How to Pair McLaren Vale Wines with Food

Today on the blog we invite the team from Cellarmasters and winemaker Mark Jamieson to share some tips on matching McLaren Vale wines with food. Let’s tuck in…

McLaren Vale is home to a range of world-class wines, and there are many different styles available to match with a variety of foods.

Mark Jamieson, who was recently awarded two gold medals in the prestigious San Francisco International Wine Competition for his Blood Brother Republic McLaren Vale Shiraz and Grenache, says the climate is perfect for making wines full of flavour.

Here, he lists his top tips on how to pair McLaren Vale wines with food.

McLaren Vale Red Wines

McLaren Vale has some of the oldest and most diverse soils in Australia. This unique terroir combined with the Mediterranean climate result in reds that tend to exhibit an earthy character with a very generous palate of dark fruit flavours. McLaren Vale reds go really well with slow-cooked meals that have those rustic food flavours. With the sandy soil composition if the region comes an elegance in style, which allows the wines to be matched with poultry, pasta and BBQ foods.

McLaren Vale White Wines

Due to the region’s close proximity to the sea, the Mediterranean climate allows the whites to ripen slowly and retain their natural acidity. These wines are well suited to rich seafood which abounds of the coast. The iconic South Australian King George whiting fillets are a perfect match for a Fiano or Vermentino from McLaren Vale.

McLaren Vale Shiraz

A McLaren Vale Shiraz, such as the Blood Brother Republic Single Vineyard Shiraz, has deep complex, black fruits and silky fine-grained tannins which are perfectly suited to enjoy with beef fillet with a blue cheese mousse. The 24 months of French oak-maturation also pairs it beautifully with slow-braised beef cheeks and parmesan polenta.

McLaren Vale Grenache

A McLaren Vale Grenache, such as the Blood Brother Republic Blewitt Springs Grenache, exhibits luscious red berry fruits combined with black pepper spices. Elegant but powerful in flavour and style makes it perfectly suited to a rosemary and mustard rack of lamb with a sauce made from the Grenache. The elegance of this wine with its tight acidity also allows it to be paired with a char-grilled tuna steak and a crunchy, Tuscan style salad.

Mark Jamieson’s Blood Brother Republic wines are exclusively available through Cellarmasters. He has over 20 years of experience being a winemaker, mainly based in South Australia. He has also been a judge in wine shows and is passionate about that express their region and craftsmanship of winemaker and vigneron.