foundation, and same to the McLaren Vale Grenache/Shiraz.

The Tatachilla White Blend is Chenin Blanc and Semillon for tropical fruit and citrus flavor, with Sauvignon Blanc for a herbaceous balance.

A tad earlier in grape planting, around 1890, is the Coonawarra wine region. Here, in the Terra Rossa strip, is where family-owned Balnaves has been producing award-winning wines since 1990. In this cool climate area, the clay soil overlays limestone, which is capable of holding large amounts of water for irrigation and frost control pumps.

Special honor for the Balnaves ‘98 Cabernet Sauvignon was its selection from more than 400 South Australian entries as the Hyatt Hotels 2001 Wine of the Year. Wine Spectator gave the Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Cab each 91 points. As a best example of Balnaves Shiraz in a hot year, the ’98 vintage also got a 91 rating from Wine & Spirits.

“The Blend” at Balnaves is different each year, always based on Merlot with proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Peter Bissell does this for a softer finishing, complex red meant for earlier consumption. The cooler season ‘97 vintage is a 35-35-30 blend.

Thrill of the Grill
Marianne (last name is zee-doe-biz) last did our program in April 1999 shortly after opening Carina Bar & Grill. South Seattle Culinary Arts Program trained, she brings highly acclaimed talent honed at Chez Shea, Queen City Grill, Obachine (recruited by Wolfgang Puck as opening chef), Blowfish, and Madison Park Café.

The Buenos Aires Grill, her new enterprise, is in association with local restaurateur Marco Casas Beaux. “He’s started 17 restaurants throughout the country but always wanted to do an Argentinean theme,” says Marianne. They collaborated on a venue and menu, first acquiring the former Poor Italian Café site at 2nd and Virginia, then sprinting through a seven-day sampling of Buenos Aires restaurants just before opening in mid-October.

A culinary collection emerged from tasting hand-cut meats cooked on traditional 40-foot wood-fired and charcoal grills. This parrillada method retains flavors, natural juices and tenderness in the meat. Argentinean chef Antelo Luis Maria was hired to oversee this authentic process.

Marianne points out that there is nothing spicy hot in Argentine food preparation. Meals are mainly a variety of meats, few vegetables and small salads. Additional flavors come from sauces served on the side, such as the thick olive oil and herb mélange chimichurri.

Rich red wines, like the Argentinean Malbec that Marco imports from a Casas Beaux family vineyard, complement the grilled flavors. No wonder Buenos Aires meals are social events stretching into several hours.

Purely Good Foods
New Zealand Pure equates to clean and wholesome, as in foods produced with a careful touch and livestock raised without hormones or steroids. Buenos Aires Grill is using several products imported by the company for selections on the February tasting card.

Whitestone Cheese, from limestone country in New Zealand, is pressed, washed, turned and packed by hand. A tray of tasty selections will complement the two white wines.

A North American import for 40 years is free-range New Zealand lamb. Ground as an empanada filling with raisins, this succulent meat is a natural match with our red blends.

Cervena, tender farm-raised venison produced for restaurants, is low in cholesterol and fat with a mild, not gamey, flavor. (You’ll find it on Rover’s grand menu in medallion fashion.) Teamed with chorizo, this venison boldly calls for a Cab.

In sparsely populated New Zealand, livestock graze naturally year-round in a low-pollution, mild climate producing lean nutrient-rich beef free of antibiotics. Mesquite grilled tenderloin is a natural with Shiraz.

Performance dancing by Michelle Badion and Evan Wallace of All Seattle Tango completed the program ambiance.

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