Aussies outraged after US woman pairs $1000 Penfolds wine with 'American slop'
The Californian woman said a cheap sandwich is the best pairing for the pricey bottle of Penfolds Grange.
Australia's a proud nation famed for our natural landscapes, climate and mateship, but our wine — specifically shiraz — is also up there on our list of greatest accomplishments.
So there's little wonder why an American woman's treatment of a beloved Aussie classic has those of us Down Under crying out in disbelief after she paired a glass 1980 Penfolds Grange with a side of "American slop".
The vintage bottle of red comes with a hefty price tag and can be found in bottle shops for $1,000 or more. A good quality steak or a hearty meat dish is often recommended with the classic 40-year-old bottle of red, so Amanda McCrossin's pairing shocked the masses.
US woman serves vintage Aussie wine with sandwich
In a video shared on TikTok, the sommelier from California said she was "excited" to open "one of the most iconic bottles out of Australia" and took great care in removing the "very fragile" cork using a durand — a specifically design device. Then she "very slowly and gently" pulled out the cork and cleaned the top, three hours before serving.
"You might think I'd have a super fancy meal to go with a bottle like this but I actually love going a slightly simpler route," she said in the video posted by Foodporn. Shockingly, the Napa Valley woman chose to pair her vintage wine with a Philly cheesesteak, a popular US sandwich made with thin slices of steak topped with melted cheese on a bread roll.
Aussies 'crying' over unusual pairing
In her opinion, it's the "best possible pairing for a wine like this" which can often be "really complex and nuanced". "So trying to pair with a super complex dish isn't the best way to showcase the wine," she argued — but many Australians disagreed.
"The whole of Australia is crying right now, this a war crime," one person shot back in the comments, unable to believe what they just witnessed. "Classy Australia premium wine pair with American slop," another said.
Meanwhile, a third wrote, "I'd have had a Coke instead" implying she wasted the bottle of wine.
"As someone who lives in South Australia, home of the best wine in the world, home of Penfolds…the pairing was seriously off," said someone else. "Isn't that a $1k bottle of wine? Surely you could find something better than a sandwich?" another agreed.
Some however, didn't mind the unusual food pairing with one saying "as an Aussie I gotta say the best pairing ever". A second agreed by saying "What a pairing, only thing more Australian would be a servo pie," they said.
Why is Penfold Grange wine so special?
Penfolds Grange has long been recognised as a unique Australian style shiraz and is said to be one of the most consistent of the world's great red wines.
According to Penfolds, "no other red wine in Australia can rival the reputation, consistent quality or proven development pattern of Penfolds Grange". Described by Vintage Cellars as "the pinnacle of the Penfolds red wine range, Grange is a rich, opulent, full-bodied Shiraz, destined for a long cellar life."
1980's Grange is "dense and chewy with generously ripe, prune/chocolate fruit flavours, pronounced grainy tannins and superb length". It's a full-bodied, dry red wine from the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Magill, McLaren Vale & Coonawarra regions.
Some Penfolds wines are said to be a great investment for collectors as they increase in value over time.
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