Taking a Second Voyage with Burgers on the Barbie

We eat a lot of burgers in the summer.  There is nothing that I love throwing on the grill, or Barbie, as it is called Down Under, more than a hamburger. It is the first thing we grill when the weather warms up, having waited all year long for the opportunity.  We probably enjoy burgers, of some sort, at least once a week during the grilling season.

Why am I talking about what a grill is called Down Under?  Well, you see, this month our Wine Pairing Weekend Group is heading to Australia, thanks to our host Gwendolyn of Wine Predator.  Gwendolyn chose OZ because they are hosting the National Wine Bloggers Conference this year.  She tells more about it in her Preview Post.

Since we are not all lucky enough to hop on a plane and head to the other side of the world, Gwendolyn thought we should at least get together, virtually, to visit and share some food and wine pairings.  She asked us to throw something on the Barbie to pair with one of the many Australian Wines that are exploding here on top of the world.

I was actually planning on buying a bottle of 19 Crimes wine, having been given a bottle from our son, Anthony, that we had enjoyed.  But while looking at the wines and trying to choose between them I spied this bottle sitting on the shelf next to the 19 Crimes red blend. 

The label intrigued me.  It was called Second Voyage and is a 2016 Red Blend from South Australia.  It is produced in Coonawarra which is prime wine making country.  The label reads:

"Second Voyage-the second fleet of ships carrying British Convicts and supplies to the colony at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, Australia, in 1790.

Edward Riou captained one of these ships, the Guardian.  A provision ship that struck an iceberg when sailing to Cape of Good Hope to take on more supplies.  It was quickly in danger of sinking, never making it to Australia."

The label goes on to describe the wine as berry on the nose with oak notes woven throughout, spicy yet elegant.

That is all I can tell you about the wine, other than my opinion which I will be sharing with you.  I could not find any information about this wine on the internet.  I searched by 'Second Voyage', 'Coonawarra', ;South Australian Wines' and 'Prestige Beverage Group', the distributor listed, all to no avail.  It's a good thing I took photos or I would have no proof this wine exists.  I would have to rely on circumstantial evidence....Get it...Convicts....Proof.....Circumstantial Evidence....oh, never mind.

I served this up with my personal favorite burger, grilled med rare and topped with blue cheese and caramelized onions.  I have no recipe to share with you today, it's just a burger.  A Great Burger but just a burger, none the less.

The wine pours deep and dark and you do get berry fruit on the nose.  I took a sip prior to sitting down to dinner.  Well, okay, I drank half a glass while the burgers were cooking....that's not a crime, is it? 

Here, I go with the crime references again....OY....

Anyhow, I loved the spice in the wine.  It reminds me of a Zinfandel, it is that peppery.  I really liked the wine and it paired relatively well with the burger but would have done better without the blue cheese.  I think the blue cheese needs a softer red.  Frank's burger was topped with Colby Jack and he thought the pairing was perfect.  Of course, I still finished my glass and one more with dinner.  And then Frank was kind enough to share half of his second glass with me while we cleaned up.  He's that kind of a guy!!!  Probably why he stole my heart...Get it?  Stole my heart?  Australian Convicts?  Oh, forget it......Yes, I will keep my day job.

 Let's see what wine the others found from Down Under to pair with Food on the Barbie

• Liz Barrett of What's in that Bottle? says "You Say Syrah, Australia Says Shiraz." 
• J. R. Boynton of Great Big Reds will be pouring “Great Big Reds of Summer: Kreuz, The Boxer, #WinePW”. 
• David Crowley of Cooking Chat" will be making "Grilled Steak with Garlic Butter and an Aussie Shiraz Blend". 
• Lisa Denning of The Wine Chef has "Surf And Turf On The Barbie — Shrimp And Lamb Paired With McGuigan Wines". 
• Nicole Ruiz Hudson of Somm's Table will be "Cooking to the Wine: Dandelion Vineyards Shiraz and a Miso-Soy Strip Loin Feast." 
• Wendy Klik's A Day in the Life on the Farm is "Taking a Second Voyage with Burgers on the Barbie". 
• Camilla Mann of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is posting "An Aussie Sausage Sizzle + d'Arenberg The Custodian Grenache 2013."
• Host Gwendolyn Alley of Wine Predator has "On The Barbie: Rack of Lamb with Brothers in Arms Shiraz #WinePW."

Please join us for some wine chat on twitter at 11 AM Eastern time following #WinePW.