This week in The Forager: regional wine show breaks with tradition, patisserie’s new hotspot, the poetry of food, Rilka Warbanoff cooks with soundwaves, and the best culinary events coming up.

McLaren Vale Wine Show a game-changer

Next month the 2014 McLaren Vale Wine Show will become one of the first regional wine shows in Australia and possibly the world to break with tradition and introduce food into the judging process, while also inviting the public inside the show via a series of dinners and tasting events.

Four categories of the show – Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and “Whites” – will incorporate dishes prepared by four of McLaren Vale’s finest chefs in the final stage of judging.

McLaren Vale Wine Show is putting food alongside wine. Photo: Angela Lisman

McLaren Vale Wine Show Committee chair Daniel Zuzolo, from Primo Estate, expects the additional elements of this year’s event will prompt some debate.

“The question of whether wine should be judged with food is a heated one in the wine world but we feel that it’s a way to expand the Wine Show from being industry-specific to being more inclusive,” he explains.

“We need to bring the whole region together, from restaurants to sommeliers to the general public, who are removed from the process in the traditional format of the Wine Show.

“We don’t want to lose the integrity of the show, so judging will follow the traditional format, however we have added an extra element at the end of the day where the judges will retry the medal-winning wines with food to draw the final conclusion.

“We don’t know if it will change any of the results, but it will give the judges a chance to reconsider the wines alongside food, which is an important part of how we drink wine now.”

Four prominent Australian wine judges will join the judging discussion and host a series of public dinners – called the “Silver Bullet Dinners” – to follow the judging. The dinners will showcase top examples of each category from McLaren Vale and around the world. The Silver Bullet wine judges attending this year’s show from October 20-23 are James Halliday, Huon Hooke, Iain Riggs and Brian Walsh.

The chefs and restaurants tasked with creating the dishes to match the wines are Karena Armstrong at the Salopian Inn (Shiraz with Iain Riggs), David Swain at Fino (Grenache with James Halliday), Nigel Rich at The Elbow Room (Cabernet with Huon Hooke) and Shawn Peddle at Star of Greece (whites with Brian Walsh).

Karena Armstrong says it’s an honour and a challenge to be involved with the ground-breaking event.

“For me, food and wine always go together and I’m frequently inspired to create a dish to suit a wine, so to see the world of wine judging opening up to this concept is fantastic,” she said.

“As to what I’ll create to be the signature dish to match McLaren Vale’s famous Shiraz… I’m still experimenting with some flavours and ideas – it’s an almighty task!”

The results of the 2014 McLaren Vale Wine Show will be released at the Bushing Winemakers Lunch on October 31 after which free public tastings of the trophy- and medal-winning wines will be held in McLaren Vale and in Adelaide’s CBD.

Wine Show dinner tickets cost $150 per person and can be booked here.

Going alternative

So Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and plain old “Whites” don’t float your boat?

Do you prefer exotic varieties such as Gruner Veltliner, Fiano, Arneis, Vermentino, Prosecco, Savagnin, Gargenega, Tempranillo, Dolcetto and Sagrantino?

Do you love talking about these exotic drops as much as you love tasting them?

You don’t need to be a wine expert to apply to be the next Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show ambassador; you just need to be a knowledgeable enthusiast who is excited by the opportunity to explore and celebrate Australia’s alternative varieties and share the excitement of those experiences with your peers.

If you’re successful, you’ll get to indulge your passion with like-minded individuals at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show in Mildura in November.

More information and application criteria can be found here.

In the pink

Jenna Marie Jaede has brought her pretty patisserie to a shopfront in College Park. Photo: Zoe Campbell

Self-taught patisserie artist and My Kitchen Rules finalist Jenna Marie Jaede has taken her online catering and bespoke cake business to the street with the opening of Le Pink Patisserie Parisian Tea Parlour in College Park’s “Wedding Precinct”.

Behind the pink door at 71 Payneham Road you will find Jaede’s handcrafted mini French desserts – passionfruit tarts, macarons, and pear and almond tarts, for example – as well as a selection of Larsen and Thompson teas and locally roasted d’Angelo coffee from her custom-painted pink Wega coffee machine.

With just two tables, the shop is tiny, but Jaede is working on turning the courtyard into a “magical tea garden”.

“My mother-in-law, who designed and made exclusive wedding gowns, pushed me to open the shop just before she passed away,” says Jaede.

“Now there’s somewhere where brides and bridesmaids can sit down and have a cake and a chat.”

Jaede is continuing to bake her custom-made special-occasion and wedding cakes, as well as offering a takeaway high-tea package that can be enjoyed at home as a kitchen tea – you can even hire out her signature pink and gold crockery.

“I recently travelled to Paris, which was an enormous influence, particularly the work of the famous patissier Pierre Hermé,” she says. “I fully understand his philosophy of capturing a moment in a recipe and how anything can trigger a new idea.”

While Jaede has done a few patisserie courses, she says she has mostly learnt through her own research, and trial and error.

“You can do anything you put your mind to. If it doesn’t work the first time, pick yourself up and try again. You also need to have a good relationship with your oven – you’ve got to know its hotspots – you’re only going to get out of it what you put in it.”

Keep on Forking

An unsuccessful crowd-funding campaign with Pozible which raised only $7340 of a $40,000 target to build event infrastructure has not stopped Fork on the Road organisers from looking to the future.

“We’re going to keep plugging away,” says organiser Joe Noone. “We’re looking for partnerships and exploring other ways to make Fork on the Road work.

“It’s about finding the right people to do it with.”

Noone says Fork on the Road will be running an event each month for the remainder of the year, and will team up with some “big, significant events” in 2015.

Its next event will be the Can:Do 4Kids Townsend House Community Fair at Hove on Sunday, September 28. More information can be found here.

Rilka Warbanoff on air

Listen out for Adelaide Hills foodie Rilka Warbanoff as she joins Leith Forrest on FIVEaa’s new talkback program Flavours of SA as “the voice of culinary culture for the people of South Australia”.

Warbanoff produces the Rilka’s Real Food range of gluten, wheat, yeast and sugar-free foods (available at Foodland stores and used by the InterContinental Hotel), and also runs what is believed to be the only gluten-free cooking school in Australia – Rilka’s Cooking School at Hahndorf.

She says the format of each radio show has a basic theme with recipes and competitions, but listeners can ring in with questions and tips relating to that theme.

“The first show had a spring theme, then we had a breakfast theme for the second show and tonight we’re looking at what to feed a crowd for the grand final – the themes take on the flavour of what people are doing at home,” says Warbanoff.

Flavours of SA goes to air each Wednesday from 7pm to 8pm.  More information can be found here.

Weekend events

McLaren Vale celebrates its Grenache wines.

International Grenache Day – September 19
A few tickets remain for the James Halliday Grenache Master-Class (2pm to 4pm) at Serafino Wines examining 16 of Australia’s best Grenache wines. Cost is $95 per person.
Also at Serafino, The Grenache Tasting and Tweet is a free public tasting of dozens of Grenache and Grenache blends (5pm to 7.30pm), with participants encouraged to share their thoughts via social media. Bookings for both events can be made here.

International Grenache Day will also be celebrated in Chinatown’s Moonta Street in Adelaide from 4.30pm to 7pm. Presented by PIRSA in conjunction with Chinatown and the McLaren Vale Grape & Wine Tourism Association, the event will feature McLaren Vale wines (including a selection of Grenache wines) alongside Peking duck and other Chinese culinary specialties. Entry is $5 and includes a commemorative glass.

The Grenache Cup – September 20
Taste more than 60 Grenache and Grenache blend wines at the Edinburgh Cellars, Mitcham (2pm to 5pm), and vote for your favourite as McLaren Vale and Barossa winemakers go head-to-head.  This event also includes a Grenache master-class hosted by Alex Bratasiuk of Clarendon Hills winery (2pm to 3pm) exploring single-vineyard and sub-regional characteristics.  Cost is $10 for attendance and $30 for the master-class.  Bookings for both events can be made here.

Art of Dodgy – September 21
Fall from Grace at Willunga is also flying the flag for McLaren Vale Grenache. Dabble in conversation with the winemakers from Dodgy Bros and Dabblebrook wines over a tasting of their 2013-2014 releases, accompanied by posh barbecue treats by chef Nigel Rich from the Elbow Room. Art of Dodgy runs from 11am to 4pm. More information can be found here.

Wine Centre Wine Dinner Series – Tasmanian Produce – September 24
Join National Wine Centre executive chef Philip Pope and winemakers Jeremy Dineen of Josef Chromy and Natalie Fryer of Jansz in a celebration of Tasmania’s smoked salmon, truffles and dairy matched to the region’s cool-climate wines at this one-off wine dinner. Cost is $120 per person. More information and bookings can be found here.

Book now for…

A scene from last year’s Vale Cru at The Victory Hotel, Sellicks Beach

Value Cru, October 19
Vale Cru is a collective of McLaren Vale winemakers who produce limited quantities of handcrafted wines, and wine lovers are invited to sample more than 50 of these at The Victory Hotel, Sellicks Beach, on Sunday, October 19, from 2pm to 5pm.

The event will feature live music from Courtney Robb, guest speakers, cocktail food and special guest James Halliday. Pre-purchased tickets are $40, which includes entry, souvenir wine glass and poster, food and entertainment. VIP daytrip packages are available. More information can be found here.

Janella Purcell – My Adelaide Workshop, October 26
Naturopath, nutritionist, herbalist, iridologist and chef Janella Purcell is holding a workshop at the Rob Roy Hotel in Adelaide to discuss ways to achieve sustained wellness through basic good nutrition, as well as simplifying the confusing and conflicting information available regarding “superfoods”, acid/alkaline, sustainable seafood, what cooking oils to use, the raw food trend and more. She’ll also be discussing ways to minimise waste and save money by cooking meals at home that are easy, affordable, quick and nutritious. Janella works with the SLOW principal – Seasonal, Local, Organic, Whole. Cost is $100 per person. Bookings can be made here.

Poetry in action

A dash of poetry and a pinch of science was the recipe used to create winning haiku for the recent food-themed RiAus Sci-ku competition.
Here are the local award-winning entries…

Sweet, squishy berries
Add some small, dry, lifeless cells
Now it’s party time

Tom McLean, South Mitcham
Open section, Highly Commended

in the heart of seed space
in a slow dance of helices
GM the old way

Simon Hanson, Allendale East
Open section, Highly Commended

beta crystals need
time, movement, temperature;
to temper chocolate

Angela Centofanti, Rostrevor
Open section, Highly Commended

Hidden E numbers
Tiny flavoured chemicals
A bittersweet taste

Anna FitzGerald
Second Prize, Secondary section

Lemons can be used
For electricity but
Best on fresh sea-food

Carmelo Cambareri
Third Prize, Secondary section

Monsanto lament
Litigation over food
Sow seeds of despair

Sarah Abell
Highly Commended, Secondary section