Yellowtail Chardonnay and (yet another) Turkey Flat Food Pairing

2006
Australia

"I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens."

Thomas Jefferson

I thought for sure I had previously reviewed the 2006 Yellowtail Chardonnay. However, I can't find it in my history. I have had this wine previously during the summer and evidently failed to blog it (perhaps a sign in and of itself). Actually, it's not too bad. It is decent for the cost. It exudes one of my favorite flavors: vanilla. Not very oakey. Slightly tropical. It wouldn't be my first choice, but not my last either.

Tonight I made a great salad - it's not that often I can say that. Salads always taste great to me in restaurants, but not necessarily when I make them. I grilled some (organic) chicken and portabella mushrooms. I added them to (organic) baby greens and (organic) Romaine lettuce leaves. I added Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, (organic) celery, roasted some Pignolia nuts and threw them in, freshly grated Parmesean and topped it all off with Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing (http://www.newmansown.com/).

The Guy hates most olives (definitely black), and garlic too I might add, and being 50% Italian (his sadly orphaned grandfather came to the US from Northern Italy on a ship at the age of like 12 on his own), it is completely devastating for me. I am exactly 50% English (father) and 50% Scottish (mother) and yet I love Italian and Mediterranean recipes and tend to want to make those types of dishes. Anyway, tonight I bought some fabulous Greek olives and, as I laid out all the salad ingredients, The Guy asked me about the olives. I got (slightly) excited and told him that he'd probably actually like those olives. He popped one in his mouth and ran to the bathroom. My middle child and I looked at each other, shook our heads and laughed. I thought he was going to throw up. But he just spit it out in the garbage. Anyway, the ingredients all together were great (minus olives from The Guy's salad).

Now, I find pairing a wine with salad next to impossible and really don't ever intentionally set out to do so. However, tonight I took out the Yellowtail Chardonnay and what was left of my Turkey Flat Rose (see previous blog entry) and compared and contrasted. I was fascinated to find that the Turkey Flat had its distinct flavor right off the bat, but then finished with a blast of total Pignolia nut flavor! The Yellowtail, followed by a well mixed bite of salad, tasted extremely vanilla. Either one was a pretty good accompaniment depending on your personal preference.

I don't recommend either, however, as an accompaniment to an organic frosted Cherry Pomegran pop tart.

7.25 out of 10
$13.99 / 1.5 L bottle
13.5% alc. by vol.
http://www.yellowtailwine.com/

Yellowtail Shiraz

2006
Yellowtail Shiraz
Southeastern Australia

The water a silver blue
Reflecting the early morning sun
Sitting on the deck alone, overlooking Fisher's Isle
A train in the distance making its first run

Seagulls calling back and forth
Dingies and foghorns echo
American flags flap in the wind
Suddenly not wanting so much to go

Sea breeze, cleansing my soul
An isolated boat glides past as if on glass, erecting its sail
Deep breath in, deeper breath out
Savoring the memory of last night's Yellowtail

I don't know if it was my State of Mind following a harrowing ride on I-95 to pick up my children, or the nerve-settling view before me, but last night's Yellowtail Shiraz was just what I needed. My step-father-in-law (I can hear him saying "blood or lack of blood has got nothing to do with it - we're family") poured me a glass on the Stonington deck and I relaxed.

My car gave me trouble. It's been so good to me and I am thankful it got me all the way to my destination after failing me on the Groton-New London bridge in the middle lane with a psychedelic purple Mack truck on my tail. I couldn't get my shifter to shift. I was in neutral going nowhere with traffic all around me. I still had a ways to go.

By the time I got to where I needed to be, I was frazzled. My step-father-in-law insisted that I have a glass of wine at that moment rather than waiting for dinner. I relinquished and I'm glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised with the 2006 Yellowtail Shiraz. For the going price, this is a buy. Nice berry, but even nicer vanilla. Quiet, decent soft finish. Great without food and great with grilled steak.

8 out of 10
13.5% alc. by vol.
$12.99 / 1.5 L bottle
http://www.yellowtailwine.com/