Oakridge Chardonnay from Yarra Valley and an Orzo Salad Transformation (#WorldWineTravel)

Sometimes, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel in order to get a delightful pairing. 

I recently opened this bottle of Oakridge Henk Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 and tasted it in order to create a pairing, but quickly discovered that there was a good one already sitting in my fridge. I’d made an orzo salad for a dinner party a couple of days before and it occurred to me to have a bite while I was tasting the wine and quite liked the match – I particularly enjoyed the way the wine picked up the flavors of the Parmesan cheese. 

I decided to run with the match, but made some additions in order to both tie the wine and the food more closely together and to switch things up to and reinvigorate the leftovers. Roasted shrimp with bacon pieces made for an excellent leftover makeover that came together quickly and turned this side into a main dish. To grab every last bit of bacony flavor, I also quickly tossed a couple of large handfuls of greens in the rendered bacon fat and incorporated them into the salad as well.

Oakridge Henk Vineyard Chardonnay 2019

Established in 1978, Oakridge is located in Australia's Yarra Valley. I wish I could’ve found more on the history of the winery, but they farm sustainably making use of cover crops, compost teas,  and they have an insectarium, all of which help to minimize the use of synthetic inputs and improve the health and biodiversity of the vineyards. They have 10 hectares (about 25 acres) of vineyards and also source grapes from carefully selected sites.

The Henk Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a north-facing site comprised of the red volcanic soils in the town of Woori Yallock. The wine was made in a traditional style. Grapes were whole-bunch pressed directly into 500-liter French oak puncheons where it was naturally fermented and then spent 10 months maturing on the lees for texture. Find more information on the 2020 vintage of this wine here.

I found this to be a lively and classic Chardonnay at a reasonable price. (I purchased this bottle at K&L in SF for $25. ) Notes of lemon cream, baked apples, and stone greeted me on the nose. Similar notes returned on the palate, although the apples were leaner, crisper, and less baked,  with notes of green pears and light herbs joining in. The lees added creamy texture and body to the crisp fruit notes elevated by lots of acidity. 

As I mentioned up at the top, the wine loved the Parmesan cheese, and the combination of seafood and bacon each spoke to different aspects of the wine’s textures and flavors. I think it resonated particularly well with the bacon’s smoky notes. A white pepper note in the wine also came out when sipped alongside the food. Having a few extra lemon wedges on hand to squeeze on top of the food while eating is also not a bad idea. I added avocado to a third iteration of the salad using up the last bit of leftovers, and I also think this would’ve worked quite well with the wine. 

Yarra Valley

Map borrowed from WineFolly.com

The Yarra Valley is located about an hour northeast of Melbourne, making it a  convenient side trip if you’re ever visiting the city. It’s one of Australia’s oldest winemaking regions, with the first vineyards in the area having been planted in 1838. However, the wines go against the grain of the general image we might have of Australian wines. It’s generally cooler than most of Australia’s wine regions, so it’s better known for cool-climate-loving Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and increasingly Riesling. However, the region features a lot of variation in terms of altitude, site exposures, and soils, which makes it conducive to different grapes and styles, so you will also find Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grown there as well, but they’re often made in leaner, elegant style.

Other Pairing Possibilities

After I initially tasted the wine, I enjoyed the last remnants in my glass with a turkey sandwich with a red chermoula spread and tomato soup and that was a solid match too. 

I also tend to love Chardonnays that are lightly oaked and/or have lees contact with roasted chicken, and I think this would certainly be a good candidate. Seafood topped with butter should also be delicious.