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The Australian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Australian
The Australian Wine Club: Argentine wines for a sensational barbecue
Slowly they grow together, no one quite sure which came first, until their partnership is as natural as Lennon and McCartney or Romeo and Juliet. An alchemy takes place when a region's food and wine find themselves so simpatico that somehow it feels indecent to order one without the other. The fattened lambs of northern Spain are at their best when partnering a glass of local Rioja. The bright acidity of a Loire Valley sauvignon blanc sings in combination with a goat's cheese made down the road. In Argentina, the ritual of the asado is far more than a barbecue – it's social communion, families and neighbourhoods brought together by a plate of slowly grilled meat in one hand and a glass of malbec in the other. The pairing of beef from the flat grasslands in the centre of the country and the bold reds from up in the foothills of the Andes isn't a cliche so much as a national celebration. At a point in the year when gathering around a fire is an essential ritual of the season, the quartet of Argentine reds in this week's special offer case from The Australian Wine Club is particularly timely. Wines from Mendoza feature in this week's special offer. Three are malbecs but set apart by fascinating regional differences: HJ Fabre's 2023 Patagonia Malbec (RRP $40) scored 93 points from highly respected British Master of Wine Tim Atkin; a 2020 Parcela Selecta Malbec (RRP $42) offers a superbly balanced drinking experience, while The Holdings 2024 Malbec (RRP $28) comes from a lauded bodega in the Mendoza region. Add to that another Mendoza standout, the Reservado Cabernet Franc, also from HJ Fabre, plus a case discount of 36 per cent, and the temptation to host an asado is growing by the minute. 'Every time I go there it's all about asado,' says Leo Bassano, The Australian Wine Club's Argentinian authority, who is perpetually on the hunt for Argentine vintages worth having. 'Asado is much more than a way of cooking meat. Every region has its own cuts and a special way of seasoning the meat, but it's all about the fire and a couple of drinks, and then hours and hours of just chatting and eating. 'There is a glass of malbec all the time, of course, because it's the best match.' The funny thing is that Argentines knew the value in that match for generations but most of the rest of the world had little idea, at least until some 30 years ago. 'In the 1990s, everything changed for Argentina as a wine country,' Bassano says. 'Back then Argentina was not on the worldwide map for wine, basically was not on the radar. 'There were stories of companies trying to pull out the malbec vines from the ground and they were trying to get famous consultants from around the world to grow chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon because they wanted to get into the international markets. 'Everything changed in the 1990s with winemakers from Europe who actually went there, they started consulting, they started investing and they completely changed the course of Argentina, especially with malbec.' Parcela Selecta Malbec 2020 Glinting an inkily dark purple in the glass, this offers dark red fruits on the nose with a wash of mocha, vanilla and spice. From the first sip there's a lovely texture and weight, superb balance and silky smooth tannins that would marry happily with the sort of slow-grilled meat described above. Dried herbs and aniseed provide the undertow and a lick of acidity keeps it super fresh. 14% alc, RRP $42 a bottle. SPECIALS $33.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. HJ Fabre Reservado Cabernet Franc 2023 An increasingly interesting varietal in Argentina's canon, this iteration has an almost perfumed nose. Awash with floral notes, rose petals, cedar and turned earth, there's also flashes of vanilla and tobacco. The palate, though, is all about red fruits held in firm, rounded tannins with just a hint of cedar and spice. Also great with food but delicious any which way. 93 points, Descorchados Wine Guide. 14% alc, RRP $40 a bottle. SPECIALS $32.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. HJ Fabre Barrel Selection Patagonia Malbec 2023 For a perfect contrast, try this Fabre stablemate offering a nose flecked with plum, graphite, vanilla and just a hint of dried herbs, especially tarragon. On the tongue there's a beautiful velvety texture – full-bodied and smooth with a polished quality and lovely freshness. The flavours of ripe, spicy plums and blueberry are concentrated, with a little espresso on the finish. 93 points, Descorchados Wine Guide. 14.5% alc, RRP $40 a bottle. SPECIALS $32.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. The Holdings Malbec 2024 The macerated strawberries, plum and hints of lavender on the nose tell you this is designed to please, and the soft, medium-bodied palate underlines its appeal. There's more plum and strawberry in the mouth, vanilla, spice and a few smoky notes to add a savoury edge. The length is pleasingly long thanks to silky, soft tannins. 13% alc, RRP $28. SPECIALS $19.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. ARGENTINE DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $23.99 a $162. Order online or phone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST and quote 'AC4D'. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Bar, restaurant, cafe operators short-listed for convention centre
Hospitality operators celebrating the best of the region's food and wine at Geelong's convention centre are expected to be revealed soon as the lead proponent fine tunes the retail precinct. Plenary Group put a call out earlier this year through Gartland and CBRE for hospitality providers, especially those based in the region, to becoming part of the $450m Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. Plenary chief investment officer Paul Crowe said the group was in the process of short-listing operators and refining the retail offering. 'We've been really happy with the response we got from the market, a particularly strong response from local operators,' Mr Crowe said. 'We're working through those responses to shortlist and fine tune and make sure we come out with a really exciting retail offering that supports the precinct. 'We got a good range of offerings, a good spread covering everything from cafes to a fine dining restaurant to a bar-type offering and make sure that they complement what the hotel does.' Crowne Plaza Geelong will operate an in-house Italian restaurant and bar and a sky bar cocktail lounge on level 10. Nyaal Banyul will feature two large exhibition halls, a 1000-seat theatre and flexible conference and event spaces. 'The size of the venues are targeting larger events and events that bring people in to the region,' Mr Crowe said. 'What the precinct needs to do, and in particular the hotel and working in partnership with the convention centre operator, is to make sure we get the activation to bring the other events, the smaller events into the hotel or into the smaller rooms in the convention centre, to make sure it's active all year round.' The precinct forecourt will feature a big screen and a mix of dining ands retail options. The tenancies up for grabs encompass 700sq m of floorspace plus outdoor seating, for operations that include a fine dining restaurant and week-round, all-day cafe and potential for a gastropub, coffee bar, general store and convenience retail outlet. 'We're really looking at how we draw people in to the precinct, make it exciting when there are visitors for events,' Mr Crowe said. 'We're anchoring one end of the waterfront with this precinct, so we want to make it a beacon for people to come towards, or start at in how they explore the waterfront.' Plenary expects to reveal the retail operators in the next two to three months, but there's a lot of detail to go through with the proponents, including fit-out requirements, Mr Crowe said. The convention centre is expected to open in mid 2026. Meanwhile a separate $130m commercial tower planned for the site remains on the drawing board. Mr Crowe said securing tenants for that project would define the timeline for the tower, which is a direct investment by Plenary.
CNA
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Eat, Drink, Singapore - The People behind the party at Big Wine Freaks
CNA938 Rewind Tucked away in a heritage shophouse on Bukit Pasoh Road, Big Wine Freaks take their food and wine very seriously, to ensure their diners have a good party dining experience. Cheryl Goh speaks with Head Sommelier Goh Kher Meng and Head Chef Lim Wei Kiat to find out how they work together to keep the party vibes going.
ABC News
06-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
VIDEO: Regional Australian city hoping to become the next Silicon Valley
The regional city of Orange in New South Wales is well-known as a food and wine destination, but it's also fast becoming a mecca for agricultural technology. Joanna Woodburn reports.
