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What our crush Moira Tirtha is drinking right now


Read time 2 Mins

Posted 26 Jul 2023

By
Moira Tirtha


Wine personality and magazine editor Moira Tirtha

Peek inside the shopping basket of one of our major wine idols.

If you don’t have a list of crushes whose feeds you trawl in bed each night, salivating with envy over the delicious goodies they’re drinking and eating, are you really living? No. Have we used our editorial power to get hot tips for ourselves directly from the source? Absolutely. Moira is the brains behind the magazine Veraison, as well as the slick wine list at Manze (one of our Editor’s all-time faves). With vintages at Mac Forbes and other wineries under their belt, Moira is exactly who we want choosing the drinks at our table. Keep reading for the first instalment of ‘What our crush is drinking’ – written by Moira Tirtha.
I’m Moira. I’m not able to type the words ‘I’m a wine writer’ without feeling my soul cringe into another dimension, but I guess sometimes I write about wine and I’m the editor of Veraison, a Melbourne-based wine magazine. I’m forever searching for the best food and drink pairings, which has taken me to working in wineries, vineyards and restaurants. I’m mostly about drinks being delicious, but these days, it’s more important to me that drinks are being made by good people and good practices, and, even more importantly, shared with good company. Here’s what I’m drinking right now.
A bottle of Laherte Frères Blanc de Blancs

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1. Laherte Frères Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Champagne

At the moment, lots of friends are going through big life milestones – turning 30, getting engaged, buying houses, moving overseas. This Champagne is the one I insist on gifting to these friends. It’s impossible to not immediately fall in love. As a BdB (blanc de blancs), it’s made from 100% chardonnay and has electric acidity balanced with white flowers on the nose and a nice little buttered fruit-bread thing going on. There’s also no denying a nice label is important for gifts. Did I mention the grapes are farmed organically and biodynamically?

2. Baileys Irish Cream

Winter in Melbourne sucks, especially in our igloo of a sharehouse.  So, ‘little treats’ are pretty much the only way I zap a bit of serotonin into my brain. Creamy coffee flavours sans actual caffeine make me happy, so having a bottle of Baileys in my bar cart is a must. Cold night in? A little nip of Baileys. After-dinner sweetie treatie? Baileys. Brunch on a Sunday? Make coffee cocktails with a glug of Baileys. Even though I’ll happily drink Baileys on a scorching hot Australian Christmas Day, it’s nice to drink Baileys with weather that actually calls for it. Romanticise winter! 
A bottle of Baileys Irish Cream

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A bottle of Fleet Wines Pinot Gris

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3. Fleet Wines Mornington Peninsula Pinot Gris

I could drink a glass of Lisa Jenkins’ skin-contact pinot gris every week and be pretty chuffed. Since it’s made with white grapes, you could call it an orange wine, but the colour would have you thinking it’s rosé. In any case, it’s savoury, spicy, nicely weighted with a fleshy texture, and has the red-apple skins character I love in pinot gris. It goes well with pretty much anything you’re cooking, from a little Greek salad (with lots of feta) to barbecued pork chops, but I’d also bring it to my local South Asian restaurant as a BYO bot. Spice loves spice. 

4. Dolin Dry Vermouth

I will always have a bottle of Dolin Dry Vermouth somewhere in my house. I like to drink it over ice with a slice of lemon and lots of olives as a good knock-off on a summer’s day or in a Martini (dirty, of course) as a pre-dinner drink. Being able to offer someone a sophisticated beverage when they’re over is hot, and having vermouth on hand makes this very easy. It keeps for a while in the fridge and changes the game for any jus or pan deglazing needed in a recipe. I’m a vermouth fiend, and while I’ll often be trying new exciting ones, Dolin’ is the ol’ faithful. 
A bottle of Dolin Dry Vermouth

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A bottle of Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay

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5. Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay

My first proper vintage was in the Yarra Valley so I have a soft spot for Yarra Valley chardonnay. I also have a big crush on Melanie Chester, who’s the Head Winemaker at Giant Steps, so I’ll drink anything she makes. Wild fermented, with a bit of oak character, this cuvee screams Yarra Valley; it’s medium-bodied, full of citrus and Granny Smith apples, has a lick of saline and a nice biscuity edge. I’m working on finding the best way to cook a roast chook (which may or may not be an excuse to sip more chardonnay) and this wine is pairing very, very well.  
image credits: Photo: Supplied. Background: Jae Jun Kim.