Wines feature in today’s show:

• 2008 Some Young Punks The Squid’s Fist  (~$22)
• 2009 Some Young Punks Passion Has Red Lips  (~$22)

Synopsis & recommended food pairings from The Som:

There were two things about this episode I want to discuss in more detail but didn’t fit it in on time.  Sorry Bovee, but it bugged me when you said, “Not the greatest wines ever but good enough.”  I am not a huge Australian wine fan, and many of them bore me to tears.   But in my opinion, and for the price, you will not find much better that these two.  If they cost much more, they would sit on the shelf and rot…cool label or not.  In other words:  there is great value here, and that is how I choose to look at it.

Bovee said something else that reminded me of something Robert Marx (my MT Global distributor guy) said.  Robert said, “I have found that most people purchase them for their own personal use.  Maybe some save it for a party, but many have drank them and come back for more.”

That is my experience as well.

Let’s talk food now -

The Squids Fist has brighter fruit and more intense acidity, but still fairly full bodied.  Put that all together and let the dogs run wild.  Honestly, you need to make the food to fit the wine.  I did this roasted lamb recipe the other day and used a Crozes-Hermitage.  It worked well, but I could see the Squid’s Fist blowing it all away.  The Passion Has Red Lips is completely different, and there is little subtlety involved.  Big, fat, and greasy, you should enjoy it with steak, pot roast, or even stuffed pork chops.  Then you can eat hearty and discuss the killer labels.

Bright raspberry and blackberry notes with a touch of mint.

Palette:

Full bodied, but not as rich as you might expect from an Australian Shiraz.  Terrific balance of fruit, acid, and sweet, round tannin’s.  There is blackberry, vanilla, and a hint of spice.  The finish is lovely, long, cooling and smooth.  Very pretty wine that needs attention and some grilled rack of lamb.  Nothing fancy…just some simply prepared lamb, this wine, and some good friends.

The Som Rating: 8/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

Featured in today’s show:

• 2007 Clos Du Bois North Coast Chardonnay
• 2007 Yalumba Unwooded Chardonnay

Recommended food pairings:

• The Clos Du Bois would be a stunning match for pork chops with a mustard sauce
• The Yalumba would work well with a Wolfgang Puck recipe for grilled lobster in a herb butter sauce
• Also, remember to try an oaked California chardonnay with any quality hot dog (something a little more significant than the standard frozen frank) with yellow mustard. “The Som” says it’s his all time favorite pairing!