Beauty of the Barossa

About this time a year ago is when BareRouge first began, so it was only fitting that as another long weekend was upon us in Victoria, we set off on a long road trip to head back to the Barossa Valley.

After our last trip, we knew good coffee would be scarce once we had left the bright lights of Melbourne, so we were well fuelled before we left.  With a midnight break in Bordertown we arrived to a beautiful sun filled sky in the heart of the Barossa.

We had arranged to meet with our friend, Dan Standish, who owns The Standish Wine Company.  Since our last visit, Dan had moved the winery from the south of the Barossa Valley in Lyndoch, to his new premises in the north, Nuriootpa.  Arriving at the new winery could only be described as 'Grand', a beautiful yet simple stone building at the end of a long driveway surrounded by the autumn vines.  We had arranged with Dan to pick up some french oak barrels for our new BareRouge stock, and knowing the quality of product and region the barrels originally come from are a key part in the BareRouge process.

After lunch, and of course a cheeky glass of wine, it was down to business.  We showed Dan some sample products we had brought along and he was very taken with the touch and smoothness we had acheived in the BareRouge pieces, bringing out the natural beauty and the grain of the oak.  We then headed out back where there was a large selection of barrels for us to choose from and as many as we liked, however, the little 'thinks it's big' Kia Rio could only handle two barrels once we had broken them down.  Armed with the right tools, the barrels were soon enough taken apart, assessed, numbered and set out to air, the hard work was done!

The start of harvest had begun, so during the afternoon we had the opportunity to assist Dan & Fraser at Standish Wines.  Fresh grapes were being delivered at 3pm, myself, having never been behind the scenes at a winery, took the chance to taste freshly picked Shiraz grapes, mmmmm, and I was amazed at the delicacy of the heavy machinery with the grapes when it came to desteming.  Easily becoming engrossed in the heavenly smells of the fresh grapes being pumped into vats for fermentation, it's easy to see how one can become obsessed, with the art of wine making, and I can appreciate why Dan keeps the winery at a size where he is very hands on, as this is his passion.

So after a weekend of tasty wines and delicious fresh produce, including a long lunch at Vintners Bar & Grill (that is another story), it was time to head back to Melbourne, and start creating more BareRouge pieces.....though not before we finally found a good coffee at Blond Coffee, in the small town of Angaston in the east of the Barossa.  There is so much to explore in this stunning part of the world and we will most certainly be back!

Summer Salads on the 'Tasman'

Autumn has arrived, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy some of the beautiful summer flavours and colours during those warm sunny evenings.  Try this delicious recipe which can be served on our 'Tasman Rouge', it's sure to impress guests and a simple tasty meal for at home.  Let us know what you think…… 

Mango Green Bean Salad with BBQ Beef:

Serves: 2 large or 3 medium

1 beef steak per serve - we used Porterhouse, however, any cut of beef will be delicious!

Marinade:
1 T balsamic glaze 
1 T olive oil 
2 tsp freshly grated ginger 
Grated zest of 1 lime 
2 T chopped mint leaves 
Salt and ground black pepper 

Salad:
1 tsp sesame oil 
200g rice stick noodles 
Large handful green string beans (sliced length ways) 
1 mango 
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves 
1 spring onion (finely sliced) 
3 tsp sesame seeds 3 tsp chia seeds 

Dressing:
2 T balsamic glaze 
3 T lime juice 
1 tsp sesame oil 
2 tsp soya sauce 
2 tsp freshly grated ginger 
A pinch of salt and brown sugar 

Method: 
Cook the rice stick noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. Toss through the sesame oil. 

To make the beef marinade, mix balsamic glaze, oil, grated ginger, lime zest, chopped mint leaves and salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the beef steak, toss to coat and leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes. 

While the beef is marinating, blanch the green beans by pouring boiling water over them, cool them under cold water and shake off the excess water.  Peel and slice the mango.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. 

Arrange the spinach leaves on a large platter such as the 'Tasman Rouge' from the BareRouge Entertainment range shown in the picture above, then top with the noodles. Sprinkle with about 2 tsp of the sesame seeds and 2 tsp of the chia seeds, then top with sliced mango, green beans and spring onions. 

Heat the barbecue, then cook beef over a medium-high heat until just medium-rare (about 3 minutes each side).  Do not overcook.  Let the beef rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Slice the beef and arrange it on top of the salad.  Drizzle with dressing and the remaining 1 tsp sesame seeds and 1 tsp chia seeds and serve. 

Enjoy!