The Hidden Sea Shiraz 2019

The Hidden Sea Shiraz is perfect for those nights when any excuse will do to crack open a bottle. It is delicious and goes so well with food. At this price point, you won’t need to think twice about opening this gem of a wine! 

With self-isolation well and truly in full swing, we’ve been drinking more wine than ever before. I know I should cut back but hey, right now it’s that little pep in my step at the end of the workday. And what’s so wrong with that? We’re all trying to get by any way we can in this weird new world, and so sometimes we just need a great wine in hand to finish off another day of working from home! I say open that bottle!

The great thing about this whole situation is having far more wine drinking time to try more wines I’ve never had before. And this shiraz from The Hidden Sea has definitely been a highlight! The best part of all? It is perfect for self-isolation wines because it is super affordable! If you’re going through wine like me this is an important factor. Even better, the folks at The Hidden Sea have offered everyone a discount code (check it out at the end of the article to get 20% off).

The Hidden Sea Shiraz is a great midweek food wine

The Hidden Sea Shiraz is perfect for those nights when you need something a bit heavier to go with a meal. This isn’t one of those Shiraz that you can kind of get away with drinking without food if you really want to. This is made for a meal, like a classic Shiraz. It’s from the Limestone Coast in South Australia which is known for producing a broad range of varieties, Shiraz being one of them. The Hidden Sea is all about showcasing good wine without the fussiness – and this shines through in this wine. Bring together fun winemakers, great labels and a beautiful region, and you’ve got a great, and affordable wine.

Yes, you could definitely cellar this and let the flavours develop. But we are in a national crisis people! I can tell you now this wine is drinking well already, so don’t think about it and just open and enjoy! Or buy a few to stockpile, I won’t tell you how to live your life. Just remember that stockpiles usually have a habit of disappearing in self-isolation, particularly when the wine is this easy drinking.

Why I enjoyed it

The Hidden Sea Shiraz starts off in its colour. Wow – that vivid red colour is so pretty in the glass. The colour gives away that this is more of a full-bodied wine packed full of flavours. And it sure does deliver on this front. You’ll get a hit of red fruits from the nose – think cherries and raspberries. That’s what I found at least. This is balanced by a good mix of spice throughout the wine, along with oak flavours from maturation over 4 months.

The reason I find this wine so interesting is that it is actually blended with some white wine – pinot grid and riesling. This has helped to soften the tannins, meaning this wine doesn’t drink as young as it should. It means there is all the more reason to enjoy drinking it now! Enjoy those surprisingly silky tannins all wrapped up in a $20 wine.

What to pair it with

The Hidden Sea Shiraz is best enjoyed with food. This is a full-bodied wine, so the best pairing I could think of is steak. This wine is simply good, and a steak and salad make for a simply good meal to go along with it. There isn’t much better a pairing for Shiraz than steak!

If like me, you are getting into the cooking in self-isolation, you could also pair this with some slow-roasted meat. Try slow roasted lamb – this will really take it up a notch!

The final word on the Hidden Sea Shiraz

The Hidden Sea Shiraz is simply delicious. It is drinking well now, which makes it the perfect wine for these trying times. Just crack open a bottle with dinner. Don’t think about it and sit back and enjoy. It’s the sort of wine that will really lend itself to those mid-week wines we are all becoming fond of. Pair it with a steak and you’ll be in heaven!

If you want to purchase the Hidden Sea Shiraz, or any of their other wines, you can head to their website. Use code ‘CHEEKY’ at checkout for 20% off! 

Note: I was sent these wines as a sample, I was under no obligation to review it