A food and wine pairing with a difference.
Wine and food pairings are nothing new for the crew at Patrick of Coonawarra, but there’s a quirky new self-guided experience that they’re bringing to the table which is creating a ‘buzz’ around town.
Ahead of this year’s Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Patrick of Coonawarra have tapped into the brave new world of sustainable insect protein, launching a wine and bug tasting experience, just in time for the Festival this May.
Patrick of Coonawarra owner and winemaker Luke Tocaciu is gaining a strong reputation in the region for pushing the boundaries in his winemaking techniques and styles, with a strong focus on sustainable winemaking.
This quirky new cellar door experience is drawing even further attention to his approaches, bringing wine enthusiasts a tasting adventure that’s not only delicious and eco-conscious, but will most definitely challenge the traditional concept of food and wine pairing.
“I really wanted to do something outside of the box,” Luke said.
“It’s about challenging some perceptions and just having a bit of fun … just to get people thinking about the future and edible insects.”
The business recently became accredited with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, with the tasting idea was inspired by celebrating sustainability itself.
“Part of the accreditation was the establishment of an eco garden … planted with native plants to attract beneficial insects to the vineyards.
The tasting experience is a way to combine what we’re doing in our vineyard, with an experience at our cellar door,” Mr Tocaciu said.
Pairing wine and insects
In collaboration with supplier of the insects, Circle Harvest in NSW, Patrick of Coonawarra have put together a tasting menu that would compliment the different kinds of insects and their flavours, with the flavour profiles of their wines.
This quirky experience includes a sample selection of edible insects, including ants, mealworms and crickets.
Not only are edible insects a sustainable source of protein, they’re also a nutrient-dense superfood.
Cricket Protein Powder boasts an impressive 69% protein content, making it a powerhouse of nutrition. They’re packed with essential micronutrients, vitamins, and fatty acids, making them one of the best superfoods around. With three times the Omega-3 of spinach, twice the calcium of milk, and more iron than spinach, edible insects offer a complete amino acid profile that’s essential for a balanced diet.
Changing perceptions
From the sample selection of edible insects the crunchy roasted crickets paired with a cabernet sauvignon is the pick of choice of the Winemaker.
“It’s a crunchy flavour, you expect it to sort of be overpowering, but it’s actually quite subtle,” he said.
Many customers have already tried out the food and wine pairings at the cellar door.
Mr Tocaciu said the menu item people tended to hesitate the most over was the cinnamon-flavoured mealworm.
“We’ve had some good reactions so far, some people are a bit disgusted, others are pleasantly surprised,” he said.
“So it’s [been] a mixed bag, it’s interesting.”
Mr Tocaciu conceded he was unsure how popular the tastings would be at first, but hoped customers would keep an open mind and consider giving it a go.
“People [have been] calling and saying, ‘Are you really eating crickets?'” he said.
To which he’d been replying: “Yeah. Come on in and challenge yourself.”
Want to give it a go. Book your experience online today and see what all the fuss is about! https://patrickofcoonawarra.com/…/crickets-and-cabernet…
