Three expressions of Garnacha paired with suckling pig in Sydney
Huon Hooke and Giovanni Pilu sample three Grenache wines from McLaren Vale, Spain and Sardinia alongside Flaminia's roast suckling pig at Circular Quay.
The same grape, with different names and very different expressions. For the week dedicated to Grenache, the editorial team went to Flaminia, on Circular Quay, to compare McLaren Vale Grenache, Spanish Grenache, and Sardinian Cannonau, all paired with the restaurant's famous suckling pig.
A slice of Sardinia in the heart of Sydney. Giovanni Pilu believes that when wine and food come from the same region, the combination is usually perfect. With Sardinian wines taking center stage on the menu, Huon Hooke and Giovanni explore the relationship between cannonau and traditional island dishes, including roast suckling pig.
Australian Grenache offers another expression. Huon Hooke and Giovanni Pilu taste a young Grenache from McLaren Vale alongside suckling pig and find ripe, generous fruit, with a warmth that harmonizes with the dish. The suckling pig is slow-cooked to keep the meat tender and juicy, then finished over high heat for an intense crispness. A dish like this needs a wine that complements it without overpowering it, and this Grenache does just that.
Huon Hooke and Giovanni Pilu discover just how different Garnacha can be when they open a bottle of Comando G Spanish Garnacha. On its own, this Garnacha is wild, powerful, and intensely tannic. This wine needs food: paired with suckling pig, the dish begins to soften its character.
The same grape, with a completely different character. Grenache and suckling pig: it's a combination that exists. Huon Hooke and Giovanni Pilu then taste another Sardinian Cannonau, this time from the northwest of the island, and reach the same conclusion: the two wines they liked best with suckling pig were Sardinian.