Winemaster's Selection March 2008 - Red - The Wine Society

Black Pepper-Crusted Roast Beef
Serves 6
Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, 4 minced and 2 thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1.5kg boneless rib-eye beef roast
Directions
• In a blender, combine the minced garlic with
the olive oil, soy sauce, salt, peppercorns and
rosemary and process to a paste. Make fifteen
1-inch-deep cuts in the top and bottom of the
roast and insert a thin slice of garlic in each cut.
Set the roast on a rack in a roasting pan and rub
it all over with the salt-and-pepper paste. Let
stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 240°c. Roast the meat for
about 10 minutes, or until the crust begins to
brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°c
and cook the roast for about 1 ¼ hours longer.
• Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest,
uncovered, for 10 minutes. Carve the roast into
1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Serve with roasted shallots and mixed baby
vegetables, such as potatoes, beets and carrots.
It’s The Wine’s fault!
Wine faults are an enormous burden to both consumers and producers. We’re all
familiar with the anticipation of dusting off that cherished bottle of wine only to
find that somewhere between the vineyard and our glass – the wine has become
the victim of a wine fault. So what are the most common wine faults that we may
come across and more importantly, what impact do these have on the wine that
we drink?
Oxidisation occurs when wine is exposed to oxygen for a prolonged period of
time in either barrel or bottle. Small doses can mean a wine will lose its primary
fruit characters, while extended periods can leave a wine tasting of vinegar.
Fluctuating temperatures and poor humidity during cellaring will cause corks to
expand and contract, gradually letting in air and spoiling the wine over time. To
combat this, wine should be cellared in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area, with
a constant temperature of between 14-18˚c.
Around 5% of all wine that is bottled and sealed with a cork, will suffer from cork
taint. Often referred to as “corked” or “TCA”, this incredibly frustrating wine fault
is caused by a mould on inferior corks, that imparts odours of wet cardboard and
old socks on the effected wine. The mould is impossible to detect until the wine
is opened, spoiling the wine immediately after the cork is sealed. The only way
to avoid your chances of ending up with a corked bottle of wine is to drink wines
that are sealed with screw caps or other synthetic closures.
Sulphur dioxide is a natural by-product of fermented grape juice and is also added
to wines for a number of reasons. However, if the amount added is insufficient,
the winemaker will not be able to control fermentation and the wine may in fact
begin re-fermentation in the bottle. Too much sulphur dioxide and a wine will
develop odours of rotten eggs and burnt rubber. Sometimes wines that show
a slight whiff of sulphur or gun smoke can benefit from decanting, where the
oxygen will soften these impurities.
Brettanomyces or “Brett” as it is commonly known, is a yeast borne microorganism
that is universal to all winemaking regions. It can be acquired through
contact with soil and grape skins in vineyards as well as from winery equipment
and oak barrels. Once a winery has this in the winemaking process it can be very
difficult to get rid of. The effect on wine can be devastating, ranging from subtle
hints of barnyard and straw, right through to medicinal and bandaid aromas.
My notes:
For Order Enquiries:
1300 723 723
orders@winesociety.com.au
www.winesociety.com.au
marchwinemastersreds.indd 4
7/02/2008 4:15:28 PM