Oz Fest

by A.D. Amorosi

Australia. When it comes to its cuisine, fine diners stop cold when they get to the Great Outback, usually knowing only the allure of Foster’s lager and barbied shrimp. The joys of the outback’s fine food and drink have remained sadly below the radar. That will change, at least in Philadelphia, as Valanni does what it does best. Almost monthly, the restaurant dips into thematic and region-specific fare, done with care and Valanni’s usual Mediterranean flair. So for their trip to Australia, executive chef R. Evan Turney and dining room manager Nancy Green gather Aussie-inspired specialties with which to complement the wines of Australia oldest vintner, Yalumba. Green says she chose the wines from Yalumba’s midrange Y series, which is targeted toward restaurants. "Like the Chilean wineries, Australia’s wines are definitely "New World,’" says Green of Yalumba’s high-acid, fruit-forward, nontraditional Chardonnays and Reislings, built up and barreled by six generations of Yalumba’s since 1849. From the Barossa Valley, in the Southeast, the Yalumba family has come a long way without the benefit of a nationally specific cuisine, attaching itself, (like Valanni) to various Latin, Anglo and Asian cuisines. After having tasted the Y series, Turney researched Australian cooking to devise five dishes to pair with their pickings, Green says. She says Gurney was drawn to the dishes because they’re "similar to ours -- they let the ingredients speak for themselves." Wild mushroom, grilled asparagus and polenta salad is matched with a sensuous Reisling. The Cabernet Sauvignon accompanies a grilled Australian lamb loin, with rosemary mint aioli, mofongo mash and red currant demi-glace, or the vegetarian option of ricotta manicotti with broccoli rabe and white beans with garlic herb. Another pairing offers Shiraz to sip with duck spring rolls with daikon radish, Thai basil and a soy-mirin sauce. A full-bodied Viognier is coupled with a roasted butternut squash and coconut milk soup with kaffir lime, lemongrass and lump crab. Green says, "That wine’s got great acid, so it’ll cut right through the cream." And straight to your heart. Turney won’t stop until the Yalumba’s Muscat (used both in the preparation of its macadamia/banana bread pudding and as a separate dessert wine) can be licked off your own lips. G’day indeed.

Wines From Oz, Tue., March 9, three-course seating 5:30 p.m.-6 p.m., $40; five-course seating, 8 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $60. Valanni, 1229 Spruce St. 215-790-9494. www.valanni.com.

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