WINE+FOOD MATCH

THE DISH

Cheesy Beef Brisket & Pickled Pepper Jus Visit mindfood.com/cheesy-brisket

THE DROP

Even with blossoms bursting everywhere reminding us spring is here, there are still some cooler nights to contend with ... so what better meal to have than a warming home-made pie. This cheesy beefy meaty pie is perfect from oven to table or freezer to oven then table – it has weight, a naturally sweeter braised meat laced with cheese and a dense, savoury, earthy-flavour package. The wine match should be classic with plenty of tannins to soak up the cheese and meat proteins, and a core of fruit to contrast the earthy flavours in the pie. The Villa Maria Gimblett Gravels Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2020 from Hawke’s Bay does this perfectly. It has flavours of dark berries from blackberry and dark cherry, boysenberry and Doris plum to oak and spices of clove and baked vanilla, anise and toasty barrel with an ironsand minerality. Excellent complexity and concentration on the palate. RRP $49.99.