Strat's Place - Darryl Beeson's - Wine and More

Please help to keep our site FREE by supporting our fine Sponsors

Darryl Beeson
"Wine and More"

Wine- Red, right and blue

The skeptic comes out in me when I see a wine created in a possibly gimmick-like way. On my desk is a bottle of red wine in a cobalt-blue glass bottle with a red colored cork, no less, and a cute rendering of a koala bear on the label. A famous pop singer is involved in the making. With an eyebrow arched, I tasted the wine.

And it was good. The Koala Blue Shiraz, Australia 2001, priced at about $6.99, is a well crafted red destined to be served with food. The makers in partnership, Pat Farrar and Olivia Newton-John, both contend that it is "the perfect match for any type of burger you put on a barbie."

Introduced into the U.S. last fall, Koala Blue was soon recognized in The Wall Street Journal's tasting of 50 Australian Shiraz priced under $20. Ironically, it placed in the top seven wines ("good/very good" in The Dow Jones Inexpensive Shiraz Index) while being the least expensive of the finalist.

This red wine is appealing because it has a bracing crispness, balanced with good fruit expression, a requirement for excellent food pairing wines. Some inexpensive Australian reds can be packed with concentrated, possibly over-ripe fruit flavors, with the result being called a flabby wine. That is not a compliment. Spokesperson Kathleen Talbert shares below a burger recipe that could be perfect with this wine.

Koala Blue Burger
2 pounds ground sirloin
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons Koala Blue Shiraz
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 hamburger buns
Preheat the grill to high. Divide the meat into eight equal portions, forming each portion into a round patty. With a wooden spoon, beat the wine into the blue cheese until combined, then gently fold in the scallions. Place a quarter of the blue cheese mixture between two patties and crimp the edges firmly together to seal the burger. Arrange the burgers, oil side down, on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, usually 3-4 minutes. Brush the other side lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn with a spatula and continue grilling till cooked to taste. Place on buns, served to your preference.

I am anticipating a letter to the editor from someone asking what to do with the remainder of the bottle of wine, less the two tablespoons. Figure it out. Have you ever been mellow? Or should that be Grease is the word. Enjoy the burger.

[ BACK ]