Cloudy Bay Wine Tasting Shang Palace, Shangri-la Hotel KL
Its been long coming that Wine, and Asian food should meet. Twas like star crossed lovers. A case of Romeo & Juliet Twas never meant to be or Twas it?
With all due respect, I shall leave the Shakespearean rhyming to the man himself, or at least those who can actually write that way.
That I do with wine as well, as, like with Shakespeare. I like a taste of it, I sit back, I reflect on it, but Ill be damned if you asked me to reproduce it.
Wine and food go together like (fill the gap birds of a feather is not allowed)
New Zealand Wine, and Asian food go together like (fill the gap No dirty jokes here please)
Cloudy Bay Wines, from the Marlborough region of New Zealand well, thats a whole different tale.
Photo Courtesy of Cloudy Bay
Shakespeare always ended his plays, his stories, way too soon. No room for sequels. And a change of cast for that matter. Everybody died. With Cloudy Bay, theres room for many, many more wines, and many, many more stories, for many, many more years to come.
Photo Courtesy of Cloudy Bay
Nick Lane, Winemaker of Cloudy Bay, was in town.
Photo Courtesy of Cloudy Bay
Milk PR on behalf Mot Hennessy Diageo Malaysia, gr! aciously invited me to sample a lovely pairing at what is known to be one of the best Chinese Restaurants in town, with one of the most popular New Zealand Wines to hit our shores.
Food and wine pairing its not just about flavours matching, says Nick. Its about temperature. Its about textures. Its about the place, the weather, he continues. Its about who youre with, and what youre doing.
I totally agree. I was lucky to have the famous Nigel of Just Heavenly with me for our delightful lunch! Wine, in itself, is just fermented grape juice. How its aged, where you drink it, and what you drink it with, can make or break it.
You dont usually pair wine with Chinese food, but with more exposure from gatherings like this, the practice is becoming increasingly popular. And rightly so. Just by looking at them, you can tell what dishes they should be paired with How? By the colour. Work your way up from light to dark.
We tasted three amazing wines, and five spectacular dishes. Nick urged us to taste all three wines with all the dishes, and decide for ourselves which wine went with which dish.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Photo Courtesy of Cloudy Bay
Tasting notes:
2010 has produced a Sauvignon Blanc of vibrant intensity. The characteristically uplifting aromas of ripe lime and grapefruit, nectarine, papaya and mango and floral notes of orange blossom, gooseberry and sweet fennel are striking. A small po! rtion of barrel ferment and subtle use of solids in fermentation has resulted in a chalky and weighty texture balanced by a minerally-citrus acid backbone. The wine has elegant line and length; refined, fleshy yet focussed and refreshing.
The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is a classic, drinkable wine. With hints of fresh tropical fruit and its light, almost glowingly clear colour, it usually goes well with slightly spicy food. I found this wine best paired with the Pan Fried Tiger Prawns topped with sun-dried scallop sauce.
The subtle citrus undertones really enhanced the seafood flavours, yet smoothed the undertones of dried scallop in the thinner-than-treacle sauce.
It also went well with our first dish, the Egg Pancake Wrapped with Crisp Suckling Pig and Sweet Sauce, but I did add green chillies to give it a bit of a kick.
It was a pork version of Peking duck, and it was delicious. The Pancake itself was light and fluffy, yet thin to the point of almost being translucent. Skilfully made. Gently wrapped inside, tender slices of suckling pig, cooked to perfection. The sweet sauce, which was a twist on plum sauce, balanced out the saltiness of the meat while each precisely sliced cucumber added a lovely crunch to every bite.
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, 2007
Photo Courtesy of Cloudy Bay
Tasting Notes: An irresistible mix of ripe citrus and toasted nut aromas reminiscent of grapefruit, fig and pistachio biscotti taken with cha! momile t ea. The palate leads with savoury notes which give way to a taut citrus core, revealing the vibrant Marlborough fruit. Natural yeast fermentation and judicious oak handling combine to deliver a refined and textural finish.Expect the 2007 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay to age gracefully over the next five to seven years.
Personally, Im not a Chardonnay fan. The oaky taste is usually too strong, and I end up with a headache after a couple of glasses. I always make an exception when it comes to Cloudy Bays Chardonnay, and the 2007 harvest produced a wonderful Chardonnay. True, it was a bigger, bolder wine, with more going on in every sip. I really enjoyed the Chardonnay with the Baked Marinated Canadian Cod Fish with Honey Pepper Sauce.
A fragile fillet of cod that was held together by its sturdy skin, which was caramelized beautifully and coated in the subtle, syrupy sauce with just a trace of pepper.
I also thought it went well with the Stewed Marinated Spare Ribs in Chef Sauce served with Steamed Bun.
A shiny, glossy dish that sent shivers down my spine, in a good way.
Each bite brought a new experience in my mouth the smoothness of the meat, the stickiness of the skin, the velvety caress with every bite. It melted, literally melted, in my mouth. Whatever was in that Chef Sauce certainly hit the spot, especially when paired with Cloudy Bays Pinot Noir.
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes: Vibran! t red in colour, CLOUDY BAY Pinot Noir displays a nose that is both pure and complex revealing aromas of strawberries, earthy fresh mushrooms and smoky spice. The palate is finely balanced, with a vibrant core of red fruits clad in a silky, luscious lining. A subtle textural chalkiness and fine grained tannins indicate a wine that will develop beautifully in the bottle over the next 7-8 years.
To finish of our spoilt palates, a Combination of Sweet Papaya Puree with Avocado Roll.
I will not forget to mention the insightful lessons we gained from Nick, who courteously taught us the right way to hold a glass of wine.
Basically, avoid the cup of the glass, as you will warm up the wine. Grab the stem instead, not because it makes you look like a pompous wine expert, but because its a simple way to start learning how to treat good wine with respect.
As all good Shakespearean tales go, this one too must come to an end. But dont worry, with Cloudy Bay, rest assured there will be many more adventures to come
*Many thanks to Milk PR for the invite, Mot Hennessy Diageo Malaysia and Shang Palace for the delicious meal and tasting, and of course, Nick and for a taste of Cloudy Bays wonderful wines.
For more information, check out:
CONTACT
(NON-HALAL)
Shangri-la Hotel Kuala Lumpur
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
T: (60 3) 2032 2388
F: (60 3) 2070 1514
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