Pure Tassie Pinot at Pure South as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

I was very lucky to be invited by a friend to the Pure Tassie Pinot Degustation at Pure South last Wednesday. I had not dined at Pure South for quite some time and was very surprised with positive changes to the venue. Not only had the chef changed to Nick Anthony (he commenced in May 2010), but the passion of the team as a whole was made very clear. Further discussions with Ben Talbot (Sommelier) highlighted the focussed approach Pure South has to Tasmanian products whereby the Chef and Sommelier travel monthly to Tasmania to source the best of the best in the way of suppliers and their products.

I am aware I digress however I find these things fascinating and important to know in the context of a restaurant and what they are trying to achieve.

From beginning to end the menu was delightful, with fresh produce, perfect portions and attentive staff on hand to make the night one to remember. The Pinot Unearthed team were on good form, especially as this event was their third in four days and they had many more to attend in the following week.

The menu went something like this:

STARTER

Canapé of roasted Rannoch Farm quail, foie gras, pickled walnut, Jerusalem artichoke, young sorrel

Wine: 2004 Winstead Blanc de noir, Bagdad

BRACKET ONE - Pinot Noir from Northern Tasmania

Pan-fried Huon Salmon, ballotine of Highthorpe Farm rabbit, pine mushrooms, peas, cauliflower, pencil leeks.

Wine: Tamar Ridge ‘Kayena Vineyard’, Tamar Valley

Wine: Gryphonwood ‘One Bunch Pinot’, Pipers River

Wine: Ghost Rock, North Coast

BRACKET TWO - A snapshot of Tasmanian Pinot Noir

Crisp Winnaleah pork belly, Spring Bay abalone, kohlrabi, wakame, soya beans, miso

Wine: Glaetzer-Dixon ‘Avance’, multi regional

Wine: Pirie Estate, Tamar Valley

Wine: Bay of Fires, multi regional

BRACKET THREE - Pinot Noir from Southern Tasmania

Seared Springfield venison, celeriac, spiced brik pastry, black figs, brussel sprout leaves

Wine: Bream Creek, Bream Creek

Wine: Bagdad Hills, Bagdad

Wine: Moorilla Estate ‘Muse’, Derwent

CHEESE - Pinot Noir from the East Coast

Bruny Island Tom & Bruny Island 1792 washed rind, hand rolled lavosh, fruit bread, persimmon, watercress

Wine: Kelvedon Estate, Swansea

Wine: Freycinet, Bicheno

Wine: Coombend, Bicheno

It would be wrong not to mention the pork belly and how amazing that dish was. I know it is a big call but the flavours and portion would put it up there as the best expression of pork belly I have experienced to date. The Pinot Noir matched to this dish just sang from their glasses!

The concept of the dinner was to explore various sub-regional expressions of Pinot Noir and the aim was achieved. Each food and wine pairing presented different expressions of Pinot Noir, making the experience quite exciting. The night was a credit to all those involved and I would personally like to thank Masa for inviting me to take part in such an event.

I will sign off my making two recommendations: firstly, go to Pure South to see what they are offering and discover how passion can be infectious; secondly, if you love Pinot Noir or are just a little curious to find out more about what draws punters to Pinot Noir then keep in touch with the Pinot Unearthed team and the events they are promoting.

Cheers Sarah