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Ivory Flavour match: Steamed minced pork with salted egg 咸蛋蒸肉餅
This is a delicious childhood memory from mum's cooking. The saltiness of the egg actually enhances - rather than overpowers - the sweetness of the pork, leaving a flavour that is rich yet balanced, with an emphasis on freshness. How about an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, a Waipara Pinot Noir or a South African Cap Classique bubbly? These wines all have multiple layers of aromas and texture, yet are not overpowering.

Tan Flavour match: Steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce 豉汁鳳爪
At the lunch with Seven Hills’ Casey and Vicky McClellan, and various F&B professionals, we decided to pair wines with a Hong Kong dim sum favourite: steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce. The sauce was actually lighter than the typical variation of the dish, categorising it as a more tan-flavour plate rather than a brown-flavour one. This matched well with Seven Hills’ red, which are mostly in the Tan Flavour zone. Here are some of the guests’ verdicts:

If you are a fan of Australian fine wines, don’t miss the 2011 Rare & Distinguished Barossa Wine Auction to be held on Friday, the 29th of April. Apart from bidding on the most sought-after wines, you will also be supporting a good cause. Most of the featured wines are donated from the personal collection of winemakers, and the proceeds will go towards the non-profit Barossa Vintage Festival, benefiting the entire community.

A glimpse into the Auction catalogue...

Download the auction catalogue and arrange for absentee or phone bidding from the website. Happy bidding.

Did you know?

Wood ageing
Most consumers presume wood ageing, or aged in wood, is wine aged in a wood barrel. However, barrels are expensive for most mass-market wine. There are a few tricks winemakers can employ to elude this hurdle. For example, try hanging a bag of wood chips in the fermentation tank (like a giant tea bag), or fixing a huge log of wood in the middle of the tank. These techniques can only impart wood flavour into wine but cannot mature wine like barrels do because of the lack of gas exchange. Next time when you see 'aged in wood' in back labels, chances are the wine is only subject to wood treatment, not ageing in barrels.

Yaluma The Virgilius Eden Valley Viognier 2007, Australia
This is the flagship Viognier of Yalumba. Unlike most New World Viognier, which is powerful on front palate but lacks the length to balance it, the Virgilius is concentrated yet restrained, and its aroma is complex with spices, grapefruit and stone fruits. It is rich with a creamy mouthfeel and a long finish. The secret? Its grapes are from the oldest vines with a low yield. A process of barrel fermentation, lees stirring and ageing in barrels add this complexity and creamy mouthfeel. Brian Walsh, the chief winemaker of Yalumba, is proud of the achievement. Yalumba is widely recognised as one of the best Viognier in the southern hemisphere. Available from Fine Vintage. Tel: 2896 6018

Biodynamic wine anyone?
For those who are skeptical about biodynamic or even organic wine, Dr Kaye McAulay, owner of Vynfields Organic Wine in Martinborough, New Zealand - who was awarded the biodynamic certification only weeks ago - insists there is a difference. Pesticides and fungicides used in conventional vineyards mask the expression of terroir in wine. Organic wine is chemical free, so it is more expressive. Because biodynamic is organic plus, the wine is even more vibrant. Certainly the Vynfields Pinot Noir 2008 is the most vibrant Pinot at the tasting. Available from Northeast. Tel: 2873 5733.

Ned, '”Having evacuated Japan for a time with family, I am rummaging about the Western Australian wilderness. Roos are everywhere, blazing parrots streak the sky and the dust stings the eyes. Quintessential Australia; timeless.

Similarly, the Australia of small artisanal producers crafting subtle, almost evanescent wines stamped by a cool climate and a sense of place have always been here; hidden perhaps, under the bushel of many powerful South Australian styles.

It is time to discover these wines and this 'new' Australia-an Australia that is not so new after all.”

Last month's question: "Why are there roses planted next to this vineyard?" The winner is Michael Crossley from South Africa. We received a lot of entries but Michael's was the most complete: "There are a few reasons for the roses at the end of the vines: legend has it, that in days passed, roses were planted so that plough horses would take a wide turn at the end of the rows to avoid the thorns. It is also true that certain diseases manifest in roses before they do on the vines which allow growers to take remedial action. However with modern viticultural practices and disease controls, the roses are probably aesthetic."

Well done Michael, you have won a mystery bottle from IWC's cellar. Call us when you are in town.

This month's question:
What fruit tree is this?

Prize: A bottle of wine from IWC's cellar (with all our global wine friends, you know you'll be in for a treat!)

Send Us Your Answer here!