Cameron Douglas: Master Sommelier on Pegasus Bay Chardonnay

• Vintage: 2022

• Flavour: Always a fuller-bodied expression with flavours of grapefruit and green melon, some tropical ideas like pineapple and vanilla. Peg' Bay always has the knack of just the measure of new and aged oak barrels to bring shape and form to the bouquet and palate. The frame of this wine is bold and impactful with fruits and non-fruit flavours reflecting the bouquet along with a satin-cream mouthfeel.

• Cost: RRP at $45.00

• Food pairings: Salmon with skin on, pan-seared or baked topped with a soy-glaze, served with lentils (or something earthy), something green and baked jacket potato with lots of sour-cream.

• Topicality: It's officially autumn, though daytime temps are still warmish, the evenings are definitely getting cooler - so a richer, weightier dish makes sense. Food that is filling and easy to prepare is always a plus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from Newstalks at B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It is fourteen to eleven on news Doorg ZEDB, which
means it's wine o'clock. In time to catch up with
Master Somalier. Cameron Douglas is with us this morning.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Cal to Cameron Cuder, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Used to be here, Yeah, nice to be chatting with you.
You've chosen a Pegasus Bay Chardonnay from twenty twenty two
for us this week, So tell us about the wine.
What does it taste like?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, Shardonay is one of those great New Zealand fines
and with Pegasus Bay we've got a much fuller bodied expression,
something that a lot of Shardeney fans like. And it's
packed with structured, nice, fine tannins and full bodied flavors

(00:52):
of pineapple and vanilla. There's just enough toasty yolk and
it's well aged, great flavors on the palet, great texture,
something that ticks the boxes for everybody who like Shardon May.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
And Pegasus Bay have a real reputation for the sort
of stuff a.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Oh gosh, yes, you know. They're located in North Campterbury
in the Whipra valley area, and their grapes grow largely
on this glass and even soils with a little bit
of limestone going through. And what that means for the
wine is great purity of fruit, great acid line, and
fruit that's ripe enough to really find a nice happy

(01:30):
place with oak.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Oh yees? So how oaky is it?

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, they use puncheons to ferment this wine and age
the wine, so it's not about full on, full throttle
oak power. It's actually more about the subtlety and the
complexity that oak brings to sharpeney.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah right, nice. So the twenty twenty two vintage sells
for about forty five dollars a bottle. What would you
pair it with? Do you think?

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Hem? Well, it's up there in terms of price, I
know that much. But in terms of pairing, you need
an equally rich and full bodied food. So salmon with
skin on, pans sea it or baked and topped with
a soy laze, touches, all of you know, all the
excitement boxes as well. Serve it with a little bit

(02:18):
of lentil, something earthy, something green, or baked jacket potato,
that kind of thing with sour cream.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh yeah, that so good? Yeah, and it's you know,
it's we're getting into the kind of autumnal weather a
little bit now. The daytime temperatures are still hot, but
you reckon this time of year. That's the kind of
right sort of dish because CHARDONEA is a nice sort
of you know, in between season option A.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
It certainly is. You know, I'm looking out the window
now and it's a blue sky, but I know by
about five o'clock this afternoon, it's going to get a
little cooler. So a wine like this gives you that transition,
as you put it, in between that autumn winter period
where we want something a little richer and fuller and
a little bit more alcohol in there. It just you know,

(03:07):
warm warms the tummy a little bit more. And with
food like that salmon, which is so easy to prepare,
it's a sip of that wine while you're preparing the salmon,
then just alongside when you're eating it.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, that sounds so good. You know what I am.
I'm not a massive drink or anything, but I'll tell
you what. I've transitioned to that stage of life where
shardonay is my pet, which is a good It's a
great stage of life. It's a great stage of life,
but you know, I've moved on from the from the
sweeter options of my youth. And yes, that that pigas
of space sounds superb, So thank you very much, Cameron.

(03:42):
That once again is a Piggas of space. Ardonay from
twenty twenty two, we'll have the details on the news talks.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
He'd be website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to news Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.