BACCHUS ON A KNIFE EDGE SUPPERCLUB AT ANDAZ STUDIO

First and foremost, SORRY that I have been putting off this write-up for a while ... procrastination and all that ... plus the fact that I was dreading looking through my very yellow-tinge blurry photos...

I do apologize in advance for my lack of photography skills and if I happen to have taken any unflattering shots of anyone, I swear that they were unintentional.

I always try my best to avoid the rush hour office crowd, but duty calls and after much swerving around throngs of suited men with their man-bags, I eventually made it unscathed to the Andaz Studio, a rather impressive-looking private dining room.

It has been just over a year since I attended the last Chablis event at The Chancery, where I may have had a few too many glasses beyond my usual limit - but it was an enjoyable evening, which is what was most important.

I am unfortunately (still) very bad at remembering names and details of wines (alongside my poor note-taking during dinner - food distracts me too much), but thankfully I have the ever-reliable Mr Blyde who is like a walking wine-encyclopedia.

We began with an aperitif of 'Pas Si Petit' Petit Chablis 2014 from La Chablisienne, a quality-orientated cooperative that represents a quarter of the region's vines. We sipped on this whilst nibbling on Scandinavian-inspired canapes by Martina and Magdelena of NORDISH - refreshing and light slices of cucumber filled with crab and avocado salad, as well as miniature Norwegian fishcakes and remoulade.

 We then proceeded to seating ourselves at the table where we enjoyed starters by Hana of Pickled Plates - a summer vegetable salad with roasted radishes with brown butter dressing, pan-fried whiting and tempura samphire. The whiting was cooked well with a delicate, firm flesh, and I loved the tempura samphire with its light and crisp batter.

This was paired with Alain Geoffroy's 2014, a richer Chablis from a family business estate that was established since 1850.

For our main course, we were well-fed by Rosie of A Little Lusciousness - each of us served a generous cut of soy and miso-glazed pork chop on the bone with spring onion rice, and a Japanese raw slaw dressed in rice vinegar and chilli dressing. The meat was tender and well-marinated, and I liked the slaw which complemented the dish.

This was paired nicely with Julien Brocard's La Boissoneuse 2014, made from biodynamically grown grapes.

And finally it was time for dessert, but alas, no sweet dessert was to be seen on the menu (blasphemy!) - Douglas murmured a small apology. But there was cheese, A LOT of cheese. I thankfully am also rather partial towards cheese, so that was able to satiate my appetite for the moment. For my sweet cravings, I already had my freezer well-stocked with mini magnums - I always remember to top-up my emergency supplies. 

A platter of cheese with mini flags (England vs. France) were served alongside older and more powerful wines from Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites.

Stichleton from Nottinghamshire vs. Bleu d'Auvergne

Baron Bigod from Bungay vs. Camembert from Normandy

Montgomery Cheddar from North Cadbury, Somerset vs. Comte

And of course there was plenty more wine to be poured from communal buckets ...

 Domaine William Fevre, Vaulorent, Premier Cru 2012

Jean Paul et Benoit Valmur Grand Cru 2012

Clotilde Davenne Les Preuses Grand Cru 2008

Domaine Laroche Les Blanchots Grand Cru 2007  

And now for some random action/candid shots from the evening ...

'Twas a lovely evening to be re-acquainted with Chablis - I still have my little rock (fossil?) key-chain hiding somewhere in my bedroom. Maybe under the bed where there still lie the bottles of Chablis from the previous event.
I'm not quite sure how well they age, but I guess I'll take my chances (!)

Currently lacking a bit of inspiration for creative writing, but I did consider finger-painting a wine-inspired art piece ...
Due to other commitments at present, I shall have to put that in my pending folder for now. Watch this space x 

The Cheekster, signing out x

ATTEMS WINEMAKER'S DINNER AT RISTORANTE FRESCOBALDI

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Attems Winemaker's Dinner at Ristorante Frescobaldi, tucked away on a quiet street off Regent's Street, at 15 New Burlington Place. The first UK restaurant and bar from the famed wine making Frescobaldi family of Tuscany in partnership with the Good Food Society, it brings together over 700 years and 30 generations of wine makers from the Marchesi de'Frescobaldi.
 
Winemaker's Dinners are held regularly at the restaurant to introduce guests to wines from the Frescobaldi Estates alongside Tuscan-inspired food. On this occasion, they showcased wines from the Attems Estate, located in the Collio district of Friuli, with a special guest wine from Luce della Vite.

We were lucky enough that the rain had passed just in time for us to enjoy a bit of fresh air and sunshine out on the outdoor terrace, where we sipped on glasses of fruity and crisp Friulano 2014 alongside canapes. 

Head Chef Roberto Reatini had created a special 4-course menu to complement the fine wines from the Attems Estate.
For the Antipasti, we were served a sea bass carpaccio, so thin and delicately sliced, topped with sweet cherries and a drizzle of olive oil. I really enjoyed the fresh and clean subtle flavours, and also had the joy of eating the Marie's portion of cherries too ...

This was paired with Pinot Grigio Ramato 2014, and a Sauvignon Blanc 2015. The Pinot Grigio Ramato, which was my favourite of the two, had a pale copper tinge that comes naturally from the skins of the grapes, and was really clean and refreshing.

The Primi Piatti was a courgette ravioli with veal ragu and almonds. The pasta was well made with delicious fillings of flavoursome veal, and a lovely added crunch from the almonds. A good, hearty dish that I would happily have second servings of.

The dish was accompanied by a glass of bright and fruity Pinot Grigio 2014, and a crisp and lemony Cicinis 2013, with its rich golden yellow colour a result of oak aging. 

The highlight of the meal for me was most definitely the Secondi Piatti of lamb rack with pea puree and dauphinoise potatoes. Grilled to perfection and still pink in the middle, I couldn't resist picking up the bone with my fingers to (discreetly) nibble on any leftover meat that I could get my teeth on ...

The potatoes were on the side were really rich and indulgent and a great accompaniment to the dish.

I also had a little taster of Marie's alternative fish dish which was also very tasty. 

There was certainly much appreciation for the special guest wine from Luce Della Vite: Luce 2012 ("20th anniversary"), which had a bright and attractive Garnett colour to it, with pleasant notes of dark chocolate and cherries. I don't usually drink a lot of red wine, but this was rather pleasant on my palate, with a good balance and lovely finish.

Keeping a close eye on the time, my eyes lit up as the dessert finally arrived, and I guzzled up the refreshing dessert of semifreddo with melon in about a minute before rushing to catch the tube home. This was of course after I had downed a glass of sweet Attems Picolit 2011 ... I do love dessert wines.

For those looking to celebrate a special occasion, they also have a private dining area and cocktail bar downstairs that looks quite charming and cosy. Some have commented that it felt somewhat like being inside a super yacht - not that I have ever experienced being in one, but I would certainly be inclined to accept the offer if one does come up ...

A word of thanks to Ristorante Frescobaldi for a splendid evening of delicious food and wines. For those who work in the area, they also do a great lunch set menu, alongside a delicious looking a la carte menu.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.

MAISON BLANC WINE AND PATISSERIE PAIRING

There are many things which I love, and that includes cake and wine, so what better way to spend a fine evening than at the beautifully refurbished Maison Blanc restaurant and garden on Fulham Road.

Maison Blanc is a French Boulangerie and Pâtisserie that was created in Oxford in 1981, establishing itself as the first authentic pâtisserie and bakery in England. Maison Blanc currently has 14 individual branches which serve a selection of fresh artisan breads, pastries, savouries and pâtisserie.

Already a favourite with the locals, the garden at Maison Blanc Fulham has now been extended to allow more diners to enjoy the space. The new extension features brand new decking, new climbing plants, and a seated bench hand-crafted to surround the garden's historic tree. Thankfully it was not raining that day so we got to enjoy some fresh air and live music.

Their new wine and patisserie pairing offers three options of patisserie that can be paired with rose, white or red wine.

The Cotes du Rhone, with its rich and fruity appeal makes a decadent partner for the dark chocolate components of Maison Blanc's Concerto, their signature item of patisserie with its light chocolate sponge and luxurious dark chocolate mousse centre. This sumptuous delight was topped with a piece of white chocolate which had cute music note patterns - a must-have for chocolate (and possibly music) lovers.

The Le Campagne Sauvignon Blanc was paired with Maison Blanc's Tarte au Citron which had a zesty lemon cream filling and buttery pastry - a classic patisserie with a nice balance of flavours which will surely tantalize your taste buds.

 Last but not least is the Rose Reserve St Jacques which was paired with Maison Blanc's most traditional French patisserie piece, the St Michel aux Fruits Rouges. It was a tough choice, but this was probably my favourite amongst them all as it was quite light and fruity.

This delicious wine and patisserie pairing is now available in all the other Maison Blanc branches - check out their website for your closest branch and get yourself down for a cheeky weekend treat.

The Cheekster, signing out x

 

GAUCHO ARGENTINE WINE FAIR

In my ongoing pursuit of improving my knowledge of wine (slowly but surely...), I recently attended the Argentine Wine Fair held at Gaucho, located within the state-of-the-art O2 arena in Greenwich. It has been a while since my last visit to Gaucho, an Argentine restaurant which specializes in beef, exclusively sourced from Argentina. They only use grass-fed free-to-roam Aberdeen Angus-bred beef which comes from 45 hand-picked farms (estancias), all of which use traditional rearing methods. 

I've always known Gaucho for their speciality and focus on quality beef, but was never quite aware of the wine aspect, where the Gaucho passion for the best of Argentina seems to have embraced the country's wine production, particularly over the last 15 years.

 

This one-off afternoon wine-tasing event was hosted by Gaucho's Director of Wines, Phil Crozier, otherwise nicknamed 'Mr Argentina'.

Well-known as a true pioneer of Argentine wines in the UK, Phil was the first ever buyer to produce an all Argentine wine list outside of Argentina - forging extremely close relationships with many of the famous wine-makers in Argentina in this time, and has worked closely with young wine makers, embarking on a journey to produce wines with them in 2002. He has built a wine list with over 200 top quality Argentine wines over the years, working with top vineyards from Salta in the north to Patagonia in the south.

The afternoon involved a showcase of what has been his labour of love over the past five years, where we were presented with a selection of Gaucho's new and diverse wines that are not available anywhere else in the world. 

There were about 8 different stations featuring wines from the regions across Argentina, and we also got to sample some of Gaucho's famous empanadas and ceviche.

The Torrontés was probably the one that I most favoured amongst the ones that I tried, a typically Argentine grape that is mostly found in the provinces of La Rioja, San Juan, and Salta. 

Their wholly-exclusive, fully-Argentinian wine list that is set to launch in October - do check out their website for information on more of their exciting up-coming events.

The Cheekster, signing out x