Cassegrain Semillon

Wine: Semillon
Country: Australia	Region: Hastings River
Rating: Very good	Price: Around $20 Australian
Recommendation: Strongly Recommended

Recently I had an unexpected and very brief trip to Australia and as a result last weeks and this weeks blogs will have a similar theme. This week the food will be two Australian seafood items, prepared very simply. There will also be some focus on the winery, as I’ve had the pleasure to visit this particular site.

The Cassegrain winery is a relatively small operation in the Hastings River region on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales (NSW). It is situated approximately 5 hours drive north of Sydney, just off the Pacific Highway. It is also around 10 miles West of the coastal township of Port Macquarie and a similar distance East from Wauchope (Pronounced warhope). The region, particularly inland around Wauchope, was once renowned as a great timber producing area. However it has recently been transformed from timber to tourism and gourmet food industries, including cheese, organic fruits, and of course some wine.

The climate is described as temperate. Summers are warm to hot with winds from the Pacific Ocean helping to moderate the heat. Winters are cool to warm and frosts, or temperatures below freezing, are considered rare. The foliage starts to take on a more noticeable sub tropical appearance in the region, particularly the coastal fringes. The inland regions are noted for tall hardwood eucalypt trees with Blackbutt being the most common species. This particular type of Eucalypt is an important food for the koalas that inhabit the region. It is also home to the Billabong Koala and Wildlife park, which is located close to the winery and is a great place to visit. 

The first impression upon entering the grounds of the winery are of entering a rainforest as you pass through dense Eucalypt,  Melaleuca (paper bark) trees, and a small creek. The forest (bush) quickly gives way to picnic grounds and a small amphitheatre complete with a stage. The grounds are used for concerts, Sunday markets, and even horse riding.

The gardens surrounding the winery itself are very well maintained and provide a kaleidoscope of colors. One striking feature is the large volume of roses which are surrounded by an electric fence, maybe to keep out the local kangaroos? I also noticed some Paw Paw (Papaya) trees in the grounds.

The winery has a restaurant, I have not had the opportunity to sample the food but the setting and the presentation of the food looked great. They also have a “cellar door” where their great wines can be tasted and purchased. To access the cellar door you must first pass through rows of wooden barrels and other winemaking equipment, which adds to the atmosphere.

The grapes are partially grown on the property and also sourced from several wine growing regions throughout the state, including the Hunter Valley, New England, and the Hastings River.

The wine we chose to highlight is a Semillon. It is a varietal and the grape used is particularly popular in the Bordeaux region in France and the Hunter Valley in Australia (which lies between Sydney and the Cassegrain winery). The Cassegrain Semillon is a light lemon colored wine with a slight green tint. The wine is medium dry with very distinctive fruit characteristics, including hints of lemon. I am particularly fond of pairing the Cassegrain Semillon with natural seafood.

The food we chose in this case is a very simple arrangement of raw oysters and boiled prawns (shrimp). While this is a simple dish, I will expand a little on the specifics of the oysters and the prawns.

 

Let me start by saying, I love oysters! I love all kinds, large, small, strong, bland, natural, cooked I love them all and I love them prepared many different ways depending on the type and sometimes the location and the season. The oysters we had on this occasion are Sydney rock oysters, which can be found naturally growing in bays and inlets in many parts of Australia. They are not large but they have a very strong and distinctive seafood taste. The flavor is stronger than most other oysters I have tried and they can take some getting used to by those unacquainted with them. I definitely prefer Sydney rock oysters served natural and fresh out of the shell.

 

The prawns (shrimp) in this case are wild caught Australian King prawns. The Australian king prawns are moist, with a firm flesh with a rich slightly salty taste. We purchased them ready to peel and eat, the typical preparation is to boil some water in a large pot, add sea or rock salt to taste and add the raw prawns. Cook briefly, usually around a minute or two after the water has returned to the boil or until the prawns float to the top and turn pink or orange. The prawns are then added to a mixture of water, salt and ice to cool.

I am quite partial to the Australian King prawn; one of my most vivid memories as a child was being on holiday (vacation) by the beach in Queensland. We would walk to the local bakery and buy a loaf of freshly baked bread, which was usually still warm; the smell of the fresh cooked bread was fantastic! We would take the bread home to eat it with fresh King prawns. The fresh prawns and recently baked bread made a great combination; we would sometimes make prawn sandwiches, which were delicious. It was very simple but sometimes it’s the simple things that are the best!

Recommendation: Strongly Recommended.

Winery Web Site

http://www.cassegrainwines.com.au/

Cassegrain Verdelho

Wine: Verdelho
Country: Australia	Region: Hastings River
Rating: Good	Price: $20 AUD
Recommendation: Recommended

Last week’s blog was a very quick and easy recipe and a relatively well known wine type, for this week's we have a very large meal and a comparatively rare wine type.

The food is a mixture of Australian and Thai food and a wine originating from Portugal but being produced in several different countries, in this case we are sampling a version from Australia.

The wine in this case is Verdelho, the grape being grown throughout Portugal and particularly on the island of Maderia. The grape has since become relatively successful in Australia including the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney.

The food we chose in this occasion was a veritable feast. The cooking was done by my brother David Lenton and my sister in law Aung Lenton. David originates from Australia but lives in England and brings the skills of cooking from scratch, including the ability to combine various regional recipes, with his international travel experience to achieve exceptional results. Aung originates from Thailand and today lives in Australia. Aung provides the discipline of traditional Thai cooking with fresh ingredients to also achieve exceptional results.

The wine chosen is the Cassegrain Verdelho which originates from the Hastings River region of Australia. I have had the privilege of visiting the Cassegrain winery and I am very impressed with the winery and the wines. The winery grows some of it’s own grapes and sources others from regions like the Hunter Valley, particularly for wines such as Verdelho and Semillion. I will provide a more in-depth review of the winery in a separate blog.

The Cassegrain Verdelho is lemon in color, exhibits a very slight oak bouquet and the taste is very refreshing. It includes hints of tropical fruits including passion fruit, cantaloupe (rock melon) and even strawberries. From my perspective I am a big fan of the Australian Verdelho’s and I am a big fan of the Cassegrain Version.

The selected dishes this week were Scallops in the half shell, boiled shrimp (prawns), Thai seafood dipping sauce, shrimp in red curry, eggplant (Aubergine) salad, fish cooked in banana leaf and Jasmine rice. The majority of the dishes were not created from recipes as such, instead they were mostly created from experience, taste and tradition. The following is a guide to our creations.

Scallops in the half shell.

One dozen fresh Scallops in the half shell (loose scallops can be substituted as can many other shellfish).

Finely chop the following ingredients, the quantity and volume to be determined according to taste.

Several cloves of garlic

Several red Chilies

Two tablespoons of ginger

¼ cup of fresh coriander leaves

Spring onions (green stems)

Black beans or good quality black bean sauce

Sprinkle the above ingredients onto the scallops as well as some dry white wine.

Pre heat oven to approximately 200 degrees C (400 F).

Place scallops in a shallow pan.

Cover with Aluminum foil.

Cook for around 5 minutes, being careful not to overcook.

Serve as desired, the scallops will need to be removed from the shell using a spatula or knife.

Boiled Shrimp

The boiled shrimp were pre Cooked (Boiled) Shrimp in the shell; we used 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) of store bought freshly cooked shrimp in the shell.

Shrimp Dipping Sauce

The quantities of the following are determined as per taste and preference.

Finely chop the following ingredients:

Garlic – several cloves

Chilies – several according to taste

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

One shallot

Ginger - three table spoons

Combine with the following ingredients:
One tablespoon of fish sauce or Thai fish sauce (adjust to taste).

Sprinkle of Black pepper

¼ Quarter cup of Water

Juice of one lime

Teaspoon Sugar

Mix and serve in small bowl

Fish Cooked in Banana Leaf

For this dish we used Australian flathead which is a medium sized, sweet flavored, white meat fish but almost any white meat fish can be used.

Blend the following ingredients into a paste, spread on a banana leaf, wrap and cook in oven at 180 c (350 F) until cooked, approximately 10 minutes.

½ cup of Coriander (Cilantro) stork & leaves

¼ cup of Ginger

Three cloves of Garlic

One small white Onion

Red Curry Shrimp (Prawns)

Ingredients:

¼ cup curry paste

Tablespoon of shrimp paste

2 x 375 ml (12 ounces) tins of Coconut milk

Tablespoon of fish sauce

¼ cup of Tamarind pulp

Kaffir lime leaves, if possible, if not possible substitute grated lime (one medium)

½ Kilogram prawns (approximately 1 lb).

Juice of one lime.

¼ cup coriander (cilantro and Scallion).

Fry the following briefly until softened:

Curry paste

Shrimp paste

Combine the following ingredients; bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally

Coconut milk

Fish sauce

Tamarind pulp

Kaffir lime leaves

Prawns (until warmed through)

Add to a large bowl for serving

Squeeze lime juice over top.

Sprinkle coriander (cilantro and Scallion) as garnish.

Thai Roasted Eggplant Salad with Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs eggplants
4 large eggs, boiled, peeled, and quartered
1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and poached in salted water
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, blended in a food processor or mixed with a pestle and mortar
2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced very thinly
About one tablespoon’s worth of palm sugar (If you don’t have it, use brown sugar.)
4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2-3 fresh bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves, optional

Prepare the eggplants as follows:

Cook the eggplants on a foil-lined baking plate set about 8-10 inch beneath the oven broil heating element and broil them on high until the skins are charred and the insides are soft.

Cut the peeled eggplants crosswise into 1-inch chunks and set aside. You may see some brown liquid collecting at the bottom; drain it off.

On the stove or in the microwave, melt the palm sugar with the fish sauce. Once the sugar is melted, stir in the lime juice and chopped chilies. Taste it and adjust as needed. The dressing should be primarily salty and sour and secondarily sweet.

Arrange the eggplant pieces, shrimp, and hard-boiled eggs on a serving platter. Sprinkle the sliced shallots on top.

Drizzle the dressing over everything.

Sprinkle the dried shrimp and cilantro leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Rating: Good

Winery Web Site

http://www.cassegrainwines.com.au/

Neil Ellis, Sauvignon Blanc

Wine: Neil Ellis	Type: Sauvignon Blanc
Country: South Africa	Region: West Coast
Rating: Good	Price: $14
Recommendation: Recommended, good value for money

Due to time restrictions this week, we are doing a quick and simple recipe and sampling a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. The wine is Neil Ellis Sauvignon Blanc and the simple dish is Shrimp Taco.

 

The Neil Ellis Sauvignon Blanc is a good example of the variety, it has a medium golden color with identifiable citrus fruit flavors such as lemon. It is a crisp, clean and fresh wine and is very good value for money.

The grapes come from the West Coast region of South Africa near Darling which is about one hour driving time from beautiful Cape Town. The City of Cape Town, situated at the bottom of the African continent and the country of South Africa is a beautiful location. Cape Town appears to be buttressed by Table Mountain on one side and the blue Atlantic Ocean on the other.

The climate in this wine growing region is said to be warm and dry and is heavily influenced by the cold Atlantic Ocean currents. The currents contribute to early morning fogs, providing much needed moisture for the grapes, and cooling summer afternoon winds. When combined the conditions produce a climate conducive to Sauvignon Blanc wine production.

Food

Soft shell Shrimp Tacos

For expediency we used pre-made Guacamole and Pico De Gallo. 

½ to 1lb Shrimp, shelled

Guacamole mixture

Pico De Gallo mixture (we used Mango Pico De Gallo)

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Tortillas (We used a mixture of flour and wheat)

 

Cook the shrimp, they can be cooked any way you like, we sautéed ours.

Serve as “help yourself” style.

Rating: Good, and very good value for money.

Winery Web Site

www.neilellis.com

Bandol, Domaine de la Laidière, Rosé

Wine: Rosé
Country: France	Region: Bandol (Provence)
Rating: Very good	Price: $18
Recommendation: Strongly recommended

The wine we are sampling this week is a Rosé and again I am bringing you a wine type that I have misunderstood in the past. My misunderstanding was somewhat through ignorance and some part due to sampling inferior brands a long time ago. When I was researching Provence for a previous blog, I became interested in the descriptions of the Rosés produced there, which caused me to seek out this weeks wine. It has been very gratifying expanding my horizons by doing this blog and hope in some way you do the same. The food is pork loin wrapped in banana leaf, something I have done several times in the past and is something I just make up myself each time I do it, which is great fun.

The wine comes from the Bandol region, which is a very small seaside region in Provence, tucked between Marseille and Toulon. The Bandol area produces strong earthy reds but also produces some excellent Rosés, I have read some reports claiming they are amongst the best in the world. Bandol produces only about 60,000 cases of wine per year compared to 60 million cases produced by the more famous Bordeaux region. To some extent, the Bandol region could be described as a well kept secret and based on this wine, it would be well worth further exploration. The Bandol region is typified by silicon & limestone soils and enjoys a warm, coastal climate. The grapes are grown on hillside terraces called “restanqes” with stone walls built piece by piece by the farmers.  The region is said to contain breathtaking mountain views and rolling terraced vineyards. 

The wine has a nice earthy bouquet, slightly sweet yet dry aftertaste. Definitely a summer wine it would be great for a lazy summer afternoon with a nice salad. It has hints of fruit, possibly apple although it was difficult to identify anything explicit. It was very enjoyable and I would describe the flavor somewhere between a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. Based on this sampling, I will definitely be exploring Rosés more in the future.

In this case, due to the small volumes of wine produced in the region there is no single winery to highlight. It seems that a company is importing Bandol area wines into the Houston and Austin markets initially, and starting to slowly expand into the larger USA market. The Bandol Rosés  may be hard to find in many places but I am sure you can have fun searching for them, or for any Provencal Rosés.

  

The food this week is not really a recipe as such but something I have experimented with a few times in the past. The dish is pork loin cooked in banana leaf. One of the reasons I like this meal is that the banana leaf retains the moisture in the meat.

For the pork I like to select natural Pork loin without preservatives, there are several packaged pork loins available locally with lots of preservatives and sodium etc. The pork containing preservatives obviously last longer than the natural one but I prefer the natural ingredients wherever possible. Almost any pork cut could be used for this dish depending on your preference.

Obviously not everyone has access to fresh banana leaves and Aluminum foil can be used as a substitute.

The following are the ingredients I used however, the quantities could be sized according to your needs and the ingredients adjusted to suit your tastes.

One pork loin

Pieces of twine (ensure the string does not contain nylon or substances that will melt)

One large sweet potato

One large potato

One large green Zucchini (courgette)
One large yellow squash

One Shallot

One large red onion

One red pepper (Capsicum)

One yellow delicious apple

Pineapple (if desired)

Lemon & Limes (If desired)

To prepare I do the following. 

Soak the string in water for at least two hours prior to cooking, the longer the better.

Slice the potato, sweet potato, Zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper diagonally into thick pieces. Cut the onion and shallot into halves or quarters. Slice some pineapple into pieces approximately half an inch thick.

Cut the lemon and lime into quarters or eighths.

Select one fresh young whole banana leaf per piece of pork. In my example I cut five pieces of pork, each to be cooked a different way. When selecting the banana leaves, they must be whole, without any tears and as young as possible as they tend to be more flexible when young and will fold better. I had some problems this time as it has been very windy here lately and finding banana leaves that were not shredded was quite a challenge. Luckily we had several new shoots that were slightly protected from the wind. Rinse the banana leaves and allow to dry.

Wrap the pork in a banana leaf and tie with string. Be careful not to cut or tear the leaf as it will cause vapor and juices to escape and the meat will dry out. It is best to wrap and tie fairly loosely, if you try to tie too tightly, it can easily cut into the banana leaf. Sometimes it is best to cut off the stem and several inches of the base of the leaf, the further away from the base, the more flexible the spine of the leaf is.In my example I did the pork five different ways as follows:

- On the grill - no banana leaf

- Natural – pork only, no other ingredients, wrapped in banana leaf.

- Apple – pork surrounded by pieces of apple, wrapped in banana leaf.

- Lemon Lime – pork surrounded by pieces of lemon and lime, wrapped in banana leaf.

- Pineapple – pork surrounded by pineapple, wrapped in banana leaf.

Cook the ingredients on the grill, being careful to allow longer/shorter cooking time per ingredient as necessary.

The pork took about twenty to thirty minutes and will vary depending on the heat of your grill (BBQ) and the size of the pork loin. We had trouble cooking due to the wind; I could not reduce the temperature of the grill low enough without the flames going out resulting in overcooking and some burning.

The results

- On the grill, cooked as it is and no banana leaf wrapping resulted in nice “grilled flavor” but in comparison to the others was quite dry.

 

- Natural, nice flavor and very moist. No discernable “grill flavor”.

- With apple, retained moisture and very subtle apple taste, the apple was a very good match with the pork.

- Lemon lime, stronger taste than the apple, good taste but I preferred the apple, good moisture retention.

- Pineapple, strongest flavor, the pineapple went very well with the pork, very moist and probably my favorite.

Rating: Very good

Available at Specs in Houston

Winery Web Site

http://www.bandolwines.com/Bandol