Wine Dinner Winners with Gusto!
Tony Cox previews two outstanding wine dinners coming to Gusto for spring.
When it comes to consumption, your scribe can think of few better venues around town than Gusto on Gympie Terrace, Noosaville.
With well-executed Mediterranean inspired dishes, fab wine and service driven by wonder host, Tim, it is always a consistently great experience. The view overlooking Noosa River isn’t bad either – and many a celebration has been elevated to ‘most memorable’ status in the Private Dining Room. Let’s just say that the team know how to host.
Fresh off the back of Bastille Day, Christmas in July and the recent Adriatic Wine Dinner, the Gusto team has scheduled two more wine dinners for spring. The first, scheduled for Thursday 2 October, features Polperro and Even Keel winemaker Sam Coverdale, the south east Queensland boy who made his way to the Mornington Peninsula to craft some of Australia’s most elegant award-winning wines.
Sam enjoys a long affiliation with Noosa and I often see him with surfboard tucked under arm en route to Little Cove and the points beyond for an early morning surf when your scribe has been for an ocean swim. Back on the Mornington Peninsula, Polperro produces fantastic chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir from Mornington fruit. There is also great diversity coming through where they are sourcing fruit from other regions and trying out new varietals under the Even Keel label.
The Gusto dinner will feature five wines matched to five courses starting with a salmon, dill and cream cheese terrine paired with Even Keel Pinot Gris from Mornington. Featuring grapes picked at different times, some earlier to bring acidity to the wine and some later to provide richness, weight and texture, the two components combine whereby the textural and weighty traits stand up to the richness of the terrine whilst the acid cleanses the palate between mouthfuls.
Pumpkin tortellini and sage butter follows with Polperro Chardonnay, also Mornington fruit with a profile at the fresher end of the flavour spectrum.
Stone fruits and citrus elements will provide a contrast to the sweet notes of the pumpkin. Nutty barrel influences in combination with malolactic fermentation integrate with the nuttiness of the sage butter, saline minerality and freshness again preparing our palate for the next bite.
Confit duck with 2024 Polperro Pinot Noir (Mornington). Enough said – duck and pinot noir together! Superb.
Fourth course is pressed lamb loaf with bacon, ratatouille and basil, accompanied by Even Keel Sangiovese from Heathcote.
Astute clonal selection and planting on an east-facing slope provides a Sangiovese which expresses the typicity of its home in Tuscany rather than the indiscernible dry reds which have tended to live in this space from many Australian examples.
Think cherry, earthy nuances which work well with the lamb and bacon with fine tannins preparing your palate for the proceeding morsel.
To close brown sugar pavlova with berry compote. Mornington rosé which is fresh, bursting with red fruits is the ideal way to finish.
Sam’s journey from vintage cellar hand at just 18 to creating award-winning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and his experiences spanning Australia, Spain, Italy and France will make for a memorable evening.
The final vinous celebratory event of the year prior to the grind of the silly season is in November. It will be a Beef and Shiraz Wine Dinner, so all you carnivores and lovers of fine reds, mark your diaries for 27 November for an evening of quality beef and some very special wines.
Five Founders supplies sustainably raised cattle from Queensland with the aim of minimising carbon footprint without compromising on flavour. A journey into texture and flavour differences between the cuts and cooking techniques will surely be a highlight.
Not to be overshadowed five different shiraz wines, the highlight being 1982 Penfold’s Grange, are sure to delight. Many of the wines emanate from cooler regions, think Great Western in Victoria where 2010 Seppelts Chalambar and 2018 Bests Bin 1 will be included among the vinous selection. The wines will all carry a bit of bottle age, which is something we don’t always see, and it is a wonderful opportunity to experience such wines.
With two great dinners to choose from get on your keyboard and reach out to Gusto as their events do fill up quickly. Better still, grab some friends and book both.
BOOK NOW!
POLPERRO WINES MORNINGTON PENINSULA X GUSTO
Thursday 2 October, 6pm.
Meet legendary winemaker Sam Coverdale and discover the maritime magic of Mornington Peninsula wines.
Five courses with matching wines.
$169 per person.
BEEF AND SHIRAZ WINE DINNER
Thursday 27 November.
Enjoy beautiful beef with rare wines.
$450 per person.
Visit www.gustonoosa.com.au for event details and to book.
