Wine: Two Hands Gnarly Dudes
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Type:
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Country:
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Region:
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Rating: Very Good
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Price: $33
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Recommendation: Highly
Recommended
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We were planning a BBQ spare rib
meal recently and so I was looking for a wine that was strong enough to go with
the robust flavors of the meal. Then, I remembered a bottle of Two Hands Gnarly
Dudes 2011 Barossa Valley Shiraz that I had purchased some time ago, but had
not had a chance to try. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYtiMEOhSVjJtEEhYu7e3tn4Bw_q3SgnAjIotYBYCjArtnemyTG6_-wzS9VQoMs7lrbL3ZQI2K_V1WOqI7F1XeWoM2omtHv2-PcPJbCeuMVe8BGniFdzyqL_disx5KFdhkrMgHkAHzXpz/s1600/Glass.jpg)
Wine has been made in the Barossa Valley since the 1940’s and was
originally focused around Riesling due to the German influence of immigrants.
The hot climate however, led to mixed results and a period where much of the
production was fortified wines such as Brandy. The introduction of red grape
varieties such as Shiraz and Grenache occurred early, however it was not until
the mid 20th century that wine production moved away from fortified
wines. Initially the Barossa was regarded as an inferior wine region when
compared to other cooler climate regions. Partly this was due to the perception
of wines like Cabernet Sauvignon being a premier red wine throughout the world.
Towards the end of the 20th century the Barossa began to achieve an
international reputation for producing premium Shiraz
with it’s own distinct style of full bodied wines, led by the flagship Shiraz .
The Two Hands Winery was started
in 1999, with the goal to produce “the best possible Shiraz-based wines from
prized Shiraz growing regions throughout Australia”. Other notable goals include, ”allowing the
fruit to be the primary feature of the wines”. They started producing relatively
small batches of wine and have grown to export their wines to 24 countries.
Grapes are sourced from “six of Australia's premium Shiraz growing regions”.
According to their web site they place a big focus on quality, and if the
Gnarly Dudes wine is an indication, it appears to be more than just marketing
hype. Another interesting point made on
the website is that “Two Hands was named in the Wine Spectator's annual Top 100
for the 10th consecutive year, an achievement that has never been equaled by
any other winery the world over”.
Initially, I purchased the Two
Hands Gnarly Dudes 2011 Shiraz based on the reputation of other wines from the
Two Hands Winery. I had never tried any of their wines because the ones I was
interested in were above my price range, but I noticed the cheaper Gnarly Dudes
variety and decided to give it a try and I am really glad I did. This is a big,
bold, in your face wine, it has a deep dark crimson color, an earthy bouquet
with a hint of wood. The taste includes berries, cherry and plumb and despite
the big bold taste it also has subtle tannins, some slight acidity and hints of
Oak. This is an impressive wine that would be excellent with most dark meats
particularly beef and other strong flavored dishes.
The curious name comes from the
gnarled old grape vines in the Barossa Valley that produce the grapes for this
wine and are featured on the bottle label. Let’s hope these Gnarly old dues continue
to produce quality grapes and the Two Hands winery continues to craft them into
quality wines for many years to come.
The rib recipe is very simple and
quick, yet provides a surprisingly good result.
Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 rack of spare ribs (roughly 2
lbs), we used boneless ribs
Black pepper
Steamed white rice
Instructions
Mix the ketchup and hoisin
sauces in a bowl
Season the ribs with the sauce
and black pepper according to your taste
Place the ribs in a baking tray
Pour sauce over
the ribs
Cover the tray with aluminum
foil
Cook for one hour
Remove foil
Continue cooking until tender,
the meat pulls apart easily and is beginning to char, usually around 20 to 25
minutes.
Serve with rice and your choice
of sides.
Rating: Very Good
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Winery Web Site: http://www.twohandswines.com/
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