I have been
to a few food and wine pairing events and I must say I had high expectations for this one at the Durban Country Club.
All my expectations were met and exceeded — the atmosphere was perfect.
The Durban
Country Club’s Executive Chef, Xanthos Giannakopoulos was our host and the evening was filled with laughter and great conversation.
What I
liked about Chef Xanthos's wine and dine evening is that it was a little bit
different from the ones that I’ve been to.
He paired his meals with a variety of wines, for each course and you had an
option to first taste two different wines then choose the one you would like to
pair your food with.
For me that helped because I got to try different wines
and food combinations, exploring why some work better than others, and discovering what particular characteristics in both the wines and food work well together.
On arrival
at the venue canapés were served, with a chilled glass of Doamine des Dieux’s
rose or Claudia Brut.
But it was truffle goats cheese en
with strawberry and rocket aged balsamic pearls that I enjoyed the most.
Raspberry and Rose Fantasy, Raspberry Panna Cotta, Raspberry Soil, Sour Black and Cherry Ice Cream with Almond Meringue
I preferred to have this canapé with some Claudia Brut.
Claudia Brut is a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — I loved the fresh and light taste, for me it’s the prefect match for finger
foods.
For
starters; Beet and Asparagus Risotto with Coral Mushrooms and Parmesan Foam was
served with a Domaine Des Dieux Sauvignon Blanc 2011 or Domaine Des Dieux
Chardonnay.
For the
main course it was Lamb Breast Navarin, Candied Carrot, Dried Olives and Parmesan was
served and paired with either Syrah Mourvedre 2013 or the Josephine Pinot Noir
2013.
I loved how the entire main course meal was full of flavour and paired
well with Josephine, which is a powerful expression of Pinot Noir that demands
full flavoured cooking.
For dessert we had Raspberry and Rose Fantasy,
Raspberry Panna Cotta, Raspberry Soil, Sour Black and Cherry Ice Cream with
Almond Meringue paired with a Rose of Sharon. The Rose of Sharon has an
enticing balance and generosity of fruit which makes it a great wine for
dessert.
This was everything a food and wine pairing should be, great food and great memories made.