Wine a Day

Did you ever get very excited before Christmas as a child? I remember I did on a few occasions. I don’t exactly remember when I stopped getting excited though. It must have been around the time I started looking forward to time off school rather than presents. Now days, it is much the same. The best gift you receive is those few days off that just about compensate for the crowds doing their Christmas shopping.

This year was a little different than most recent years for me. No, I was not waiting up all night to see if Santa would give me what I was wishing for, nor was I wanting to see Rudolf’s red bright nose in the skies. Instead, I was filled with the expectation of trying some of the wines I have been accumulating in anticipation of a special occasion. I decided this year that Christmas was a special enough occasion to open one or two. I am all for spontaneous celebratory occasions, or in other words, inviting some friends over at the last minute and opening a bottle of wine, but I tend not to get a really good bottle out for these occasions. However, for this Christmas was going to be one of indulgence and enjoyment!

I decided to go with a big Portuguese red with the roast lamb, which I will update you on in the near future. However the highlight of the holiday season for me was something richer, something to go with the dessert cheese platter. Something made just for this time of year. Something I can build up enough to be worth all the anticipation of a kid at Christmas…

This week’s Wine of the Week is the R.L. Buller & Son Old Vine Muscat. This fortified wine from one of the premier producers of the Rutherglen region in Australia is an ideal finish to a rich meal. Its raisin flavors match a good cheese platter perfectly. It is probably not something you would want to drink all day everyday, but the long and luscious finish is an outstanding finish to a heavy over indulgent meal.

Buller and Sons has a long history of producing innovative fortified wines. They also produce some good table wines, however it is their sweeter fuller wines that really put them out in front as a producer. The conditions in this region are hot and dry. There are only wineries in this region because of the Murray River which provides some much needed water occasionally when the dry summers are in full swing. The hot, distressing conditions make for lots of sugar in the surviving grapes. Lots of sugar means lots of sweetness, which is perfect for after dinner wines. This particular wine was one of the few I prioritized to travel back from Australia with my luggage purely to enjoy after Christmas dinner. It is unique to its region and hard to find outside of Australia. If you do see it in your wine shop however, snap one up, head to the local cheese shop and pick out some very good soft cheeses. I am sure you will be very happy after your meal if you do!