Red Zen - Courtyard by Marriot

This was my 3rd Food Blogger meet and now looking at everyone who create super food at home, I think I should move on from cutting onions, mashing potatoes, to adding just that one thing to make food taste good to a full meal.

Rushina with Torres

Rushina of A Perfect Bite again chose a beautiful location and this time Marriot management did turn out with all their smile (and it was not fake). We met up with Big Boss of the Courtyard by Marriot and many many more who were happy to help you with your questions.

I had an amazing chat with the chef about what is the craziest thing they have cooked or eaten. The names which they said was amazing Crocodile Tail, Crows, Piegons, Grouse, Turkey (when it was not easily available in India), Ostrich, Snakes list just went on and on. I was in total awe of them. Also came to know why breads were soggy with the canapies they served and the history of it. Which is generally bread soaks up the moisture from the food and in past people had to eat on the filling. I tasted the best Zuchini, Pineapple and Cream Cheese pairing, which topped the other 3.

Then we were taken upstairs to the swimming pool where wine master Mr. Reimi gave a good fun talk of the wine and people in my table were enjoying their time. We had difficulty in choosing which was the better wine but later according to Indian Pallete the White Wine from Chardonny wins hands down in our table of four.
All the wines which we tasted were:

It was a Red setting next to the Pool

1) KUMALA (2008) (Western Cape Pinotage Shiraz) (South Africa)
A medium bodied wine with coffee, black pepper, off key tastes, hints of black fruit (wild berries)

2) KUMALA (2008) (Western Cape Chardonnay Semillion) (South Africa)
A crisp fruity wine with sweet and spicy vanilla, melon & pear flavours.

3) LAROCHE(2009) (De La Chevalière Chardonnay) (France)
A Lifted wine with aromas of Grapefruit & White Peach.

4) LAROCHE(2009) (De La Chevalière Cabernet Sauvignon) (France)
A medium bodied wine with a bouquet of red fruit with strawberry and jam.

Something to go with the wine

Cheese and Crackers (which i love to call biscuits)

Torres giving out info and people enjoying the Wine

Later, we went back to Red Zen and we were greeted with Appetizers:

Chicken Satay

Papaya salad/ Som tam (v) - It looked so good to the eye but for people who generally do not enjoy spicy food it was one which could be avoided but one had to taste it to know what awesome thing it was.
Mini spring roll (v) - Well it was Spring Rolls and Mini
Mini chicken satay - Soft and tasty perfect with a smooth drink.

Next to the Kitchen

Papaya Salad and Praws

Thai black pepper prawn  - One of the best prawns I had, everyone thought it was the Oil which gave the amazing flavor but it was the butter which the prawns were polished made them so yummy.

Man who cooked it for us

Then the main course was about to start and the smiling chef Praiwan said keep some space in your stomach as food is going to be great.


Soup: TOM KHA GAI
Thai coconut soup with chicken favored with galangal

The Red Zen Blogger Menu Card

MAIN COURSE
GOONG PHAD PONG KRA-REE
Wok fried prawn with Thai yellow curry

PLA SAAM ROD
Crisp fried fish fillet with three flavored sauce

GAI PHAD KHIENG SOD
Wok fried chicken with ginger

GAENG KIEW WAN PAK
Thai Green curry vegetable

PHAD THAI PAK
Thai style fried rice noodle with vegetable and roasted peanut

STEAMED JASMINE RICE

This was the menu but I guess with all the talking with each other everyone just enjoyed their time and no pressure on how the food tasted was it bad or good, random talks was the order of the evening.

Nikhil Giving out Moutain Jam to everyone

Thank you Marriot for great time and Rushina for organising the event. Also Nikhil for giving us the Mountain Jam.

Sula Wine Festival - Amazing Marketing Product

And this year after last minute decision finally decided to go for Sula Fest which is a verrry big event for every mumbaite after Goa new year party.

Generally happening 1st weekend of February Sula Vineyard owners decide to throw open the gates and throw a huge party for 1 full day under burning sun and then later almost chilled night.

When I entered the gates showing the passes, saw hot chics, some wannabe, chics in salwar and I go wow this is going to be good.then the sun hits me which would have being good 35 degrees around 1 pm, I go searching for the wine bar which was at 2 places in the open air. There was everything which Sula Vineyard produce, when I ask for one they put out a plastic glass and pour the wine in it. I mean some of the wine creators must have turned in their graves looking at people enjoying wine in plastic glasses but I became part of the crowd and I was here to drink wine, also what I conclude here is that Sula does touch is year end sales figure during the festival. The wine was served at Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 per half a plastic glass.

There was food which were good Pav Bhaji, Kheema Pav, Burgers, Pastas (which were on fire for most of the day), Chinese, Indian, Shwarma and Amore Gelatos all priced from Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 which again I think it is OK.

They had grape stomping which they charged Rs. 450 per person and you had to stand under the sun and just stomp the grapes, I mean what fun! duh!

Finally some good soul decided we sit in an enclosed area where we can sit and talk and not be afraid to get burned by the sun. And then we are at the wine tasting lounge which serves you wine and dishes which compliment it. We had Sula Brut a sparling wine and Rose Blush Zinfandal (i hope i spelled it right) where plastic glass was provided.

They had a chocolate and wine tasting for Rs. 75 where one gets 2 glasses (small quantity) of wine with Cadbury Bournville which was melting away. Yes the experience was good but it did not achieve anything what Sula/Cadbury wanted the customer to say as the person behind the counter did not know the significance of drinking wine with chocolate. Ohh here we also found that people have just come to drink and do not know how to pronounce wine Chenin Blanc was pronounced as Sanin....Sanin what the fuck is Sanin.

Ohh yes, there were flea market where people bought hats, wigs, shirts, etc etc

Then, Pentagram gave it super energy performance and Midival Punditz gave super performance, by 10:30 pm people started to leave to avoid traffic and we did avoid traffic.

It was an good experience but I found it to be a bit too much where they are not promoting the wine here.

Foodie Blogger Meet 2011 - Four Seasons and Olive

This was the first Foodie Blogger Meet of 2011 organised by Rushina (http://a-perfect-bite.blogspot.com/) with help of UB Group who helped us in giving answers about Wine and other interesting facts. It was organised in Olive at Turf Club and it truly was a fun and interesting setting as so many of them were there who knew how to cook and that too very well while I on the other side a mini disaster when in Kitchen. 

We were told to reach at 8 pm but I reached around 8:30 PM and as previous blogger meet at Indian Harvest I was almost the last one to reach. Settled down with fellow bloggers and then we were first given a menu which had a four course Salad, Starters, Main Course and Dessert (tea and coffee at the end but who is interested in that when one has wine)

Salad: We had 2 options Smoked Salmon Salad and Wine Cured Grape and Goat cheese Salad. I was on a pure non-veg diet so ordered Smoked Salmon which was served with Four Seasons Sauvignon Blanc which was chilled white wine perfect for a soft and creamy kind of food which does not lot of spices. 

Starters: Then we had option of Baked Filo - Wrapped Brie and Char Roasted Prawn again non-veg was my choice which was served with Four Seasons Viognier again a white wine. 

Main Course: There were too many options in Main course Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Cous Couss or Chicken Shish Touk or Braised Lamb or Roasted Fillet of Beef, I went with Braised lamb which was served with Four Seasons Merlot and Four Seasons Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which were red bodied wine good in their own unique way.

Dessert: Here we did not have an option but were given Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and a Wild Berry again which was served with a cocktail with Four Seasons Blush, Cointreau, Strawberries, and sugar syrup.
. 
The night ended with UB giving us a great bottle of wine and a smile on our face. There were lot of things we learned and few things came to know about a place which I was very interested to go to but not anymore. 

Also thanks to Pranav (http://foodiegeek.blogspot.com/) and Vinda (http://www.lettuce-eat.info/) for remembering the names of the dishes. Also the photos have on this have being taken from their post.  

Bandra Wine Tasting Festival - A newbie post

In this post I will not be telling you what I drank, which one I liked better but what we did mostly.

I am not a wine drinker but I am not biased on what I drink. Wine is said to be the drink for the classes. And when I saw Wine Tasting festival organized by Pune Gourmet Club aka PGC in Bandra Gymkhana, I had set my heart out and the deal given by PGC was awesome taste 20 glasses wines for Rs. 500 only which by a marwadi calculation is a super deal (I know I am being cheap here but month end you need to check your wallet, right?)

We 3 eager people reached the location around 1:45 pm all excited and with a promise to ourselves that we will finish off the coupons, yes all 20 of them. We entered and found ourselves a shady place to sit away from the sun and relax. Opened our bags which was given by PGC which contained Wine Glass by Pause, Booklet by PGC where all about wine and wine making was written, Pen, coupons and menu card of the food stall.

10 minutes after soaking in the whole atmosphere we all naive wine drinkers headed off to the first stall Four Seasons and upon greeting they asked what would we like to have. As naive as we are about not knowing the names, how to pronounce them we just said in simple English "What do you suggest?" Then the lady behind the counter courteous enough told us, "I suggest you white wine" we nod, she added "do you like it sweet or dry?" We had no clue what dry meant we went for sweet. Ohh! yes we did sniff, we did swirl, we did roll the wine in our tongue but did not get exactly what they meant by fruity flavor.

So first few drinks were all white or at times Rose we did sip in slowly, talked, watched, read the booklet. As it was afternoon time we were suggested to have white chilled wine and as a good listener we obeyed them and drank them slowly.

Around 5 pm we had around total of 11 glasses of white wine, rose and red wine. But mostly it was white wine with the sweet tasting one. Well the dry white wine makes your tongue go dry when you swirl the Wine around a bit in your mouth and gulp it down.

The festival also had some interesting food counters Cafe Arabia for Lebanese food which was great. PGC Sea Food barbeque which had fishes and pastas, we tried Chicken Pasta which was just OK. And Chicken Curry South Indian style again average.

We novice people wanted to try cheese as well and after having some horrific cheese forgot the name (do not want to remember about it at all) we decided we are happy with our Amul Cheese.

There was a live food counter made by a famous Chef of a famous hotel, he made Ravioli and Risotto, If I had ordered them, I would have promptly sent them away. One of the worst I have ever tasted and an Italian female duly agreed with me.

Around 7:30 PM when I had another appointment to keep had to rush off after around 16 glasses and we did not finish our promise.



Heard it on a TV Channel "Wine Making and drinking is a serious business and beer making is a fun business" which I understood when I was at the tasting festival, guys behind the counter in smart white, very serious looking, jazz playing and everyone sitting in their own table talking in a low voice.

TASTE EXPO

Featuring wines from 8 countries showcasing 4 brands each, introductory certification courses from world renowned institutes WSET & CAFA in addition to single malt workshops – the TASTE features are set to invigorate the senses. 

Image via Wikipedia

When: January 28 & 29, 2010

Where: Conference Rooms 1 & 2, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

Day & Time                 AgendaBrands/ Topics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

DAY 1                                                   

10.30 ONWARDS         VISITOR REGISTRATION OPENS

11.00 – 11.15              INAUGURATION 

12.00 - 13.00               WSET INTRODUCTORY TASTING CLASS – I 

                                    'Taste like a professional'                                                             

                                    Conducted by David Wrigley, MW, WSET                                             

Swirling, slurping and spitting – the art of tasting wine in a professional arena is very different to simply enjoying a glass with friends.   The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has been developing and delivering qualifications for the trade professional for over 40 years.

Build your confidence in tasting wine, complete an activity to attune your senses, followed by a wine tasting using the WSET’s Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting.  By taking the time to assess the colour, describe the aroma and consider the palate you can start making decisions about the quality of a wine – vital skills for those who love wine.                        

Attendees receive certificates from WSET at the end of the session.         

12.00 - 13.00               CAFA SCHOOL OF WINE & SPIRITS 

                                    'Wine-making methods used in Europe'

                                    Conducted by Mathieu Huguet, Wine-maker                                                     

14.00 - 14.30               WINES OF FRANCE

The French group will be delighted to take you through the regions of Champagne, Bordeaux, Sud De France. Wines available to taste are Champagne Chaudron, Champagne Malard, Buzet, Aimery Sieur D’arques and Domaine de Puech Haut from the Languedoc region, Cognac and Pineaux Lheraud and Chateau Montaud from Provence.               

14.00 - 14.30               WINES OF ITALY

A group of charming wines including regional specialities such as Chianti, Brunello, Montepulicano and Barolo will be presented by the interesting mix of Italians.  

14.30 - 15.00               WINES OF AUSTRIA

The Austrian Wine Marketing board representing the best wines available from the country will be presenting some classic and young interesting vintages.               

14.30 - 15.00               WINES OF GERMANY

A strong interesting group of wines made available to you at TASTE include Kerner Gewürztraminer Spätlese, Riesling Niersteiner Ölberg  Spätlese, Trollinger Lemberger QbA and specialist wines from the Morhena  association of wineries.   

15.00 – 16.00              WINE AND SPIRIT PANEL DISCUSSION

‘Overcoming the challenges facing the Indian Wine Market Tackling taxation and its impact on the market’

• Highlighting the struggle in introducing new labels

• Following market trends

• Embracing change within the wine market

v  Sanjay Menon, Importer, Sonarys                                                   

v  Vishal Kadakia, CEO, Wine Park                                                     

v  Subhash Arora, President, Delhi Wine Club & Indian Wine Academy                                              

15.00 - 16.00               TULLEEHO BEER APPRECIATION WORKSHOP

Conducted by the Tulleeho Bartending Academy, the Tulleeho Workshops will not only add the dash of flavour to your next drink but will also leave you with interesting facts that will serve to open up a whole new meaning to taste. Attend and appreciate.              

16.00 - 17.00               WINE AND SPIRIT PANEL DISCUSSION                                                          

v  David Wrigley, MW, WSET                                                      

v  Dharti Desai, CEO, FineWinesnMore      

16.00 - 16.30               WINES OF PORTUGAL

Portugal is the new star at the wine fair and will be presenting a range of wines including the finest of Porto Wines. Featuring Vista Alrgre Port LBV 2003, Costa Do Pombal (Doc Douro) and Vallegre Special Reserve 2005.    

16.30 - 17.00               WINES OF INDIA

                             A host of the finest wines from the finest and talented wine makers in India will give you a live taste of the amazing progress achieved by the country’s pioneering wine makers.

DAY 2       

                                                                            

10.30 ONWARDS         VISITOR REGISTRATION OPENS

12.00 - 13.00               WSET INTRODUCTORY TASTING CLASS - II

‘Does wine tell its own story?’                                                       

Conducted by David Wrigley, MW, WSET             

Tasting wine professionally isn’t a clever party trick designed to impress your friends when you manage to guess the grape variety, country and vintage correctly, it’s a chance for us to consider a wine in detail and to make educated conclusions.

In this session, WSET will look at what we can learn about a wine by tasting it blind.  Using the WSET’s Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting, we will evaluate the wine before asking ourselves what our tasting notes, together with our global wine knowledge, tell us about what we have in the glass… what does the wine tell us about itself?  Is it a classic wine of its style? What is its value category? 

Attendees receive certificates from WSET at the end of the session.

12.00 - 13.00               CAFA SCHOOL OF WINE & SPIRITS

‘All about Cognac’

Conducted by Amit Keval, Consultant    

This workshop will focus on the intricate details of how cognac is manufactured and how to taste it best.     

14.00 - 14.30               WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA

                                     

Wines of South Africa will be presenting award winning wines with a special focus on wines from the distinctive terroir of Saronsberg. The ranges available include the Provenance range known for their fruit driven elegance, the Provenance Shiraz range renowned for their elegant and accessible tannins, the Saronsber range with their full range of bold fruity wines and the Saronsber Seismic range.     

14.00 - 14.30               WINES OF SPAIN

The group of wineries from Spain are here to present to you 'new to India' wines including brandy from Jerez, wines from the region of Toro and a range of wines presented by Grapeland.           

15.00 - 16.00               FOOD PANEL DISCUSSION 

Highlighting the weaknesses & optimising the strengths of the Food & Beverage Sector in India                          

v  Vijayan Gangadharan, Director - F&B, Grand Hyatt                                                                     

v  Rajiv Kapoor, Assistant Director - F&B, Le Royal Meridien                                               

v  Ranju Singh, Director - F&B, Taj Lands End           

15.00 - 16.00               TULLEEHO SCOTCH & SINGLE MALT APPRECIATION WORKSHOP 

                                    Mesmerized by Single Malt?                                                                  

Take the Scotch Whisky Trail and get acquainted with the regions of Scotland and their varied whiskies. Learn from the Whiskey Guru and get fascinated by the taste and smells that will undoubtedly overwhelm your senses. Brands for tasting will be announced shortly. Attendees receive certificates from the Tulleeho Bartending Academy at the end of this session.                   

16.00 - 17.00               THE ULTIMATE WINE & FOOD PAIRING SESSION

Conducted by Cru Classe's Lara Cowan

An oenophile and “wine geek” at core, Lara believes in staying abreast of the newest developments in the world of wine, yet trusts and respects the traditions that have nurtured wines through the ages. To complement the world of Wines, Lara also has a background in Food Technology. As a trained Pastry Chef and an accomplished Chef she believes in "balance". Balance of flavours, textures and all the delicate intricacies of ingredients are important to her...and without compromise. Food and Wine Pairing, undoubtedly comes naturally to her!        

16.00 - 17.00               TAJ TEA WORKSHOP

This tea tasting and appreciation workshop reveals the mystery behind this exotic drink and   takes you on a journey that will transform you from a tea lover to a tea connoisseur. Along the way, we will master the art of making a perfect cup of tea and also figure out what to do with an orange peel. Featuring Taj Tea Brands, by Hindustan Unilever Limited.                                 

                                    *TASTE Show Features agenda and timings are subject to change

To enroll for the TASTE features, please contact me on +91 98207 04500. Registrations on a first come first serve basis only.

How to Taste Wine

Image via Wikipedia

Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor.

Here's How:

Look: Check out the Color and Clarity.

Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Then take a good look at the wine. Tilt the glass away from you and check out the color of the wine from the rim edges to the middle of the glass (it's helpful to have a white background - either paper, napkin or a white tablecloth).

What color is it? Look beyond red, white or blush. If it's a red wine is the color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red, brick or even brownish? If it's a white wine is it clear, pale yellow, straw-like, light green, golden, amber or brown in appearance?

Still Looking: Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque, dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear? Can you see sediment? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floaters? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.

Smell: Our sense of smell is critical in properly analyzing a glass of wine. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, gently swirl your glass (this helps vaporize some of the wine's alcohol and release more of its natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression.

Still Smelling: Now stick your nose down into the glass and take a deep inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics. Gently swirl the wine and let the aromas mix and mingle, and sniff again.

Taste: Finally, take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. There are three stages of taste: the Attack phase, the Evolution phase and the Finish.

The Attack Phase is the initial impression that the wine makes on your palate. The Attack is comprised of four pieces of the wine puzzle: alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. These four puzzle pieces display initial sensations on the palate. Ideally these components will be well-balanced one piece will not be more prominent than the others. These four pieces do not display a specific flavor per se, they meld together to offer impressions in intensity and complexity, soft or firm, light or heavy, crisp or creamy, sweet or dry, but not necessarily true flavors like fruit or spice.

The Evolution Phase is next, also called the mid-palate or middle range phase, this is the wine's actual taste on the palate. In this phase you are looking to discern the flavor profile of the wine. If it's a red wine you may start noting fruit - berry, plum, prune or fig; perhaps some spice - pepper, clove, cinnamon, or maybe a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or a detectable smokiness. If you are in the Evolution Phase of a white wine you may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits, or the taste may be more floral in nature or consist of honey, butter, herbs or a bit of earthiness.

The Finish is appropriately labeled as the final phase. The wine's finish is how long the flavor impression lasts after it is swallowed. This is where the wine culminates, where the aftertaste comes into play. Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied (like water) or full-bodied (like the consistency of milk)? Can you taste the remnant of the wine on the back of your mouth and throat? Do you want another sip or was the wine too bitter at the end? What was your last flavor impression - fruit, butter, oak? Does the taste persist or is it short-lived?

After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Was it sweet, sour or bitter? How was the wine's acidity? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine's name, producer and vintage year down for future reference.

*taken from http://www.mumbaiwinefest.in/basics%20_wine_tasting.htm