Gourmet Wine Picnic
November 23, 2011
Majella Winery Director Brian Lynn kindly hosted food and wine pairing picnics for guests who attended the recent Majella and Hayman Wine Weekend.
Hayman’s gourmet picnics are served in a bento box containing six dishes ranging from roast chicken to a triple chocolate brownie.
Brian’s first pairing was a Majella 2010 Riesling and a sumptuous roast chicken dish.
“Everyone seems to be all about Chardonnays and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs,” said Brian,“But I love Riesling. It’s such a versatile wine. It goes with just about everything.”
This drop is deliciously fresh with notes of lime and strawberries that cut through the roast chicken beautifully.
Brian’s passion for wine began as a callow seventeen-year-old who started growing grapes as a side business on his father’s sheep farm. He had Coonawarra’s famous terra rossa soil on his land without even realising it.
For dessert, Brian presented a 2008 Merlot. It was lovely and smooth with berry flavours and chocolate overtones only accentuated by the triple chocolate brownie.
“We actually planted the Merlot by mistake,” said Brian, “The nursery I bought from had some unlabelled plants. The owner said he was reasonably sure they were Cabernet Savignon, which is what the Coonawarra region is best known for.”
“It turned out to be a blessing though because we ended up with this beautiful Merlot,” he said with a smile.
The food and wine pairing picnics provide the perfect experience for those interested in the stories behind the wine – the kind you can’t find on the back of a bottle or a website.
