Wine & Cheese Tasting (Part 1) : 2009 Terre a Terre Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon

Welcome to my new wine & cheese tasting series! If you are reading this right now, I assume that like me you love the classic and pleasurable gastronomic combination of wine and cheese. Of course you do! And indeed, you all know that I am French which means I've spent my whole life surrounded by litres of wine and mountains of cheese, been initiated to the art of pairing the two together from an early age. 

Wine Tasting at Home

Something I do regularly at home with my fiancé, Monsieur Slimalicious, is wine & cheese tasting. We have a wine journal (purchased in London about 5 years ago), and we fill out the pages as we try new wines, enjoy and discover new flavours! What I have learnt in France, and over the years, is that a greater understanding of tasting and appreciating wine can certainly enhance your enjoyment of it.

Wine Tasting at a Wine Estate or Winery

I'm fortunate to have had the chance to visit many of the wine regions in Australia, including the Yarra Valley (Victoria), the Adelaide Hills (South Australia), the Hunter Valley (New South Wales), Coonawarra (South Australia) and Shoalhaven (New South Wales). Next on my list are of course the Margaret River (Western Australia) and the Barossa Valley (South Australia).

Wine Tasting at Foodies' Events

I also regularly attend wine tasting events (International Wine Fair, Sydney Good Food and Wine Show) and classes.

2009 Terre a Terre Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon

Terre a Terre (expression meaning 'Down to Earth' in French) is a small Australian wine domaine located in South Australia and run by husband and wife team Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser.   

TASTING

Aroma: blackcurrant juice with scents of sage and spices

Taste: A medium-bodied wine with a very structured mouth feel and firm tannin on the finish, this wine was matured in oak for two years giving it a very French style.

James Halliday rating: 94 points

CHEESE PAIRING

Good wine and cheese pairings do take some thought, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated task. The important thing to remember is that there are no hard-set rules. Taste is after all a matter of personal preference.

I paired the 2009 Terre a Terre Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon with:

• Barambah Organics marinated feta cheese: creamy feta in a full flavoured marinade, this cheese won Gold at the 2009 World Cheese Awards!!!
• Barambah Organics Swiss cheese: mild, soft cheese with a slightly sweet and nutty taste (read about  Barambah Organics yoghurt range)
• Soft goat cheese, Parmesan, walnuts, dried apricots and a crunchy sourdough olive bread. 

Barambah Organics Swiss Cheese

Barambah Organics Marinated Feta: won Gold at the 2009 World Cheese Awards

Tasting is about exploring and expressing your preferences

Verdict: Both Monsieur Slimalicious and I have truly liked this wine and enjoyed every sip! We both like full-bodied wine with strong tannins, like Shiraz. This wine is of premium quality, aged in oak for 24 months, and retails in Australia for $39 a bottle.  

For more information about Terre a Terre wines, visit their website

For more information about Barambah Organics Cheese, visit their website

Do you enjoy wine tasting? 

What wine regions have you visited in Australia?