Noshtalgia

by Martin Field

Two Faces Restaurant
In the early 1970s, Two Faces was Melbourne's, perhaps Australia's, best restaurant. Run by that great restaurateur Hermann Schneider, it offered a classic European menu and an extensive, cosmopolitan wine list.

I well remember my first visit, around 1974. I was so intimidated by its reputation for being expensive that when I rang up to book a table I asked how much a dinner for four with wine might cost. I can't remember the quote, but it was just affordable.

Four of us turned up in the classy dining room, which was decorated elegantly and conservatively with dinner-suited waiters. The menu listed one dessert as, ‘Mangoes in Champagne’. Two of our party asked the waiter if they could have this as an entrée. ‘Certainly Ladies,’ he replied.

Back then, it was not possible to obtain fresh mangoes in Victoria, due to plant and fruit fly quarantine laws. My pushy friend Claire said, ‘We don't want them if they’re not fresh, I don't like tinned mangoes.’

‘Madarme!’ He was horrified at the suggestion. ‘Madahme,’ he accentuated the last syllable as he glanced around conspiratorially. ‘Madame,’ he whispered. ‘It is illegal… but they are fresh.’ Then, even more quietly, ‘We fly them in on a private plane.’

This was the beginning of a magnificent dinner, accompanied by excellent wine. We went back over the years for special occasion dinners and damned the expense.

Posted by Martin Field at 10:21 AM
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Cellaring in hot climates

by Martin Field

In Noosa it’s spring, and the last few weeks have been unseasonably hot and humid. Our latitude is around 26° south; if Noosa was in the northern hemisphere it would be at a similar latitude to Miami, Florida. Hardly an ideal climate for the lengthy cellaring of wine.

Daily temperatures have hovered around 20°C minimum and 28°C maximum. The humidity is often in the 70 to 80 percent plus range. This is warm and humid enough to require refrigeration of bread, tomatoes and chocolate to stop them spoiling quickly. Oh, and to call for ice blocks in a glass of red*. As summer approaches, it will no doubt get a great deal hotter. (*Naturally, when I'm drinking a superior red, I use ice blocks made only from superior bottled water.)

Why is heat a problem for wine cellaring? Well, the ageing of wine is essentially a prolonged chemical reaction. That is, you leave a bunch of chemicals and water in a glass container, usually sealed with a wet bit of tree, for an undefined length of time. Wine ‘connoisseurs’ optimistically hope that doing this will eventuate in an ‘improved’ wine. A risky business in a cool climate, let alone the sub-tropics.

The trouble with warm climate cellaring, scientists tell us, is that for every increase of 10°C applied to a chemical solution, the rate of chemical reaction in that solution will double. Theoretically, this means that if you store your case of 1998 Grange at an average temperature of 15°C, and I store mine at an average of 25°C, my case will age (i.e. improve/deteriorate) twice as fast as yours.

Reds and whites oxidise over time, and heat speeds up this oxidation. Oxidised wines lose their youthful fruitiness and develop secondary winey characteristics. Prematurely oxidised wine will quickly acquire aromas and flavours that will remind tasters of sherry. As wine ages and oxidises it also changes colour: whites become darker and eventually turn a light brownish hue. In red wine, youthful vibrant purples will disappear; the wine will become lighter in colour and will end up a murky brown.

Heat can also make wine expand in the bottle. This expansion can move corks a little, leading to leakage and consequent acceleration of the oxidative process. Wine prematurely aged by heat will soon look muddy, and smell and taste coarse, fat and flabby.

Before we left Melbourne, in anticipation of our move to the warm Noosa climate, we drank as many of the older reds and chardonnays as humanly possible and sold off a few cases at auction. We brought the younger vintages to the new house.

So, I hear you say, Whaddami gunna do if I live in a hot climate and can’t cellar my wine properly?

To safeguard the wine collection I guess you could buy one of those expensive wine fridges that control temperature and humidity. Alternatively, you could lash out and create a climate-controlled cellar in the basement – if you have the spare cash, and a basement. But I’d rather spend my money on wine. For the time being I simply store the better stuff in the coolest, darkest part of the house, which happens to be the floor of a linen closet.

The simple alternative is to buy young wines and drink them while they’re young.

Posted by Martin Field at 10:19 AM
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Spitbucket Drinking

by Martin Field

Brown Brothers Zibibbo Rosa - RRP $15 \_/\_/
A light (8% alcohol) bubbly made from the Muscat of Alexandria grape. Pinkish in hue, it shows plenty of raisiny character on both nose and palate. Sweetish in style, it reminded me a little of the Italian sparkler Prosecco.

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2007 – up to $35 \_/\_/\_/\_/
Lovely nose of Granny Smith apples, dried pears and lime blossoms. Intense mouth-filling white displaying yummy apple pie aspects and acidity reminiscent of lemon sherbet.

Deviation Road Pinot Gris 2007 – up to $24 \_/\_/\_/
Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Subdued, likeable orange marmalade bouquet with a hint of toasted oak. Delicate, dry and zesty palate showing citrus fruits and biscuity flavours.

Plunkett Gewürztraminer 2007 - about $19 \_/\_/\_/
Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria. Aromatics of Turkish Delight and white flowers on the nose. Lively fruit salad flavours dominate the palate alongside tangy lemon acidity.

Fox-Gordon Abby Viognier 2007 - up to $20 \_/\_/\_/
Adelaide Hills, South Australia. The nose reminded me of the fragrance of freshly cut peach. The palate is quite full and smooth showing more stone fruit flavours. Unusually for a white wine, the aftertaste is quite lengthy and substantial.

Moss Wood Pinot Noir 2005 - $48 \_/\_/\_/
Wilyabrup, Western Australia. The nose of this Pinot has a delicate aroma of cherries and a hint of grape skins. The palate is elegant and clean with cherry notes continuing, along with a hint of cherry pips and pencil shavings. Acidity is quite forward at this stage but will soften off after a few months.

Cimicky Trumps Shiraz 2006 – up to $19 \_/\_/\_/\_/$
Barossa Valley, South Australia. A superb combination of ripe Barossa fruit and integrated oak. Both nose and palate offer an extravagant melange of blackberries and dark chocolate, tinged with vanilla and coconut from American oak. Great value.

Temple Bruer Shiraz Malbec 2005 - $20 \_/\_/\_/
Langhorne Creek South Australia. ‘Certified organic wine. Vegan friendly’ says the label. People are a bit suss about so-called organic wines and I have to admit I haven't tried too many of them. However, if this is a typical example, give me more. The wine has a lovely texture, full and chewy. This texture ably supports what I would call an earthy fruit style, stacked with stewed plums and blackberries.

Saltram Mamre Brook Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – up to $27 \_/\_/\_/
A rich, generous red that fills the mouth with layers of blueberries, red currants, liquorice, oaky vanillin and mocha. It finishes warm (15% alcohol) and long.

Spitbucket rating system
Five gold spitbuckets \_/\_/\_/\_/\_/ - brilliant
\_/\_/\_/\_/ - classy
\_/\_/\_/ - first-rate
\_/\_/ - good stuff
\_/ - spit it!
An added $ or two denotes excellent value for money.
Prices in Australian dollars.

Posted by Martin Field at 10:15 AM
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