What to drink with roast lamb? Light reds and zesty whites work beautifully, especially with a dish that’s full of spice, say Mike Bennie and Merrick Watts. From a vermentino and sangiovese, to high-end cask wine and shiraz in a beer, we’re right on board.
Mike: Nothing says funny to me like saying ‘saddle’.
Merrick: I love lamb, but I’m going to admit I’m not sure which bit the saddle is.
Mike: It’s the bit you ride. You put a bit of leather on its back and you ride it.
Merrick: And that’s it?
Mike: That’s it.
Merrick: Well I’ve never ridden a sheep, but apparently you can get ewe-sd to it.
Mike: Okay, here I am. I’ve got lamb and I’ve got Mediterranean flavours. I’m going for Mediterranean grape varieties. I’m thinking about stuff that grows along the coast. I’m thinking about the light and fresh red wines of southern Italy, nero d’Avola, vermentino, even.
Merrick: I’m with you. I love vermentino and I have had lamb with wine from Yelland & Papps, producers from Barossa Valley. They’ve got a vermentino that’s just beautiful and perfect with lamb.
Mike: The big sin is that people think you can’t put a white wine with a red meat, but with lamb, its fat and this Mediterranean overlay of spice and flavour, a 10-minutes- out-of-the-fridge textural white will sing.
Merrick: With reds, though, I think dolcetto, Montepulciano or sangiovese. They are accessible wines that are easy to grab from the bottle-o. But when I think of lamb, it needs lemon. So I am going to chuck in limoncello. Now, when I say limoncello, my mate Scary, who is not a qualified winemaker or any type of qualified, makes a limoncello and it’s amazing. And when I say it’s amazing,
it may be dishwashing liquid with added alcohol. But whatever, it’s bright, it’s fresh, and it can clean the plates.
Mike: That is truly scary. But on the subject of the wildcard, you can get some of the most amazing amaro. Lightly fortified wine with herbs alongside a dish with herbs has great synergy. And people say you need cabernet Franc with lamb, or you need pinot noir with lamb but in reality, an amaro that is herb-detailed with botanicals – because you’ve literally got the rosemary and spice – is the final complement. It’s the stuff you’d chuck on top of the lamb to cook it, in the glass.
Merrick: This is exactly what I’m saying about my lemony limoncello!
THE CRITIC’S PICKS
Delinquente High Crimes Portuguese Red Cask 1.5L, $41
“I’ve been keeping a keen eye on the emergence of boutique, high-quality cask wines. This juice is a blend of sloshy, rich, Portuguese red-grape varieties. The resulting wine is madly delicious and easy to drink.”
Marq Vermentino 2019, $25
“I know a few people will say it is heresy to match white wine with red meat, but the sweetness of lamb is good with the tangy freshness and faintly nutty savouriness of this crunchy vermentino. The trick is to not drink this wine too cold.”
“Shiraz. In a beer. Yep. The best of both worlds, the beer delivers high refreshment factor and a big, smooth hit of red-berry shiraz fruitiness and spice. It’s a sublime, near-perfect match with this dish. Go on!”
THE COMIC’S WILDCARD
Ravensworth Regional Sangiovese, $27
“I hosted an online dinner with delicious. back in June and recommended this cool-climate sangio from assorted Southern NSW districts. The feedback was amazing.”
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