Man, Did I Get Marbled Last Night

The most startling wine news to come out of Australia while (or "whilst," as those Aussies like to say) I was there was an announcement that Wagyu cows like to drink.

Yes, in Australia it's no longer red wine with meat. It's red wine in meat.

The cows are served Pitchfork Cabernet-Merlot-Shiraz, a fruity little blend that sells for about $12 a bottle and has been praised by one critic as "delightfully friendly." I'll bet it won't be any longer, now that it knows what's drinking it.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a Japanese celebrity chef visiting the Margaret River give the idea to the directors of a company that produces Wagyu cattle, which are praised for their well-marbled meat—that means the steaks are full of tiny veins of fat that add richness, tenderness, and flavor. Japanese producers of Kobe and Wagyu beef pamper their cows with beer (as well as massages and music), and the chef thought wine would do just as well.

According to John McLeod, the director of Margaret River Premium Meat Exports, the wine is being mixed in with the feed and each animal consumes a liter a day for 60 days—that's about $950 worth of wine, should the company be paying retail. McLeod reported an increase in appetite and calmness in the cows.

I was unable to locate the wine in Sydney. That might be because it is in enormous demand, now that it is be being sold not by the case but by the herd.

Pitchfork is produced by Hay Shed Hill, a winery in the Margaret River. The wine comes with a screwcap, which is understandable. You wouldn't expect cows to be able to use a corkscrew.