Sparkling Shiraz lovers rejoice! The next vintage is on its way. 

It’s been a long time between glasses, but the 2020 has been disgorged and is having the finishes touches made to it as we speak.

And of course, we’re going to have a party to celebrate.

Keep an eye on your emails for an invitation!

Until then, I thought it might be fun to have a look at what food Sparkling Shiraz goes well with. It’s a question we get asked a lot at the Cellar Bar. Apparently, “Food? Don’t you just drink it by itself?” isn’t the answer everyone wants to hear.

So following on from our recent Somereld wine and food pairing conversations of late, let’s look at what you can drink Sparkling Shiraz with (if you absolutely must have it with something!)

 

First though, a very quick reminder of what we’re talking about. Just in case you have forgotten what it tastes like, or (shock, horror!) never tasted it before…

It’s sparkling and it’s red

Yep… that pretty much sums it up! 

You will most usually see sparkling red made from Shiraz grapes. However black grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Durif are also commonly used.

It is made in the same way as sparkling white – start with a base wine and then add some bubbles. Preferably using the traditional method. 

The base wine Rob uses for ours is the Somerled Shiraz. Every few vintages he keeps aside a barrel or two of Shiraz to make into the Sparkling.

It doesn’t always work out like this, but when it’s launched we’ll have both the 2020 Shiraz and the 2020 Sparkling Shiraz on the list at the same time. Interesting for those of you who like to play along at home with a little scientific experiment of “What happens to the aromas and flavours when you turn a Shiraz into a Sparkling Shiraz”!

 

If you want to learn more about Sparkling red wine, head on over to this blog post from a couple of years back.

 

Loving our blog? Sign up for weekly updates straight to your inbox…

[withwine type=’join-mailing-list’]

 

Now, back to those food pairings…

What to eat with Sparkling Shiraz if you absolutely must eat something

Some points to note:

Foods that pair well with bubble-free Shiraz will also work nicely with sparkling red wines.

They should be foods with moderately intense flavors to match the intensity of these full-bodied wines.

Sparkling red wine pairs well with foods featuring combinations of earth, gaminess, spice and black pepper.

Acidity from ingredients like tomatoes and saltiness from capers, olives or Parmesan cheese can also work well.

The fruit-forward nature of some sparkling reds provides some sweetness, which means savory dishes can have similar sweet hints without making the wine seem tart or sour.

Food with some fat or richness is offset by the wines’ effervescence, which — in addition to acidity and tannins cleanses the palate.

Savoury with sweet notes

• Chinese barbeque pork
• Barbecue ribs
• Grilled teriyaki-glazed salmon
• Peking duck with pancakes with plum or hoisin sauce

Rich

• Braised pork belly
• Braised short ribs
• Rare beef with rich red wine demi-glace
• Roast pork.

Earthy or Gamey

• Caponata, ratatouille, baba ghanoush
• Duck, pheasant and other game
• Lamb with olive tapenade
• Moussaka
• Sauteed wild mushroom

Fruit/berry character

• Pork loin with savory berry compote
• Lamb shank braised with dried fruit
• Venison with red currants.

Dessert

Most of you know how I feel about (non-dessert) wine and sweet things (remember my chocolate and wine blog?), so I’m not going to recommend pairing Sparkling Shiraz with anything sweet, but I think this would be a perfect after dinner match… 

• Manchego cheese served with walnut bread

 

Remember to keep an eye out for the launch of this much-anticipated new vintage.  You’ll be hearing from us very soon.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this one ALWAYS sells out quickly. So, if you like it, then make sure you get it before it goes (again!).

 

Wine days…

One last thing before I go…

I totally forgot about a wine holiday over the weekend.

Sunday 5th February was National Rose Day!

If you haven’t already celebrated, then I suggest you do so immediately!