Bone-in Grilled Pork Chops Paired with The Butterfy Effect Shiraz #WorldWineTravel

 This month our #WorldWineTravel group is exploring wines from the Victoria area of Australia.  What could go better with an Australian wine than delicious pork chops grilled on the barbie?  Wait until I tell you about how we grilled these pork chops!

But first, the wine area.

Victoria is one of six states in Australia.  There are a total of 21 wine regions there, with climates from the hot/dry area to cool areas in  Yarra Valley.  There are over 800 wineries here and a good place to get to know them is in the region's largest city, Melbourne.  The first grapes were planted here in 1838 in the Yarra Valley, planted by Swiss immigrants.

The Butterfly Effect wine is produced in Central Victoria.  This red has full fruit flavors of dark fruit and red berries. There is a fully present oaky spice that might be a bit of a turn-off for some.  Some say to drink and enjoy it now and over the next two years, but others are saying give it at least five years for more savory flavors.  We found we liked this wine at a foolish room temp of about 65 degrees.  This shiraz was fantastic with the charred pieces of pork chop from the barbie (BBQ.)  It's pretty jammy but finishes with maturity and forward fruits.  Like any good red, there is a beautiful aroma of leather, and in our minds, a campfire.

 We love the name of this wine.  The Butterfly Effect is simply one small action (or inaction) that results in a series of actions that greatly affect something on a larger scale at a later point.  So what's the butterfly effect of this wine?  First, it is a great wine to sip on its own.  I typically think of cabs and shiraz as being "food wines."  Not this one.  Next, bring your glass to the dinner table.  It pairs beautifully with grilled meats, and these pork chops were fantastic with this wine.  If you have any wine left, pair it with a piece of really good dark chocolate.  It is such a beautiful ending to your meal that it might even make you cry a little bit.  😊

Now for the pork chop preparation.  Bob always rinses pork (something his German mama always did) and pats it dry.  He liberally coated the chop with olive oil, then rubbed on his favorite rib rub.  He let that sit for about 30 minutes and then grilled them on high heat, about 4 minutes on each side.  The char and the wine and spices.. oh my.  

Check out the information and pairings from my other #WorldWineTravel buddies here:

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm writes "An Australian Farm to Table Dinner"
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "Celebrating Rutherglen Red Wines with Bobbie Burns and a Stovie"
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla writes "Numus + Nikkal - That's Pickled Fish and a Pinot Noir from Victoria"
• Susannah at Avvinare shares "Finding Value in Victoria, Australia"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass writes "Can Low-Priced Shiraz Really be a Good Value?"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! writes "You Like Shiraz and I like Syrah..."