Roses & Rosé: A wine for all seasons
Ignite, excite and entice your senses this season – and every other season of the year – with our guide to matching wines to the weather, all in order to compliment the beauty surrounding you in your own backyard.
Passionate wine aficionado Lazlo Evenhuis from Kirk’s Wine Bar in Melbourne’s CBD knows exactly what to do when nature calls for a fine sip in the great outdoors.
SUMMER
The sun’s out, and so is the fun! Surround yourself with the scents of verbena, marigolds, pansies and forget-me-nots, while watching those all-important tomatoes stretch to the sun.
Lazlo believes that a zesty young Riesling brings out the best in an Australian summer garden.
‘The bright floral and citrus aromas and crunchy green apple palate can be just as readily enjoyed watching a sunset from a back porch or paired with some barbecued crustaceans. A Grampians Riesling such as Best’s Great Western would do nicely,’ said Mr Evenhuis.
AUTUMN
The return of earlier sunsets in Autumn brings a crispness to the air especially with a vegetable patch filled with seasonal produce such as pumpkin, peas, garlic and of course, strawberries. Top this with autumnal blooms such as cornflowers, snap dragons and sweet peas to draw the senses to the cooler evening breeze and compliment with a silky, perfumed cool climate Pinot Noir for a fine seasonal package.
‘After the harvest (grapes of course) it’s all about foraging for mushrooms or collecting and roasting chestnuts. The end of the day may find me reaching for a glass of juicy, headily scented Macedon Ranges Pinot such as Josh Cooper’s biodynamic, textured and nuanced bottlings.’
WINTER
Brighten up a chilly winter with lavender, fairy primrose and winter roses in your floral patch. Match these heavenly scents with a peppery, mouth-filling Shiraz to warm your insides.
‘Catching the last of the afternoon’s light with a with a dog eared paperback and a sturdy yet succulent Heathcote red is pretty much it. Adam Foster’s beautifully brawny Syrahmi releases get me every vintage,’ said Mr Evenhuis.
SPRING
The season has sprung and so have the roses. So, can you match a rose with a rosé? Lazlo believes the best wine for spring time is a delicate, pale and dry example.
‘Extended dusks see me venturing back to the garden table for lighter meals. There’s nothing more Spring than a vibrant, crisp, fresh rose. Wines from Provence in southern France are the benchmark, but I love the gentle scents and opaque blush of the Golden Ball ‘Cherish’ from Beechworth,’ he explained.
Enjoy wine and tasty morsels amongst the blooms at Gardens by Twilight on Friday 23 March, open until 9pm, as part of the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.
You can purchase your ticket for the event here
