Ballandean Shiraz + Peruvian Food Truck Tasties

School yourself in Australia Shiraz with this notable one from Ballandean Estates in the Granite Belt. It can pair with many foods including Peruvian takeout tasties.

Sometimes you hold on to a wine to maintain the memory of where you got it from. I held on to this Shiraz for two years after my trip to Australia until I decided that it must be drunk.

Peruvian Food Truck Menu

The Peruvian food from Lamas in Half Moon Bay, CA has been consistently good and underrated. They take care with their food, and I appreciate it!

For this evening's dinner, I tried two new dishes on the menu:

Braised Pork Belly - Pork belly marinated with Peruvian spices, rocoto sauce

Lomo Saltado Tacos - steak, soy sauce, balsamic glaze, onion, lime wedges

The First Winery in the Granite Belt

Established in 1932, this fourth generation family owned and estate grown winery continues to flourish in the high altitude and cool climate wine region known as the Granite Belt in Australia.

The family planted the Shiraz vines in 1968 in the "Opera Block" making them among the oldest vines in Queensland.

Ballandean Estate Wines excels in 100% estate-grown cool climate wines that are sustainably farmed on granitic terroir.

Ballandean Estate Wines Opera Block Granite Belt Shiraz 2017

Visual: dark, purple, squid ink

Aroma: pine, white pepper, ripe blackberries

Taste: I really did love this expression of Shiraz that wasn't weighed down or oak heavy. Instead, it was light and nimble with a pop of acid yet still rich and satisfying.

Recommended Pairings: The winery recommends pairing this wine with lamb shanks or veal osso bucco to tame the tannins or match with the spice in a Moroccan beef tagine.

My pairing: This wine looked heavy but tasted light. I loved it with the lime in the beef tacos, and it was just divine with the fatty, lightly spiced pork belly.

Takeaway

Rock your pairing world with cool climate shiraz wines. This wine could have gone with any cuisine around the world, which makes sense considering that Australia has a very international cuisine scene.