London’s first sherry bar
Gonsales Byass fino sherry brand Tio Pepe has opened Bar Pepito, London’s only dedicated sherry bar, in association with Spanish restaurant Camino in Yanishers Yard, Kings Cross.
The bar serves a variety of sherries from the palest fino to the richest Pedro Ximenez with perfectly matched tapas. And an Enomatic wine dispenser offering 8 different styles in small measures allows customers to help themselves and experiment freely.
Malbec and chocolate
Selected Gaucho restaurants are running monthly chocolate and Malbec pairing masterclasses (£37.50 pp) hosted by chocolatier Kirsty Joly of Perfectly Tempered and Gaucho’s head sommelier Jessica Closs.
Creating more malt occasions
Cheese and malt
Cheese is one of the foods that goes especially well with single malt whisky. Pictured above is Talisker 10 YO with a strong cheddar and below, Lagavulin Distillers Edition with a pungent blue veined Picos de Europa
Skye coffee and malt
Six months after a Scottish hotel created a coffee blended to pair with a local whisky, its creators remain surprised that the combination has not been created previously.
• Read the report
Coco and malt
The Dalmore. a Whyte & Mackay brand, is offering consumers a “luxurious pairing” of its rare single malts with organic bespoke chocolates by Coco, in a selection of UK bars and restaurants.
Three expressions of the malt whisky – the King Alexander III, The Dalmore 1974 and The Dalmore 40 – have each been matched with three chocolates (with Dalmore branding) to enhance the different stages of appreciation. The first is eaten while nosing the whisky aroma; the second while tasting, and the third while savouring the finish.
Alcase with Asian food
Alsace Wines has launched a website to support its UK campaign: Eat Asian. Drink Alsace.
The website includes general information about the wines, appellations and the region, as well as details about activities in the UK, food and wine matching suggestions and recipes.
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Think outside of the wine box Rimon’s of Isreal says its pomegranate wines give an unashamedly different take on a traditional Spring menu of roast leg of lamb with thyme and garlic. Pomegranate Dry Wine has a bouquet of rich pomegranate with a faint hint of spice and a well-balanced, soft finish that complements the succulent flavours of lamb. |
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Interactive dining for the new e-generation Inamo is a pan-Asian restaurant in London’s Soho which offers a unique experience - all the menus are completely interactive. Diners place orders directly to the kitchen from a touch sensitive illustrated menu projected onto their table. They can set the mood, play games and even order a taxi home. The tabletop also features a live cam feed into the kitchen to watch the chefs at work. The new technology by E-Table is now being offered to other venues. |
| Magrez and Robuchon form gastronomic partnership
Described as the “perfect fusion of an international wine impresario and a culinary genius”, Bernard Magrez and Joël Robuchon have come together to offer sublime food and wine pairings. |
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| Michelin starred Kinloch Lodge offers ‘beer flights’ matched to every dish Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye, owned by bestselling cookery writer Claire Macdonald, is championing the offer of ‘beer flights’ on its recently Michelin-Starred menu. Tom Eveling, who manages Kinloch Lodge with his wife Isabella, selected the beers so as to offer guests a wide and gastronomically appealing list. It is one of the most extensive bottled beer lists of any restaurant in Scotland. The beer flights have been matched to every dish on the menu and sit alongside the restaurant’s established wine flights, malt whisky flights and the ‘beer and a dram chasers’. • Read the report |
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Campo Viejo taps its fork to a new [tapas] tune Rioja wine brand Campo Viejo, has introduced a Spanish cookery masterclass in conjunction with a London cookery school, Food at 52. The course is designed to teach people how to make tapas that is perfectly matched to the wines they are drinking. Following the successful launch of its on-trade ‘Viva el Vino’ campaign in November 2009 (story below), this is the next stage in Campo Viejo’s initiative to ‘turn the way consumers are accustomed to eating on its head, by placing wine at the heart of the meal’. |
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| New concept flips traditional dining on its head South London Spanish restaurant Rebato’s1 and Rioja wine brand Campo Viejo are set to turn the traditional restaurant experience of ordering food and selecting wine to accompany it upside down. Diners choose their wine from a menu without selecting their food – and are then presented with a selection of food, matched perfectly to their wine. Called ‘Viva el Vino’, the idea was devised by Campo Viejo, it’s food and wine matching, but not as we know it. The menu is a modern take on traditional tapas – dishes are carefully designed to entertain the palate and the intrigue is heightened as the food will remain a secret until it is served, creating a delicious, adventurous and fun wine and dine experience. Rebato’s will be the second restaurant to host the ‘Viva El Vino’ campaign, following its initial launch in central London Spanish restaurant Pinchito tapas WC13. The campaign will then continue its planned tour to a further select number of progressive leading Spanish restaurants in the UK. |
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Best winery restaurants Familia Zuccardi’s restaurant Casa del Visitante, near Mendoza in Argentina, was named Best Winery Restaurant by the Great Wine Capitals Committee of Mendoza. The resetuant went on to compete in the finals. • Read the report Winners of Best Winery Restaurant category in the international finals of the Great Wine Capitals competition were announced this month: |
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Castello del Trebbio – La Sosta del Gusto – Firenze • Read the full list of winners in "Best of" wine tourism awards |
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| Fruits and liqueurs for late night diners London's JuJu, champagne and cocktail Lounge on the Kings Road, Chelsea, has introduced a Deluxe Alcohol Fruit Platter to its late night menu. Costing £30 the plate of fruits and liqueurs can be shared between 4 to 6 diners and features a selection of beautifully presented fruit. |
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| The fruit, which includes pineapple, raspberries, banana, strawberries, blackberries and mint drizzled with a luxurious warm chocolate sauce, is surrounded by pots of decadent liqueurs including Baileys, Chambord, Tuaca and chocolate schnapps, as well as dipping sauces of vanilla and butterscotch milk. Finally, shots of champagne with finely chopped strawberries help to refresh the palate. |
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| Sud De France Festival of Food and Wine rolled out Sud de France - the umbrella brand created by the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon to promote the area’s food and wine exports – undertakook a major worldwide trade and consumer promotion last autumn. The festival took place in six countries – the UK, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, the US and China – presenting Sud de France wine and food products in eight cities. In the UK, the Sud de France Festival of food and wine ran in London and selected cities from September 4 – 13, comprising of a number of trade and consumer promotions and events. • Read the report |
| Food pairings to grow malt appreciation Diageo, with its wide collection of Classic Malts, has been experimenting with food pairings. The focus has been on whisky matches that can be easily tried both on-premise and at home in different markets. The company says that if you can get people to drink whisky with the right sort of snack before a meal, or with the cheese or the pudding at the end, then the bottle stays on the table longer. So you're extending the number of occasions when your brand comes to the table. Bars, too, can develop a profitable pairing between whisky and food, as is happening at the famous whisky bar at London’s Athenaeum Hotel. But there's another reason, to do with encouraging people to explore the wide range of flavours delivered by single malts when paired with particular foods. • Read the report |
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Bar snacks As celestial bar snacks, it’s hard to beat some of the classic Chinese dishes with a glass of Scotch. For example: pork and prawn dumplings with The Singleton of Glen Ord, or spring rolls with Glenkinchie 12 year old, the delicate Lowland malt. |
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| Chef cooks up tasty Zin menu Beverly Gannon, chef, a founder of Hawaiian regional cuisine and the proprietor of Maui’s famous Hali’imaile General Store will headline the 19th Annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) Festival taking place January 28-30, 2010 in San Francisco. The accomplished chef and cookbook author is probably the best-known chef in Hawaii. She has won accolades and awards from magazines and organisations across Hawaii and internationally; she has been voted Best Chef in Hawaii numerous times. She is also consulting chef for Hawaiian Airlines. “I’m a big fan of California Zinfandel and look forward to being a part of the festival,” says Gannon. “The worlds of great wine and great food have been fusing for some time, so ZAP’s Zin in Paradise theme gives me the chance to expand the boundaries of Hawaiian cuisine with the pairing of world-class Zinfandels.” The ZAP Festival will include more than 250 Zinfandel-specialist wineries from all across California pouring their barrel samples and new releases for over 10,000 enthusiasts during three days at four separate events. ZAP’s fundraising event, Evening with the Winemakers, will showcase an Hawaiian regional cuisine dinner menu developed by Gannon. “The world of Zinfandel is full of surprises and out-of-the-box thinking,” says Rebecca Robinson, ZAP’s executive director. “Since Zinfandel lovers are always looking for new adventures, we anticipate that chef Gannon headlining the festival will energise wineries and attendees alike.” Shack up with Cloudy Bay this summer This summer sees the launch of the first Cloudy Bay Shack, a pop-up seafood airstream trailer that will travel from Cornwall to London, offering customers the opportunity to enjoy a promotional glass of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc matched to a selection of seafood. • Read the report |
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Berberana teams up with Madrid's two-star Michelin chef Two-Michelin starred Spanish chef Sergi Arola has become a brand ambassador for Spanish brand Berberana in the UK. The partnership, which will include recipe demonstrations, brand endorsements, dinner events and an on-line presence, is designed to raise the profile of the brand with the trade and consumers, and bring a tangible ‘human’ element to Berberana. The appointment of Arola as the face of Berberana coincides with the launch of a Berberana website which will act as a central consumer hub for all global activity and brand messaging. |
| Chef Mark Hix to attract younger audience to the merits of sherry Tio Pepe, the fino sherry from Gonzalez Byass, has begun a marketing campaign aimed educating a younger audience to merits of sherry. Food and drink experts, including chef Mark Hix, Master of Wine Peter McCombie and restaurant critic Charles Campion, have been recruited to share their food and drink insights via an online guide – the Art of Good Taste. The guide will be live throughout the summer with regular updates and competitions, and will culminate in a free masterclass for consumers in July, featuring some of the guide experts sharing their skills. |
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Chablis or not Chablis, Tesco has the answer Kits to encourge dining with port The kits include order pads, pens, posters and food matching ideas, designed to remind staff about the port opportunity as well as consumer facing materials such as aprons, posters, table cards and cheeseboards. |
| Food matching suggestions in the kits include: Cockburn's Light White Port with all types of cheese, roasted almonds, orange or apple cake, smoked ham or pate; Cockburn's Fine Ruby with blue veined cheeses, rich chocolate desserts, walnuts and roasted almonds; Cockburn's Special Reserve with peppered steak and Cockburn's LBV with savoury cheese dishes or any dark chocolate desserts.
Pictured right: Cockburn's Light White Port splashed over ice, topped up with tonic water and finished with a slice of lemon |
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Wine to match spicy oriental dishes François Lurton launched a couple of stunning late-harvest 100% Sauvignon Blanc wines at the London wine fair this month (May) served alongside canapés from Mint Leaf bar and restaurant. Both wines were robust enough in fruit flavour and with an underlying balance of acidity to compliment the delicate spices and light textures of these contemporary-style Indian dishes. |
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The late harvest Sauvignon Blanc's compliment the delicate spices and light textures of contemporary-style Indian dishes |
| Friday night is Cava night The Institut Del Cava, the association of Cava producers, is focusing its efforts in promoting awareness of the wide range of high quality, complex Cavas now being produced, and how well they go with food. The Spanish sparkling wine, which is produced by the traditional method, is being marketed as the perfect way to toast in the weekend on a Friday evening with some traditional Spanish Tapas. This summer, in the UK, for example it is running a “gastropub campaign”. • Read about the campaign |
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Perfect accompaniment Cava producers claim their wines make a perfect accompaniment to the four main flavour groups (salt, sweet, bitter and acidic) whilst also complimenting fatty foods as the carbon dioxide bubbles help to refresh the palate. • Ideas for Cava and food matching |
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