October 2010
13 posts
Weekend Wine Picks 28.10.10
Thorn Clarke Sandpiper Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV
Eden Valley
$12-17.
This particular wine is about a 60:40 ratio of Chardonnay to Pinot Noir and is sourced from the Eden Valley in SA. This particular wine has a straw/gold colour to it. A good delicate nose The Chardonnay component here has provided the wine with a lightness and lengthy acidity. This has a good richness of flavours with nutty,...
Spring is the Air Part II: Sparkling
“Only the most unimaginative of people can’t think of a reason to drink Champagne” - Oscar Wilde,
Now, with the spring racing carnival in full swing, the Melbourne cup just round the corner and with New Years Eve down the track means that it is time for the Bon Vivant to have a look at those Champagnes and sparklings that will have you tasting the stars this spring. After...
15 tags
Smoked Salmon and Spicy Cucumber Ribbon Salad -...
Becca Johnstone.
As Danny mentioned the other day, we are now kicking off our Spring White season and Danny has begun with my favourite white varietal: Riesling. And with Spring rolling in, all those gorgeous green vegies are coming in to their own. I think we tend to take some of the greenies, like cucumber, for granted through the year – it’s never as sweet as in Spring! I love Riesling’s...
9 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 22.10.10
Jim Barry ‘Lodge Hill’ Riesling 2008
Clare Valley, SA.
$15-20
As you might have guessed from Danny’s article it’s Riesling season! And as you may have also guessed from some of my previous Weekend Wine Picks, I’m a Riesling fiend! I’m eagerly anticipating tasting the 2010 vintage of this wine, but I recommend going and picking up a bottle of this number while...
Spring is In the Air: Part 1 Riesling.
Danny Ryan
With spring in the air and the sun shining over head Becca and I here at The Bon Vivant thought that, over the next of month or so, we should have a look at some of the best spring/summer wines in order to make sure our readers spend their spring well lubricated with some top notch booze. This means that every Thursday for the next month I will be having an indepth look at a particular...
11 tags
The Long Lunch - Sailor's Thai/Ross Hill
Ross Hill Estate, Orange
The October Long Weekend
By Becca Johnstone
It was surreal. I was seated at a table supping Chardonnay, in what was once a giant apple-processing shed, surrounded by cherry trees and oak barrels. A cold, rainy, Sunday in Orange – it was the thing of poignant afternoons in the French countryside, curled up with Madame Bovary. Except that there were 90 other people at my...
13 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 15.10.10
Today I had a very interesting tasting with the good people at Maison de Grand Esprit, a great collaboration between French and Australian winemakers, producing some more modern styles of classic French varietals. It was a real eye-opener, especially in regards to Pinot Gris/Grigio. Kevin McCarthy (formerly of T’Gallant) was with running us through some of his favourites in the range, and...
11 tags
World Chef Showcase: Part Three - Peter Gilmore
By Becca Johnstone
Cooking with Peter Gilmore
As the great man takes the stage to set up, the room is hushed. It was the stillest it had been all day. I looked around and could see that just about everyone was on the edge of their seats. This Gastronomic Master tends to have that effect on people – not bad for a kid from Carlingford (I say that with love, knowing far too many Carlingford boys in...
9 tags
World Chef Showcase: Part Two - Marcus Wareing
By Becca Johnstone
Words with Marcus Wareing
I must admit I was quite excited about hearing this man speak. He has a great, no-nonsense food philosophy, which is odd coming from someone who has had the amount of classical training and exposure that he has had. His restaurant, The Berkeley holds two coveted Michelin Stars and is currently 58th on the S. Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants list....
9 tags
World Chef Showcase: Contemporary Creative
A Three Part Blogstravaganza!
Becca Johnstone
Sunday morning. 7:12am. In a miraculous dreamland halfway between last night’s excesses and the morning after, lies your author. 7:13am. The world is shattered by the preposterously loud alert of a text message. I start awake feeling less than content; cursing whoever it may be that needs me at this ridiculous hour. Until I read the message…
So I have...
10 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 08.10.10
Jacob’s Creek Tempranillo 2008
South Eastern Australia
$8-$13
Many of the readers out in Cyberspace have come back to me looking for some wines that, while still be top quality, don’t break the bank. Here are two the I picked up for under $10 a pop.
This Tempranillo from Jacob’s Creek fits the bill perfectly. I picked up this interesting number for only $8.99 and even I think...
Ribs and Rumps
After the glamour of last friday night at the Opera House, Danny Ryan takes a closer look at one of his favourite places to eat: Ribs and Rumps Steak House.
Ribs and Rumps,
North Ryde
11 Talavera Road North Ryde NSW 2113
Ribs and Rumps has five steak houses across Sydney with the one at North Ryde being an all-time Ryan Family favourite. This is not without good reason; Ribs and Rumps is...
11 tags
An Audience with Rene Redzepi
By Becca Johnstone.
Image courtesy of Delicious Magazine UK.
I had made my way to the Opera House straight from work on Friday, a little flustered (as is normally the case), but on time. I said the obligatory hello’s to the familiar faces and made my way to my seat as quickly as possible. The concert hall was all but empty except for myself and a few other eager so and so’s. A good start. I...
September 2010
14 posts
10 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 01.10.10
Jansz NV
Tasmania
$20-$30
With spring now upon us, now is the perfect time to leave your reds to sit in the cellar while you sit back and enjoy some top notch sparklings. Especially with the Spring Racing Carnival and the Melbourne Cup around the corner now is most definitely the time to ‘drink the stars’. Jansz NV is made in a style that I quite enjoy and is one so consistent...
