We love winter because it’s all about red wine, slow cooking and open fires...
Red wine…. Seasonal Drinking.
Depending on your favourite tipple, winter is all about red wine at Windowrie. Each of the Family has their own personal favourite variety and Anthony the winemaker just loves them all! (But I guess that can be an occupational hazard in this business)
David loves Verdelho but when it comes to reds he has always been a Cabernet man and with our 2010 Family Reserve Cabernet he is set for the winter.
Blackberry, violet and chocolate aromas with a smooth silky palate. Excellent balance and structure.
Jason is an all year round red wine drinker, preferring the red varieties to whites, but you can twist his arm. He is looking forward to indulging in The Mill Shiraz 2012 this winter (Certified Organic).
Raspberry and plum flavours coupled with mulberry, plum and ripe cherry aromas. Smooth, soft tannins make this wine both well balanced and enticing.
Nook is the most seasonal wine drinker of all, changing the varieties she enjoys as the weather gets warmer or cooler depending on the time of year. Late Autumn begins with Merlots and moves into Cabernet Merlot as the depths of Winter encroach. She is loving the new release Pig In The House Merlot and looking forward to spending some quality time in the cold months with The Mill Cab Merlot
The harmonious blend of these two varieties gives a rich earthy aroma with lively forest berry fruits. Delicious Blackberries on the palate, complimented by vanillin oak.
* for more info on the Pig In The House wines go to www.piginthehouse.com.au
Anthony recommends merlot to start the cooler period, moving towards the shiraz’s as it gets cooler and then to the Bordeaux blends and Cabernet as the real winter chill takes hold.As always it depends what variety you enjoy, what you are eating and the occasion or environment you are in.
Are you a seasonal (not seasoned!) wine drinker? Tell us about your variety preference during the cooler month www.facebook.com/Windowrie.Wines
Slow Cooking... Braising
Great tips from Snooth
Braising is transformative: it turns tougher, cheaper cuts of meat into richly flavourful dishes that rival their more expensive protein brethren. But unlike stewing, which is toss-in-a-pot simple, braising requires a few extra steps, a balance of searing and simultaneous steaming/simmering, before mealtime payoff.
Even some of the masters have had issues with braising. Julia Child’s famous Boeuf Bourguignon calls for cooking at 325°F, perhaps a smidge too high to elicit true fork-tenderness. But the fact is braising needn’t be arduous, or complicated; there are many ways to cut the time involved and the techniques required. So however classically French it may sound (and it is), don’t let braising intimidate. Here are a few steps to get you braising in no time, metaphorically speaking.
Tell us your favourite slow cooked meal for the cooler months
www.facebook.com/Windowrie.Wines
Open Fires… Winter Camping
The Central West has an amazing number of National Parks with fantastic camping facilities near by. Nearest to us we have the Nangar National Park with incredible views, Wyangala Dam which is great for winter fishing and always a social camping spot. Conimbla National Park has some of the best walking (Hiking) tours. Come down to The Central West and see what we have in store for you!!
Do you have a favourite camping site? www.facebook.com/Windowrie.Wines