Wine loving guests at Sunday’s ‘Wining Around the World’ dinner at Conrad Algarve’s Gusto Restaurant are in for a treat. I recently attended a lunch with the team behind the event when we fine tuned the selection of wines to match each dish and made a few changes before agreeing on the final menu.
With two wines to be served with each course (in small quantities of course), it has been a challenge for the sommeliers and chefs to find a New World and an Old World wine that both complement each course, but the final selection is going to be something quite special.
The price of the dinner may appear a little expensive but if we take into consideration the quality and price of the wines being served and add that to the cost of even a normal meal out and it would be good value, then consider that the menu has been designed by a three-star Michelin chef.
One of the most interesting food pairing experiences of the evening is going to be that of the dessert wines. The simply named creation – tangerine jelly with almond ice cream – will be served with a late harvest Gewurztraminer from the Trimbach winery in the French Alsace region and a Valdivieso Éclat Botrytis Semillon from Lontue in Chile.
These, in fact, are far from the most expensive of the wines on offer, costing at Apolónia €29.99 and €17.95 respectively in 375ml format.
The Trimbach, one of my long-time favourite pudding wines from one of the greatest Alsace producers, is golden yellow in colour with notes of lychee and peach on the nose, a wine that like the less expensive New World offering from Valdivieso is from grapes that have undergone botrytis (noble rot).
Full and rich in the mouth with a long fresh finish, it will contrast well with the Valdevieso, a lighter but nonetheless luscious and immensely fresh dessert wine with notes of honeyed grapefruit and candied lemon on the nose. It will be interesting to see which wine most guests prefer with the dessert.
Both of these wines have been placed on special offer at Apolonia this week.
Promotional price at Apolónia supermarket
(valid from Thursday March 27 to Wednesday April 2)
Trimbach Gewurztraminer: €23.95 (retail price €29.99)
Valdivieso eclat botrytis: €13.95 (retail price €17.95)
By PATRICK STUART [email protected]
