Stay Rad

We all know that this past Thursday was Australia Day.

I did my duty, and gave you an episode on Australian wine (like a good blogger should).

So I was shocked to wake up Friday morning to discover on Twitter that it was now #PortDay.

Really?

The next day?

How could this have happened?

How could a day of celebration for the national dessert wine of Portugal come this close to a day celebrating the foundation of Australia as a country?

My brain just couldn’t process this information.

I mean… really…

What do you do when worlds collide?

I never thought it would ever come to this…

When Kara came home from work yesterday, I looked her in the eyes and said, “I need a drink.”

I grabbed her hand, and took her down the street to Fuzia for some happy hour drinks and apps.

Here’s what we had…

Vinegar, olive oil, bread, and actual olives!

The house Chardonnay. The best 3 dollar wine you will ever taste.

Bruschetta. You betta!

French Fries

Sure…

The food was fantastic.

The wine was great.

But…

We were dealing with Armageddon!

Kara didn’t seem to see anything wrong with the whole Australia Day / Port Day doomsday event (Obviously, she didn’t see the trailer).

Feeling defeated, I decided that we should go to Bubbles Wine Bar.

If we’re headed for the end of days, the least we could do was enjoy the present.

Here’s what we got…

I ordered up the Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Syrah. Good acidity and spice.

The Three Fromage Plate with creamy goat cheese, Danish blue, and English cheddar.

That cheese plate was fantastic!

After I finished the Syrah, I got a craving for some dessert wine.

Considering it was #PortDay, I figured I’d get some of that fortified Portuguese nectar… So I asked our server which Port she preferred.

“Actually, I really like the Yalumba Antique Tawny.  It’s Australian, so it’s not technically a Port.  They like to call them Stickies over there.”

How serendipitous!

An #AussieWine… on #PortDay!

“I’ll take one of those.”

Yalumba Antique Tawny

Color: Well… It was a little dark in Bubbles, so I can’t give you an accurate description.  Just look at the picture.  Pretty, ain’t it?

Nose: Caramel.  Toffee.  Coffee.  Walnut.  Grape skin.  Apple brandy.  Yup.  It’s pretty.

Taste: Sweet, but not overly so.  There is a great balance of toasty oak, caramel, and whipped fudge.

I tried the Sticky with both the blue cheese and the English cheddar.  Each pairing was fantastic.

Score: I loved this wine.  Give it an 89.

If this is what happens when worlds collide, I think we’re gonna be just fine.

Stay Rad,

Jeff

Tags: Bubbles Wine Bar, Fuzia, Jeff, Stay Rad, When Worlds Collide, Yalumba Antique Tawny

This entry was posted on January 28, 2012 at 8:40 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.