I recently dined at the Gramercy Tavern (42nd E 20th St) as part of my service analysis project for Dining Room Operations. Now, I know we haven’t really had a chance to explore Australian wines but I thought I should share this with my fellow wine enthusiasts.
During our final course of the spring tasting menu, our server Ana gifted us a glass of 2011 Elderton Botrytis Semillon. The front label spelled out “BOTRYTIS SEMILLON” in bold letters and instantaneously I thought of Sauternes from the Bordeaux region of France. Little did I know, I looked in to the wine list and found out that this dessert wine actually comes from the Barossa Valley of Australia.
A little bit about Barossa Valley:
It’s located 40 miles northeast of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. Barossa Valley has a long tradition of winemaking dating back to the 1840s and is one of the most important Australian wine regions. Although this region is largely known for their red grape varietals (e.g., Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvèdre a.k.a. Mataro in AU), the more cooler climates in the higher elevation allow for production of such wines as botrytised Semillon.
“A deep gold in color, offering rich and opulent aromas, this bursts with honeyed pineapples, hazelnut, and creme brûlée flavors that come together seamlessly on the long and expressive finish. Evocative of a good Sauternes.”, says Wine Spectator.
My instincts weren’t entirely wrong after all.
This wine was very delicious; about $20+ for a bottle sold in retail; more expensive if you order it by the glass at a restaurant. Regardless, I had a sensational experience at the Gramercy Tavern and I highly recommend this wine.
So many treats. First from Gramercy Tavern. What an extraordinary restaurant, exemplifying all that is wonderful about the hospitality industry. Second you got to taste a unique and aromatic wine. Finally, you shared you thoughts with us. We win!
Remember that that $20 price is probably for a 375ml, not 750ml. Dessert mines are often sold in smaller bottle formats. I too recently had a sweet wine from Australia, a “sticky” as sweet wines are nick-named in Australia. Mine was a Muscat, they are more like tawny ports than a sauternes.
So many treats. First from Gramercy Tavern. What an extraordinary restaurant, exemplifying all that is wonderful about the hospitality industry. Second you got to taste a unique and aromatic wine. Finally, you shared you thoughts with us. We win!
Remember that that $20 price is probably for a 375ml, not 750ml. Dessert mines are often sold in smaller bottle formats. I too recently had a sweet wine from Australia, a “sticky” as sweet wines are nick-named in Australia. Mine was a Muscat, they are more like tawny ports than a sauternes.