Summer if definitely a time to Rosé

With the beautiful weather upon us, I am looking forward to many a chilled glass of rosé whilst sitting outside, looking at the ocean. We are very lucky that Australia makes world class rosés especially our friends down in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Did someone say road trip?!

In the spirit of celebrating my love of rosé, I thought I'd make a few recommendations. Would love to hear any of your faves too so feel free to comment.

Turkey Flat- Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/

Of all the rosé drinkers around, most will agree that Turkey Flat's Rosé is up there with the best. This wine has complexity with sweet berry-liciousness and a lovely dry finish. It is a grown up rosé with many elements on the palate and would satisfy even the non-rosé drinkers amongst us. Made from Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dolcetto, this wine is a beautiful bold reddy pink and oh so very drinkable.

I would recommend this refreshing wine to be enjoyed on its own or with light meals like salads, antipasto plates and perfect with seafood.

Verdict: When you find it on special, stock up and stock up good. You will be very popular if you bring this little gem along to dinner or a party with friends- that's if you can bear to share it!

Langmeil- Bella Rouge Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)

http://www.langmeilwinery.com.au/

My Dad is the Mr Miyagi of Wine and my wine mentor. He has a freakishly good palate which amazes me constantly. Over the years he has introduced me to many different wines but this is definitely a stand out. I have such a soft spot for it that in some ways no rosé can compare.

Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes this rosé is a gorgeous deep and velvety red colour and darker than most rosés. It is a fuller bodied rosé and I always get a 'kir royale' kinda feeling when I drink it.

Verdict: Yum num num num num. Online purchasing recommended.


Tin Shed- All Day Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)
http://www.tinshedwines.com/



True to its name, you can drink this drop all day, everyday, 24 hours a day. I first discovered this drinkable gem when living in Manly and visited the Bavarian Bier Cafe one sunny Sunday afternoon. Since that day there has been some intense abuse of this wine by my friends and I.

The wine itself is a dark blush as a result of extended days in barrel. There is a combination of Grenache, Sangiovese, Mourvedre and Shiraz in this wine. There is a lolly like sweetness that can be on the sweet side for my palate but the wine itself is well rounded enough for the sweetness not to take over, with a nice clean finish. Not incredibly complex but a very pleasant drop to enjoy with almost anything food wise- red meat, chicken, fish or even a nice dessert.

Verdict: Good all rounder for all occasions

Bang Bang...

OK, I am the first to admit that I am not the most demure and shy person around the traps however, I wasn't brought up by a pack of wild wolves and therefore know how to behave when in a dining establishment. Yes, we have all experienced a time where we've had a few too many bubbles and started to laugh hysterically at nothing in particular but that usually happens on a weekend, with a crowd of equally drunk, loud and hysterical friends and in a venue where the general level of noise is an equaliser for the decibels exuding from your corner of the universe.

Try telling that to Miss Squawk-a-Lot and her band of very merry men and a camper than Christmas, David Brent doppelganger. Clearly a bunch of social misfits that individually would have no friends on Facebook therefore decided to band together, a la Revenge of the Nerds and rise against the cool kids by being uber loud and talking over each other with gusto.

I have enjoyed the ambience of Il Baretto a number of times and whilst it can get noisy from chatter, it usually is a din of conversation that is audible but not pronounced.

I took Junior to Il Baretto for the first time last night as I knew he would love the Duck Ragu Papardelle and enjoy a nice romantic dinner out on a Thursday.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the friendly staff and seated straight away, on a lovely table near the back of the restaurant. Normally I enjoy a nice red with my Italian but the unseasonally balmy 25+ degrees and my selfish decision to have the Spaghetti alla Vongole led me to bring a Zilzie Rose 2006 along for the ride.

Everything was going along swimmingly until Miss Squawk-a-Lot and pals turned up, with their glass shattering guffaws. When the first thing they did was ask for a bottle opener for their Coronas by shouting at the waiter, in case he was hearing impaired, I gave Junior that knowing look of "Holy crap. If these bogans keep it up, I am going to stab the nearest one with my fork- after I finish my delicious meal for fear of ruining the experience (interestingly it would've been Campy David Brent)." He responded with an oft seen "Holy crap. Must eat quickly and leave before there is violence."

Anyway, Junior and I did our darndest to enjoy our dinner which was accompanied by a lovely rocket & parmesan salad, with fresh, peppery rocket leaves; crumbly, salty parmesan and dotted with slivers of sun-dried tomatoes. The rocket and dressing were divine but to be honest 2 shavings of parmesan is not enough for a $9.50 salad.

My Spaghetti alla Vongole has all the right flavours going on, onion, garlic and chilli coating the al dente pasta perfectly but the vongole were a little on the small side (I know they're supposed to be small but the size of a Tic Tac probably is a little too small) and to be honest, I did experience moments of grit. Overall the flavours were enjoyable so it wasn't a complete loss.

Junior's Duck Ragu on the other hand was rich and flavoursome, perfectly paired with the ribbons of papardelle. I am glad he chose that dish as his introduction to Il Baretto.

I would still recommend Il Baretto for the masses despite an overall disappointing experience as I have been there previously and really enjoyed myself. As for the menu, I would suggest sticking with the staple menu (with the exception of the Duck Ragu) to ensure the likelihood of a more consistent dining experience.

And as for Squawky and Friends, forget Il Baretto, just pass me a Beretta...

Il Baretto

496 Bourke Street

Surry Hills NSW 2010

(02) 9361 6163

Do you Wagyu?

I certainly do so last night we had a little crew head over to Rockpool Bar & Grill to see if their Wagyu Beef Burger really is the best burger in town. Simon Thomsen of SMH and I don't see eye to eye all the time but if Heston Blumenthal is a fan then that's good enough for me.

Rockpool Bar & Grill is in a beautiful art deco building with the restaurant featuring high ceilings and grand marble columns. The adjoining bar was all dark wood and glass with candles on the table to create a very nice ambience indeed. Pity the blasts of wind coming through the door were so cold.

So there we were with a great table with a view of the bar which has a gravity defying and rather impractical application of glass hangers.

We ordered a bottle of 2006 Bress Shiraz which was divine. Bress is a winery in Heathcote, Victoria which has received a coveted five star rating from James Halliday's 2010 Wine Companion. Surprisingly Bress also make their own cider which I would be very interested in trying. The 2006 shiraz has a delightful nose and I found to be very well rounded on the palate. It is packed with berry flavours and a hint of oak and spice. Yum!

I did note a tone of disdain as the waitress put down our 'tap' water. Not cool.

So Random Pear and her pal Grinder (it was the quickest nickname I could find!), Junior and I all ordered the Wagyu Beef Burgers and Taxman decided on the Steak Sandwich. Luckily Random Pear asked if they came with chips or we would've been chip-less without the two bowls of chips on the side. Taxman did suggest a third bowl to which I was all for when Random Pear exercised a rare show of restraint and stuck to the two. Drats!

Much food talk ensued including debating the merits of gelato vs ice cream, smooth vs crunchy peanut butter and Grinder's upcoming one on one cooking session with Matt Moran. We also did decide that we need to do Friday lunch at Marque and Chef's Table at Aria very soon.

We were also lucky enough to see Neil Perry walk the floor a few times. I have eaten at a number of his restaurants over the years and have only seen him in the restaurant one other time.

Then they arrived...

And I had to giggle at the waitresses suggestion it was accompanied by a salad. This started a debate as to what constitutes a side salad... You be the judge.

The wagyu beef patty was topped with Gruyere cheese, bacon, tomato, pickles and chilli relish all on a brioche bun made on the premises with a sheen on top that gave it a familiar fast-food feel to it. It was indeed delicious. The Blackmore wagyu beef was the rightful star of the show and there was a distinct lack of conversation whilst we feasted.

Taxman's steak sandwich looked great. The steak cooked perfectly with salad on a sourdough baguette (mmm sourdough). Not normally a fan of chunky chips, these chips were deliciously crispy and golden and rather more-ish.

A good time was had by all and coffees were enjoyed with the Haigh's chocolate hearts I brought along as a special treat.

Here is another shot of the 'glass' bar taken by Junior complete with mood lighting.

Verdict: Definitely the best burger I have had thus far and would recommend you go try one for yourself. At $22 it's an affordable way to enjoy the ambience of this beautiful restaurant. I do think there though the pompous switch should be dimmed with the waitstaff in the bar. And for the record, tap water is highly acceptable.

Rockpool Bar & Grill
66 Hunter Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 8078 1900
http://www.rockpool.com.au/sydney/bar-and-grill/