Hate on Outback Steakhouse all you want–it’s consistent and a steal for a weeknight dinner. Some days, you just want a sirloin (with A1 sauce!) and some slightly overcooked broccoli. What you don’t want is to get all dressed up, get sneered at by the valet for your ancient Honda, and then have to buy a baked potato side for $14.
Also–and this can be a relief–it’s not hard to choose a wine at Outback. No pondering, no Googling, no paring down your long shortlist to a short shortlist.
That’s because Outback’s wine list is…shall we say, concise. A handful of varietal reds and whites, always in stock, always served fast from behind the bar. I let my meal and the pricing drive my wine choice. Tuesdays are lobster night (Tuesday Tails!), which calls for Sauvignon Blanc. If two diners are partaking, then might as well get the bottle.
Moments later, Yealands Sauvignon Blanc ($32) arrives alongside the brown bread and whipped margarine. But is it an Aus-some choice, or a blunder from Down Under? Let’s pour!
On second thought, let’s let it sit and warm up first. Outback serves the Sauv Blanc straight out of the bar fridge, at a tooth-stingingly cold temperature better suited to its Bloomin’ Blonde Ale than to wine. So you have to wait a minute for its generous tropical flavors to bloom.
Even chilled, it displays pronounced Marlborough characteristics. (“Pineapple and cats!” Sarah exclaims from across the lacquered booth as I pour her the first glass. I love tasting wine with Sarah.)
There’s passion fruit–and yes, green pineapple and “blackcurrant leaf.” Zesty grapefruit, white pepper, and a trace of minerality. It’s dry and crisp, but not aggressively so. There’s some round, fruity flavors of pear and peaches on the palate, too.
As it warms, a smattering of green pepper and pineapple stems becomes a bushel of sliced jalapeño flavor. Suddenly, it’s a ton of peppers–like when you have to run your cutting board through the dishwasher two times after making pico de gallo. Sarah thinks it’s too much, but I like the spiciness as a contrast to the blandness of my lobster, medium-well broccoli, and butter spread. It’s a fairly simple wine, but it hits the spot.
Truly, you could do worse than this fresh and flavorful New Zealand Sauv Blanc. It’s a solid table wine. It’s at lots of grocery stores and on loads of wine lists. (Outback’s markup on wine isn’t terrible, either–around 150% of retail on most bottles.) However, I recommend avoiding Yealands Sauvignon Blanc if you’re not a pepper-head. Or just drink it faster.
Bottle: Yealands Sauvignon Blanc (2023)
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
ABV: 12%
Suggested retail: $12.99
My rating: 7.2 out of 10 (add a point if you like to order your nachos with extra jalapeño)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
Leave a Comment