Sips & Tips for Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

This month’s Somm Series will feature two incredible wines from the iconic Henschke winery of Australia.  Visit any Joe’s location October 21-27 to sample the best Australia has to offer.

Now in their sixth generation of production, the Henschke story began in 1862, when Johann Christian Henschke purchased 80 acres in Keyneton.  This land became the Henschke home, as it remains to this day. In 1981, fifth-generation and current winemaker Stephen Henschke purchased the Lenswood property in Adelaide Hills, its chardonnay vineyard named after Frederick Croft, an orchardist with a neighboring property.  The 2017 Henschke, Croft, Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills, Australia ($20 per 6oz / $80 per bottle) offers aromas of citrus and stone fruit, followed by fresh peach and green apple on the palate. This powerful yet restrained Chardonnay is a great match for our Potato Crusted Flounder.

Keyneton is also the home of the Henschke Family Brass Band. A key component of the Brass Band is a B flat euphonium, a large brass wind instrument that was imported to Adelaide in the late 1900’s from Leipzig, Germany, and has remained in the care of the Henschke family ever since. The 2014 Henschke, Keyneton Euphonium, Barossa, Australia ($24 per 6oz / $96 per bottle) is an intriguing blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The color is deep and alluring, with aromas of plum, red licorice and violet.  The palate offers blueberry and a touch of black pepper, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannin.  This is a wonderful wine to pair with Joe’s 16oz New York Strip Steak.

Wine Tip: If the wines of Australia have been under your radar, it’s time to revisit.  Beyond full-bodied Shiraz, there’s an abundance of white and red wines that will appeal to a broad audience. Follow me @invitisveritas to see what I’m enjoying from down under.