Perfectly Tempered Chocolatier and designer of bespoke Argentina centric chocolates, Kirsty Joly, came face to face with Jessica Closs Gaucho’s Group Sommelier to match a selection of chocolates with Malbec to scintillate our taste buds. Participants were invited to taste a slice of chocolate on its own, and then the wine on its own and finally, the chocolate together with the wine. It was obvious that the chocolate brings outs the flavour of the wine.
Phil chose four of his top selling Malbec:
• Selection G Malbec 2008/9 – Domaire Vistalba 0 Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza
• Casa Marquery 2006/7 – La Consulta Uco Valley de Mendoza
• Michel Torino Don David 2007/8 Cafayate Salta
• Schroeder Patagonian Select 2006/7
Malbec has a great selection of red wines from its vineyards in North and South of Argentina.
For the matching, Kirsty provided 9 varieties of chocolates to complete the Malbec. The chocolate were matched in pairs to a glass of chosen Malbec.
• Jasmine Tea: made out of milk chocolate ganache delicately infused with jasmine Tea finished rolled in dark chocolate and decorated with a pink shimmer
• Blueberry Truffle: this is a combination of blueberry, smooth caramel and hand rolled in a milk chocolate shell.
• Masala Chai – Indian tea, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and star anise which was used to flavour the milk ganache and then decorated with cocoa butter stripes. This had to be my favourite chocolate of the night. It worked well on its own and even better with Domaine Vistalba – Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza, the chocolate just melted in your mouth
• Dark Chocolate Truffle: a smooth dark chocolate ganache hand rolled on dark chocolate finished with lashings of white chocolate.
• Lemon and Mint – a combination of fresh lemon zest and mint infused to make a white chocolate ganache enclosed in dark chocolate, decorated with yellow coca butter speckles. Fantastic taste with the flavour of mint working very well with the La Cosulta Uco Valley de Mendoze.
• Passion Fruit – passion fruit flavoured dark chocolate ganache encased in dark chocolate
• Strawberry & Balsamic – balsamic vinegar with strawberries in a smooth white ganache encased in dark chocolate and decorated with a pink shimmer. This particular chocolate did not do much for me
• Orange and Cardamom – cream infused with fresh orange zest and cardamom pods this was combined with milk chocolate to make this a delicious ganache enrobed in dark chocolate and decorated with orange and white cocoa butter. This has a very strong orange taste and worked very well with Schroeder ‘Petagonian Select’ 2006/7.
Nevertheless, my favourite Malbec on the night without a doubt had to be the Selection ‘G’ Malbec 2008/9 Domaine Vistalba – Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza this wine was very light and had a fresh taste to it and complemented Masala Chai very well. It worked well together or on its own, this obvious can be seen as being biased as I do have a sweet tooth and the flavours of Indian tea, spiced with cinnamon, cloves and ginger just brings the freshness out topped with the milk chocolate gnanache was truly a bonus. Gaucho is currently running Malbec and chocolate tasting in their restaurants www.gauchorestaurants.com.
Anyone who adores food and drink will appreciate that there is more to eating well, fine dining and a balanced meal than a ping pong between kitchen staff and head chefs. It is also said that the way to any person’s heart is through the stomach; so it goes without saying that the way to any traveller delight is a very good meal.
Executive Traveller presents a group of skilled chefs from Stuttgart, London and Vienna, whose food, skill and restaurant are worth a mention in the art of food and drink.
Destination – Copenhagen
Mission – to combine food experience with meetings and incentives.
Lately, Copenhagen restaurants have been earning stars and stripes from the French Michelin Guide, awarding them a total of twelve stars! The city is more endowed with Michelin stars than Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Milan, and Vienna. Let’s face it, food is not something anyone can ignore during a trip and certainly not when you organise meetings and incentives for groups.
Need to host an event but cannot cook? Find out how you can count a Chef from the Executive Traveller Chefs Club. Just ask.