The wines tasted at Le Bistro Restaurant’s wine tasting last Friday were out of this world even though the name of the event was 'Around the World'. Unusual grapes make for unusual and surprising wines and the Aligoté from the Bourgogne, the Viognier from Argentina, the excellent Australian Merlot, the palate caressing Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and the sweet, but oh so delicious Orange Muscat from California and their accompanying tapas-sized dishes had the guests at the two wine tasting sessions at Le Bistro literally swooning.
In the world of wine lovers every wine has a story. A wine is the end result of a journey, which starts with its `terroir’ and vines; the finale of the process is the aging in stainless steel or oak barrels before the wine is bottled. That there is a lot to tell about a glass of wine, was proven by vinologist Govert van der Hout of Arion Wine Company, who guided the two sessions of tastings at Le Bistro. Hosted by manager Danny van Haalen, the evening was a great success.
The first wine that was poured to the guests, seated on the lovely terrace of the restaurant in the Paseo Herencia Mall, was the Aligoté from Simonnet Febvre 2010 from the Bourgogne, France. Simonnet Febvre is located in the Chablis region in the north of Burgundy and its unusual grape Aligoté can only be found in this region. This fresh, crispy wine, which undergoes a second fermentation, went superbly with the salad of baby spinach leaves with bits of bacon and baby tomatoes.
The second wine tasted was the Viognier from Bodegas Callia Magna 2011, San Juan, Argentina. Well-heeled Meijndert Pon from Holland started a winery in Argentina a few years back where he makes a creamy, full and exclusive wine from the viognier grape. Having aged in stainless steel barrels, his wine therefore does not have an oaky taste – it enhanced and balanced the oh so spicy stir-fried shrimps.
Govert van der Hout quoted "A well balanced person has a glass of wine in each hand" before he went on to explain how Alice White, a 20-year old winery from Australia, became so successful. Judging from the excellent Merlot 2011 from South Eastern Australia, the answer seems easy: the company makes outstanding wines and quality sells. The Merlot and the pasta with truffle sauce loved each other; everyone agreed to that!
The Sibaris by Undurraga Reserva Especial 2009, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley in Chile made true believers out of the guests at Le Bistro. Together with the lamb in mint sauce it was a match made in heaven. The Sibaris is a wine that one won’t soon forget!
Not many people want to drink a dessert wine after dinner, but at Le Bistro the Quady Winery Essensia 2010 Orange Muscat from Madera, California made sweet plus sweet by the caramelized custard into a fantastic finale that no one could resist, even though they tried. Good company, the five wines plus their lovely plates with small portions of delightful fare made the evening into a feast.
Glowing praise once again for the excellent wine tasting of Mr. van der Hout and the perfect hosting at Le Bistro! In the picture the athletic ladies of the spinning class of Healthy Living enjoying a night out at Le Bistro.
