6 expert-made recipes for a perfect wine pairing
How do you order wine at a restaurant?
- Do you order the wine before even seeing a menu?
- Do you choose a dish first and then pick a wine you think would pair?
- Do you look at the wine list and pick a dish based on the perfect wine pairing?
- Do you opt for the set menu that comes with wine pairings?
- Do you go with your flow that meal?
If you're developing your palate, ordering a meal based on wine can be daunting. But there's a special delight in getting it matched well!
For this festive season, we looked at six of our best-selling wines and brought in Cordon Bleu trained to craft the most delicious wine pairings we could. The six dishes below are specially designed to enhance the flavours and profile of each of six UMAMU Estate wines.
We hope they can help spark your creativity and enjoyment of wine pairing.
If you want to try the six expert-made recipes below for yourself, you can buy all six wines in our Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-pack and we will send you the matching recipe cards.
*Buy before December 12th and you'll get the six recipes as printed recipe cards – this means you can try them all yourself, or gift one of the wines & its recipe to someone else at Christmas time!
1. 2019 MacAnn Sparkling – Oysters with mignonette sauce
Our 2019 Sparkling MacAnn (Semillon) is a vibrant, lively wine with a crisp palate and notes of royal gala apple.
This kind of sparkling wine is asking for the rich, umami flavours you find in oysters. Make that oysters in mignonette sauce.
Perfect for a celebration. Perfect with oysters and mignonette sauce this Christmas!
Click here to buy Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-Pack + six wine-pairing recipe cards.
Click here for full sparkling wine recipe.
2. 2016 Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon – Salt & pepper squid
Our 2016 Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon (SBS) has gentle tropical and stone fruits tones with citrussy acidity, all in a delicate balance.
This makes it a great match for squid which is tasty and rich but without intense, overpowering flavours. Make that salt & pepper squid – one of my all-time favourite things to eat! And am so stoked I now know how to make this!
Click here to buy Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-Pack + six wine-pairing recipe cards.
Click here for full SBS wine pairing recipe.
3. 2018 Chardonnay – Corn chowder, mussels and scallops
Our 2018 Chardonnay is minerally, lusciously rich with oak overtones.
It's perfect for a dinner involving seafood. In this case, we went for a rich chowder with mussels, scallops and streaking bacon. The umami richness helps to balance the gently oaking of the Chardonnay.
Click here to buy Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-Pack + six wine-pairing recipe cards.
Click here for full Chardonnay wine pairing recipe.
4. 2018 Rosé – Yamba prawns, prosciutto, rock melon and raspberry seafood platter
Our 2018 Rosé is a beautiful, delicate wine that balances red fruit flavours with sophisticated layers from four months in French oak.
This wine pairs well with a fresh seafood platter with Yamba prawns, prosciutto, rock melon, raspberries, oysters and trout roe.
Our Rosé bottle also encourages you to write something meaningful to a friend or loved one – making the bottle a unique kind of card!
Click here to buy Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-Pack + six wine-pairing recipe cards.
Click here for full rosé wine pairing recipe.
5. 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon – Duck breast with marmalade balsamic glaze
Our 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon brings balanced fruit flavours, tannins and oak to the table.
Fat balances tannins. There is also cassis, blackcurrant and ripe plums to play with. It's a perfect match for pan-fried duck breast in a marmalade and balsamic glaze to bring out those fruit flavours.
The smooth tannin finish chats well with the duck.
Click here to buy Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-Pack + six wine-pairing recipe cards.
Click here for full Cabernet Sauvignon wine pairing recipe.
6. 2014 Cane Cut – Campari meringue, citrus and strawberry salad
Our 2014 Cane Cut has a lower alcohol content than many sweet wines (10.2%) and creates a delicate balance of sweet, toffee, honey, crème-brûlée and vanilla tones mixed with some sharp-edged lemon, orange, poached peach and stewed apricot flavours.
This wine would pair beautifully with a pavlova. The mild tartness of the citrus and aromas of strawberry would complement the lush sweet raisin flavour of this wine.
Make that a campari meringue too, with a hint of bitterness to add a welcoming contrast to all the sweet flavours.
Click here to buy Festive Taste of UMAMU 6-Pack + six wine-pairing recipe cards.
Click for full cane cut wine pairing recipe.
With thanks to LK Wong for these delicious recipes.