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Taste masters: Patrick White, Otto, Sydney

Realising that a career as a novelist would just lead to unfair comparisons, Patrick White opted for wine instead. Like half the Sydney wine trade, White is a South Australian who brought that ingrained love of the grape to some of Sydney’s finest restaurants, including the star-studded Salt. These days, he oversees the conspicuous consumption of classics from Australia and abroad at the harbour city’s perennial hotspot, Otto.

What emerging trends are you seeing? “Pinot gris/grigio has definitely taken off. Customers are ordering it straight off the list without needing a recommendation. And wildly divergent styles too, from squeaky-clean, delicate wines through to ripe Alsatian styles and funky, barrel-worked numbers. I think this is also filtering down into a willingness to try other, lesser-known Italian varietals, both imported and locally made.”

Which wines don’t sell but you can’t understand why? “Grenache and blends thereof. It is generally inexpensive and makes such easygoing quaffers that are fantastic with food: ripe-fruited but properly vinous and complex without being too demanding. Moderate tannins, soft acidity, and easy on the hip pocket – what’s not to like for everyday drinking?”

What’s the one thing a good Australian sommelier should know? “How to communicate their knowledge and passion to customers without arrogance or condescension. Customers come to a restaurant to enjoy themselves, not be lectured.”

RAVE WINES
Red: 2005 Toolangi Estate Shiraz, Yarra Valley, A$35. “Hooray for a shiraz you can actually drink without being belted over the head by a jammy oak stave.”

White: 2007 Radford Dale Riesling, Eden Valley, A$24. “Ripe brown limes – think Bickford’s Lime Juice cordial – talc and a mineral twang in a palate that seems to go on forever. Cracking value.”

Fizz: 2005 Kilikanoon Vouvray, Loire (France), A$27. “Kevin Mitchell’s homage to chenin blanc. Crisp green apple palate with a fine creamy mousse, and incredibly easy to drink. Not for cogitation, just consumption inthe company of friends.”

Import: 2006 Coffele Ca’ Visco Soave, Veneto (Italy), A$38. “Italians prize a character in whites known as salidita – a balance of salty and nutty characters – that this wine demonstrates to perfection.”

Otto, (02) 9368 7488, www.otto.net.au.

This article appeared in the April/May 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine.