Zema Estate Wine Dinner

Welcome to the Zema Estate Wine Dinner, held at The Angel Cafe on Thursday night.  I hope you enjoy the amazing food prepared especially to accompany the beautiful red wines made by the Zema family in the Coonawarra region of South Australia.

Now I should have started with a picture of the Duck Parfait with Cumberland jelly and thyme croute, served with the 2005 Zema Estate Merlot, BUT oops I had eaten it before I remembered to photograph it, ha ha.  Take my word for it, it was a delightful, tasty morsel washed down with a lovely subtle merlot, yum!!!

The first course served with a 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was Venison Carpaccio with cauliflower sorbet, spinach spheres and garlic crisps.  Now this was a Heston Blumenthal experience totally.  The little shiny green spheres of spinach were as smooth as glass and wobbled when poked with my fork.  Like tiny green jellies, but when the skin was broken inside the spinach was as smooth as paint.  The cauliflower sorbet was mind blowing, putting this icy cold ice cream textured morsel in my mouth and experiencing the taste of cauliflower was totally weird.  The paper thin slices of venison paired beautifully with the spinach and cauliflower and the crispy garlic strips added the crunchiness and bite that was needed.  The wine once again went beautifully with this dish.

Course two my favourite meat dish, was Crackled Belly Pork, pommery mustard chou croute, apple gel and glace de viande.  The 2006 'Cluny' Cabernet Merlot that washed this down was my favourite for the night also.

This pork was devine, the crackle perfectly crisp and not too crunchy, the apple gel like tiny dew drops on the plate to add that touch of sweetness to the pork.  The chou croute, crunchy and delicious, really this was just delicious.

But wait there's more, Course three.  Brined aromatic Duck breast with confit leg terrine, truffled white polenta and macerated cherries.  Add 2005 Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon and this is complete.  The terrine is probably the best I have ever had, I'm not a lover of jelly terrines and this was perfect for me.  The confit of duck leg was slightly crunchy in texture and full of beautiful rich duck flavours.  The truffled polenta, the first time I have had white polenta by the way, was delicious and the duck breast sweet accompanied with the beet.  The wine a little rich for me but wonderful just the same.

Next we have a refresher of Spring fruits.

Each of these beautiful sorbets is accompanied by fresh fruit and a wafer thin slice of orange dried and crispy, yum.  The stick was like hardened fairy floss nice to have something crispy to go with the softness of the sorbets and fruits.

With our palettes cleansed we were ready to indulge in the fourth course,  Whipped Brie, aged cheddar, port glaze and buttered brioche.  The 2005 Family Selection Shiraz served alongside.

Honestly another wonderfully decadent night of wine and food and I am so glad that we are able to indulge ourselves this way.  How the scales will read on Tuesday is another story, oh well I wouldn't change a thing.

Have a nice weekend all.

Tim Adams Wine Dinner

Good Evening thanks for joining me this evening for the Tim Adams Wine Dinner, at the Kingfisher Cafe.  I hope you have your best frock on or your snazziest shirt and tie, you are in for a treat.  We have just had our champagne the exclusive launch of NV Mr. Micks 'Gala' Blanc de Blanc how refreshing and light was that?  Amazing I thought, the bubbles were perfect.  Now lets enjoy our Amuse-bouche.  Creamy Cepe Risotto With Port Jelly and we'll wash it down with   a 2007 Tim Adam's 'Fergus' Grenache Blend.  Now I have to say Adrian and I really enjoy a Pinot Noir and this Grenache was very much in that style.  It was fabulous, light yet with a soft full body similar to a Merlot.  Wonderful with the delicious Cepe (french mushroom) Risotto.

Now whose been a naughty girl and forgotten to snap the Entree of Pan Seared Scallops With a Truffled Cauliflower Veloute' served with a light refreshing 2010 Tim Adams Pinot Gris?!  Ah yep that would be me, sorry but the soft, seared gorgeously plump little scallop was calling my name and before I even thought about snapping it, I had eaten it and practically licked the bowl of the truffled cauliflower veloute'.  Sigh loudly and rub your tummy it was delicious.

 Our next course and we were excited by now, the food had been brilliant and the wines really added to the flavours, that is how it should be isn't it oh yeah!!!

So we licked our lips when the main of Slow Braised Lamb Belly with Butternut Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Winter Vegetables arrived at our table.  Along side it we enjoyed a 2006 Tim Adam's Cabernet/Malbec.  The roasted veg are on top of the pumpkin puree and were wee bits of cauliflower and crunchy bits of potato, tiny though and were absolutely perfect with the asparagus, which was perfectly cooked.  The Cab/Malbec was great, full bodied and rather full of flavour.  I prefer the softer Merlot style reds, but with the richness of the Jus and the lamb it was perfect.  The meals and the wines really enhanced each other, it was wonderful to have such well matched food and wine.

Okay grab a napkin and get ready to wipe that drool, this dessert was amazing, I know I am running out of superlatives for this menu, seriously!!!! Vanilla Creme Brule' with Rice Pudding, Praline Anglaise, Vanilla Tuile and Candied Almond, sip 2007 Tim Adam's Botrytis Riesling with it.  I am a dessert lover totally love my sweets at the end of a meal.  This mini Brule' was perfect, the chef is French for this part of the meal and it shows, who does sweets better really! The rice pudding may sound a little old school, but it was dotted with crunchy nuts and chewy bits of fruit.  The consistency as you can see was creamy and thick, totally indulgent.  The Vanilla Tuile was crunchy and not too sweet perfect for dipping in the Praline Anglaise.  I really had to stop myself from licking the bowl, I am not kidding.  The perfect candied almond just topped everything off.  I was not a fan of the Reisling, it was a desert wine and very sweet.  On it's own I would never drink it, but again paired with the dessert it was perfect.  I have to stop saying that don't I.

Now for all my American and European friends you must remember we are in the throws of winter here.  The cheese plate reflected that.  Triple Brie, (yum) Walnut Biscotti and Balsamic Baked Figs served with warm Mulled Red Wine.  Are you salivating?  The Brie is one of my favourite cheeses always, I hadn't eaten fresh figs in as long as I can remember and these were superb.  Adrian was a little concerned not a fig eater and even he enjoyed them.  The Biscotti was as Biscotti is very crunchy but it did compliment the Brie.  Now the mulled wine, really does is get any better than this.  You might remember I made some myself a few weeks back and posted the recipe.  That mulled wine took me about 30 mins to make and warm and serve.  The French Chef here simmers his wine for 6 hours!!!!!!! Yes you read that correctly 6 long simmering, scent filled, delicious, hours.  And it tells this is the best mulled wine (the second) I have ever tasted.  Mine by comparison was a mess.  The figs were crunchy on top with a sugary glaze oh my I am bursting just writing about this.

We enjoyed it totally!!

I know you think we are totally glutinous, you are correct, and this was the undoing of the evening.  Adrian actually ate all of his Petit Fours, I took a small bite of each one, well I had too okay, stop rolling your eyes at me.  How could I leave these tiny morsels sitting on the plate, when they had dressed up so nicely for us.  Tiny mouthfuls of lemon tart with fresh blueberries on top.  Tiny coconut, chewy, crunchy delightful macrons.  Blackberry jellies doused in sugar. Rich, chewy, mouthfuls of chocolate brownie.  Ahh I am done.

And as if it made any difference by now, a de-caf coffee made with skim milk, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!! Really who am I kidding what was the point of that.  All in all the most fantastic night of food we have had since my 50th birthday degustation dinner, which by the way was prepared by the same chef.  They are hoping to hold one of these bi-monthly, will I survive this???  Probably not, but what a way to go.  Hope you enjoyed my amazing wine dinner with me.  Till next time Bon Apettite.