Following Curtis Stone and the memorable wine tasting session, I was left with a period of drought until Appetite Asia's Wine Awards Tasting and Dinner came up. It is a rare opportunity to experience what it would be like being part of the tasting panel for these unreleased wines and determine their "fates" in the local market.
Northern Italian wines were showcased in the taste test.
Straight from the Rosemount Estate in Australia were the wines paired during dinner.
Exciting!
Ten wines were masked behind thin foil and I begun the blind taste test glass after glass. All ten of them, until the taste buds did get a little marred with the whites and reds. One stood out quite strongly for me - a moscato no less.
Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2010
Monopole $42
Refreshing scents of crushed grapes, marzipan, lychee and gummy bears. Uplifting palate with good balance and a creamy mousse. Rather high acidity; easy-drinking and enjoyable.
Easier on the palette as compared to the rest that somehow came across to acidic. I am definitely no wine connoisseur but I can tell a good riesling! Three glasses and I wish I brought the bottle over for dinner.
The place was cosy with middle eastern ascents.
Gastronomical journey ahead.
Pasha was the hosting restaurant for the event and morrocan cuisine was the highlight for the night. The last attempt at anything Mediterranean was vaguely Annar or Medz. Neither was outstanding enough and I began questioning if middle eastern cuisine is entirely my plate of cous cous. Funnily or not, my little knowledge of Morocco is limited to their gorgeous Queen Rania.
The courses throughout dinner would be paired with various wines and I was hoping to discover another favourite through the pairings.
Fish Sharmoula Kebab
Grilled codfish skewers with couscous salad
Superb start to the meal with smokey skewers of grilled codfish served up. With a dash of lemon, all was zesty and tasty. Couscous salad was refreshingly yummy, one of the few occasions I wish couscous came in larger portions.
Chardonnay 2008
White on white for complements.
Marakesh Harira Soup
Traditional Moroccan soup (Chickpeas, Lentils, Tomatoes)
This was a light slightly sour soup with chockfuls of chickpeas, lentils and tomatoes. Every gout sufferers nightmare, I liked the beans cooked to the right tendency but the soup could do with a thicker consistency.
Ghanmi Ba'l Barkouk Tajine
Sweet and savoury tender lamb with prunes, apricots and served with couscous
I was served a lamb rack, quite almost. The tender lamb fell off the bone so easily after being braised long enough to achieve that tenderness. Well flavoured and the sweet prunes and apricots complemented it quite well. Couscous here was less stellar, on the bland side but I suppose that is to create a good contrast with the rich flavours.
Pinot Noir 2010
Am no red wine fan, except for very specific tastes. This was a little too acidic.
Messkouta
Moroccan orange cake with ice-cream
Steamed orange cake so light and fluffy, it was a guiltless one...almost! I adore how concentrated the orange flavour was, as if an entire orange went into baking the cake. Vanilla bean icecream made this doubly enjoyable.
Rosemount Ruby O 2009
A combination of sparkling rose and chivas, the sweetness was toned down with the dash of whiskey. Fizzy one but went quite well with dessert.
Dinner was pleasant though I must admit, I am not quite a full fledged fan of Middle Eastern food. That being said, I did find a favourite wine this time too!
These sessions are held quarterly and I hear the next event will showcase Australian wines.
Nestled in The Sultan Hotel is Pasha.
Waltzing out of the hotel down the alleyway was quite the way to end such a bubbly night.
Pasha Restaurant
64 Aliwal Street
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