Bon Appétit Newsletter 5 June 2020

Hope you are well.
 
For those in our community who live in Western Australia, I hope everything is ok after the wild storm and winds.  We were on tenterhooks awaiting news from Col at the vineyard.  Thankfully so far so good - we are feeling relieved and grateful for the news.
 
This week we thought that it would be fun to continue the journey of talking about our pillars.  Last time we touched on the teachings of Aunty May and how her love of all things Bordeaux have been imprinted onto us at UMAMU. 
 
At UMAMU we like to live and breathe Balance.  Everything we do is about Balance.  Another prong to our Balance is how our wines pair with food.  UMAMU the name, was created with Umami in mind.  Umami is the fifth full flavour in food the other four being sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness.
 
Food and cooking can be such an escape, a form of therapy if you will.  I have been doing some reading from The School of Life in London on this subject.  There is an excellent Go-To article here, where they talk through the language of food and our emotional connection with it - how food rebalances us, both physically and mentally.  Along with how food is a form of communication.  A meal prepared from a loved one or a friend can express the feeling of connection on a deeper level. This all provided excellent food for thought – pun intended!  
 
Our wines are very similar to that of a recipe, the Balance in the vine canopy, fruit load Balance to vine, delicate timing of harvest, what kind of oak and how long to oak, bottling age and when to drink.  These are all recipes that are ever-evolving and always allowing for the carefully tended fruit to shine.  We aim for our wines to nourish the soul, to fill you with joy and give you a moment to reflect.
 
It will come as no surprise that our wines are made to pair with food.  Yes, some absolutely can be drunk alone like our 2018 Rosé, but also the Rosé is lifted with a well-curated Charcuterie board with fresh goats cheese and an assembly of condiments.  Our 2016 Chardonnay pairs well with roast chicken marinated in tarragon, garlic and lemon zest.  Team our 2015 Shiraz with confit duck and puy lentils.  The combinations are endless and all dependent on your taste and preferences.
 
We have discovered here that food is a particular drive within our team.  We are constantly sharing (and sometimes showing off) our creations and delicious meals we have created.  This week we are featuring our SBS vertical 2005, 2010 and 2016 – two bottles of each in a six pack.  Check out our recipe below that pairs with all three vintages.  Now that we can responsibly have a select number of people over, it’s a great time to cook for those who you haven’t seen in a while.
 
Send us an email or tag us across our socials with your culinary creations and what UMAMU estate wine you are teaming them up with. 
 
Bon Appétit,
 
Charmaine & Team UMAMU