Walk into one of our local gourmet markets or small wine shops, and you will most likely find a fairly large display of Stanley Lambert wines. At first it may appear odd to see so many different labels of Australian wines in Manatee and Sarasota counties, but once you see Susan Lambert-Kopstad peddling these wines you will begin to understand why.
Stanley Lambert’s winery is in the Barossa Valley in New South Wales, Australia, about an hour north of the town of Adelaide. The Barossa Valley is one of the major wine producing regions in Australia, and is mainly known for its old vines and red wine production. The valley receives very little rainfall and most wineries there irrigate as little as possible, causing the fruit (grapes) to be small — but with intense flavors.
The wineries’ estate vineyards encompass approximately 100 acres that Wisconsin native Jim Lambert (Susan’s brother) purchased in 2003 and transformed into Stanley Lambert through a partnership with longtime winemaker Lindsay Stanley in 2004. They produce more than 35,000 cases annually, 3,000 of which are distributed throughout Florida by a Bradenton-based company operated by Susan and her husband, Todd Kopstad.
The recent Forks and Corks Food and Wine Festival provided me with the chance to pair several Stanley Lambert wines with signature dishes from local restaurants. In addition, I was able to meet Lindsay Stanley and learn a little about his winemaking philosophy.
When asked why he makes wine, Stanley responded with his Aussie sense of humor “because it’s easy — all you have to do is stir it. Good wine makes itself.”
Obviously, if all one had to do was “stir it” there probably wouldn’t be any bad wines at all.
I started with the 2007 Nordic Frost Dry Riesling ($19), putting it to the test against a jumbo lump crab cake that was topped with a remoulade from the Bijou Café. This Riesling is on the dry side for the varietal and tasted very crisp, holding up quite well against the flavors of this pairing. I also believe that their Pristine Chardonnay Unwooded ($12) would be a good choice to drink alongside this dish.
Next I paired the 2005 Mustang Sally Shiraz ($12) with a Chianti-braised short rib, served on a potato pancake, prepared by Cosimo’s Too. I found this Shiraz to be very approachable and somewhat soft, with a little spice up front.
The short rib was a perfect match for this Shiraz, because neither the wine nor the meat overpowered the other.
Michael’s On East served a grilled flank steak with a creamy horseradish sauce that I tasted with the 2006 Three’s Company, GSM ($18). This pairing was absolutely excellent. I couldn’t tell whether the meat enhanced the wine or vice versa.
GSM stands for Grenache, Shiraz and Mouvedre — which comprise the three varietals blended into this wine. All of the grapes used come from estate vines that are more than 40 years old.
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