From busting food and wine myths to the perfect Saturday night, here’s what the TV host and wine lover wants you to know.
Melissa Leong puts the ‘mutli’ in muti-hyphenate. She’s a former MasterChef judge, a current co-host of Dessert Masters with pastry genius Amaury Guichon, a food and travel writer, radio presenter, MC and cookbook editor. She also always has guanciale in her fridge – “cured pork fat can be the basis of so many great dishes” – and believes a spot at the bar “always” far outweighs a seat at the table. Clearly, she’s a woman who knows her stuff, so it’s no surprise she’s now working with Cat Amongst The Pigeons – an award-winning winery from the Barossa Valley that also knows what’s good.
You’ve seen the bottles in-store with their signature black labels – everything from shiraz to grenache, pinot grigio to rosé. They’re seriously affordable, so you’ve probably popped a few in your basket, too. Here’s the thing: Cat Amongst The Pigeons is a hot tip. Weeknight prices, bloody good wines. For example, the velvety Fat Cat Grenache delivers full-bodied texture, juicy fruit flavour and spice that punches way above its price tag (it’s a fab choice for cellaring too, if that’s your vibe). The Fat Cat Chardonnay has all the natural acidity, stone fruit and subtle French oak you could ask for. Meanwhile, the generous Nine Lives Stone Well Shiraz runs deep with plum, blackberry and firm tannins – it’s one we’d happily serve up on a special occasion. As someone who appreciates undeniable tasty vino, Melissa is keen to spread the word. When you know, you know.
To celebrate the partnership, we threw some rapidfire questions at Melissa to get her takes on all things food, wine and what it means to work with an iconic South Australian winemaker doing things differently.
This or that
- Q.1. Lazy long lunch or late-night feast?
“Why can’t a girl have both?”
- Q.2. A seat at a table or a spot at the bar?
- “A spot at the bar, forever.”
- Q.3. A big bold shiraz or a bright fruity grenache?
“It depends on what it’s going with. Wine, for me, is always a thing I consider in the context of what I’m eating.”
- Q.4. Cheese board with all the trimmings or a decadent chocolate dessert?
“Considering I host Dessert Masters, I should probably say I prefer sweets… but I really don’t. I will almost always choose savoury over sweet, which is why you can trust that when I tell you a sweet dish is good, and why, it really, really is.”
- Q.5. Cooking for others or being cooked for
“Again, it depends. I think cooking for people is an act of love and generosity, and for people I care about, I really do like to cook for them. But I’ve also made a living out of being cooked for, and have experienced food in the hands of some of the most talented and brilliant people…and accepting that kind of hospitality is one of the best things you can do with your clothes on.”
Myths or busts
- Q.6. Australian wine has nothing on French?
“While there is something to be said for tradition, there are great Australian wines, and there are shit French ones. I’d prefer a beautifully made Australian wine over a subpar French one, obviously.”
- Q.7. Red wine should never be served with fish?
“Not necessarily true, depending on the fish and the way it is prepared.”
- Q.8. Melbourne has the best food and drinks scene in Australia?
“I’m very proud to be a resident of Melbourne, but I think the Australian food scene, across the board, is firing on all cylinders right now. There are places in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Tassie and Perth I want to be at right now. I don’t think it needs to come down to who’s winning if we, the diners, are all winning.”
- Q.9. If someone brings a nice bottle to a dinner party, do you have to open it that night?
“If they want you to, you sure do. If it’s a gift for the cellar, they’ll tell you. Otherwise, sharing is caring, especially if it’s a bottle of Cat Amongst The Piegon’s Barossa Shiraz.”
- Q.10. The bar or restaurant tab should always be split down the middle?
“It’s in my genes to try and secretly pay for the bill before anyone notices, wherever possible.”
Finish this question
- Q.11. I absolutely cannot live without…
“Guanciale. I get really nervous if there isn’t any in my fridge. Cured pork fat can be the basis of so many great dishes.”
- Q.12. My go-to weeknight wine is…
“A chardonnay because I tend to find it works well with the majority of dishes in my mid-week repertoire. Something like Fat Cat Chardonnay works well in that regard.”
- Q.13. Stemless wine glasses are…
“Fingerprint magnets.”
- Q.14. My perfect Saturday night looks like…
“Whatever the hell I want it to be. Whether it’s going out or staying in, I want zero obligations when the weekend rolls around.”
- Q.15. I’m working with Cat Amongst The Pigeons because…
“The idea of shifting perception is something we share, and they trust me to play with that idea in a way that makes sense to me.”
