South Pacific Terrific
June 13 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Join us for an unforgettable evening tasting ten (yes, 10!) exceptional wines from Australia and New Zealand at South Pacific Terrific! on Friday, June 13th, 7 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg. Guided by wine expert and educator, Kevin Ostrowski, we’ll learn about the world-class wines and the vibrant wine culture of these two dynamic wine regions. Whether you’re a Southern Hemisphere wine aficionado or just curious about the wines of this region, this event promises to introduce you to new and exciting wines that will become some of your favorites.
WINES You’ll be greeted with a bubbly rosé from Hawke’s Bay New Zealand from the acclaimed McBride Sisters Wine Company, McBride Sisters Collection Sparkling Brut Rosé Hawke’s Bay. The aromatic nose, vibrant fruit flavors, and creamy texture of this Wine Spectator 92-point Pinot Noir-based brut sparkler is sure to whet your appetite for the wines (and small plates) to come.
We’ll move on to three white wines from three different areas of Australia and one from New Zealand to show the diversity of grapes that can be grown to produce exceptional white wines in this region.
The first white will be Hewitson Gun Metal Riesling 2022 from Eden Valley, Barossa Valley, South Australia, a dry Riesling with a juicy citrus flavor profile complimented with noted minerality. This wine is consistently highly rated: 94 points by James Suckling and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate; and 95 points by Australian Wine Companion.
This will be followed by another highly rated white (94 Wine Enthusiast; 93 Wine Spectator; 91 James Suckling) from Western Australia, Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay Margaret River 2023. If you are an ABC (anything but Chardonnay) wine drinker, this Chardonnay may convert you. It’s fresh and juicy and beautifully balanced with floral, green apple, and nectarine notes.
Continuing with our highly rated white wines, from New South Wales, Australia, we’ll taste Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Semillon 2024 (92 Wine Enthusiast). This 100% Semillon wine is medium-bodied, yet intense on the palate with an abundance of citrus fruit, honeydew melon, and floral notes and a brisk acidity.
Not to be overlooked and rounding out the white wines, New Zealand’s classic Marlborough Region contributes Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (93 Wine Spectator). This wine presents bold and vibrant flavors of lemon, ripe mango, tangerine, and crisp apple with hints of candied ginger and green tea.
After these diverse and flavorful whites, we’ll move onto the reds, equally interesting and delicious. We’ll stay in Marlborough, New Zealand for the first red, Wairau River Pinot Noir 2022 (92 Wine Enthusiast). This Pinot Noir is described as highly approachable with bright raspberries and cherries, fresh white pepper, and savory oak on the palate.
We’ll head back to Australia for a sampling of the classic Aussie red wine, Shiraz. Yalumba Samuel’s Collection Barossa Shiraz 2022 (94 Decanter; 92 James Suckling; 90 Australian Wine Companion) is nicely structured and displays the plum, dark berry, pepper, and spice notes one expects from an Australian Shiraz.
Staying in Australia, the next wine is a Rhone-style blend of Grenache (58%) and Shiraz/Syrah (42%), d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz/Grenache 2020 (90 Wine Spectator) from the McLaren Valley in South Australia. This wine is a dark ruby red color with a bouquet of red and black berries. It’s velvety with flavors of cherries, black plums, strawberries, and herbs de Provence.
New Zealand presents our final red, a Bordeaux-style blend from the Gimblett Gravels Appellation in Hawke’s Bay, Craggy Range Winery Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard 2022. This wine is made from a classic Bordeaux blend of grapes, Merlot (77%), Cabernet Sauvignon (16%) and Cabernet Franc (7%). A bright nose with notes of cedar, cassis, and black current leads to a very precise palate displaying black fruit and violets in this wine.
Because this sampling wasn’t quite enough for our tasters, we decided to top it off with a well-balanced dessert wine from Australia, Yalumba Antique Muscat (92 Wine Enthusiast; 92 Decanter; 91 Wine Spectator). This fortified wine is rich with tastes of caramel and raisined-fruit and a touch of acidity on the back end to balance the sweetness.
FOOD The Hilton chef has created three interesting and flavorful small plates to accompany our wines. The first plate will be a Roasted Eggplant with Frisee, Heirloom Tomato, Grilled Feta and Poppyseed Dressing. That will be followed by Grilled BBQ Shrimp with Goat Cheese Grits and finally, Braised Lamb Leg Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms and Pea Tendrils.
To top it off, we’ve commissioned Mysig Bakery, a local small batch bakery, to provide the absolute must have Australian cookie known as an Anzac Biscuit, to pair with the Muscat and end the evening with a touch of sweetness. Please inform us of food allergies by emailing the Treasurer.
RESERVATIONS There is no better way to spend a Friday the 13th than at an exceptional wine tasting presented by the Pennsylvania Wine Society. Reservation deadline is Tuesday June 10th so don’t delay and RESERVE TODAY!
You may reserve seats by going to the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$105
Patrons—$100
Nonmembers—$125
