South Australian wines featured on menu at Royal Parliament reception

As King Charles III and Queen Camilla began their royal tour of Australia, they sat down to dinner with the Prime Minister, a glass of Barossa Valley Hentley Farm wine in hand. The sumptuous menu features two of the five wine selections from local winemakers Riesling and Shiraz.

The tour marks the monarch’s first overseas visit since becoming king and his first major overseas trip since his cancer diagnosis. The royals also plan to visit Samoa during the tour.

As the King and Queen sat down to dinner with the Prime Minister and Dame Jodie Haydon, guests were treated to canapés filled with the best produce from across the country and finished with classic Australian sweets including Anzac biscuits, Wattleseed lamingtons and Messina caramel slices.

Dinner guests enjoyed two South African wines from Hentley Farm. Eden Valley Riesling and Barossa Shiraz. We can’t be sure what vintages were served, but Hentley Farm recently released the 2024 vintage of its Eden Valley Riesling, which fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke calls “an exceptional vintage for Eden Valley Riesling – brightness and purity of fruit.” with piquant freshness.”

For a meal like royalty, pair wine with Bundaberg crab or Griffith salt cod croquettes.

In terms of Shiraz, Hentley Farm’s 2022 Barossa Shiraz won the top gold award at the 2023 Barossa Wine Show. Sourced from various areas of Hentley Farm in Seppeltsfield, the wine is aged in a combination of new (15%) and old (85%). %) French oak barrels for a period of 15 months.

Dave Brooks, James Halliday’s Australian wine companion, gave the wine a score of 94.

Hentley Farm really does a good job of representing a modern take on western Barossa Shiraz. Shown here is a mixture of Shiraz neighborhoods located on his Seppeltsfield estate. Deeply colored and rich with notes of macerated plum, boysenberry and black cherry, plenty of spice, purple floral top notes, chocolate balls and ironstone. The oak slides back into the fruit like Homer Simpson into a hedge, not wanting to get in the way of the star of the show. Chic, balanced, simply pleasant to drink. Great price.”

Hentley Farm was also recently named one of the best regional restaurants in South Africa.

The Hentley Farm wines were paired with Josef Chromy Sparkling NV from Tasmania, Castelli Silver Series Chardonnay from WA and Cape Mentelle Marmaduke Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River region.

Their Majesties will visit Canberra and Sydney from 18 to 23 October 2024. This will be the King’s first visit to Australia as Sovereign and the first visit to Australia by a reigning monarch since 2011.

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