In
cooperation with the website Ovinu in October, we organized the 7th oenological and culinary evening.
This time the event took place in Sunset restaurant in Grand Hotel Bernardin
and the evening was in the sign of sparkly bubbles and culinary excellence.
The wine
duel was between Miran Sirk and Simon Simčič, representatives of two of the
most distinguished sparkling wine producers in Slovenia: Bjana and Medot. The
culinary creations were entrusted again to our best chef in Portorož, Aleš
Grašič.
What did we prepare to pamper the participants of the 7th oenological and culinary evening?
The evening started with Medot sparkling wine Brut 48 and smoked trout with goat cheese and figs, marinated fried tuna fish tartare with beetroot purée
Next to
Medot’s Brut 48 chef Aleš Grašič served smoked trout with goat cheese and figs
and marinated fried tuna fish tartare with beetroot purée.
Simon
Simčič of Medot gave the participants a bit of insight on the maturation of
sparkling wines. “The maturation of sparkling wines is very subjective. The
important thig is that the sparkling wine is good, without faults. We have
fresh sparkling wines, where primary fruity aromas are more pronounced, and
there are maturated sparkling wines, where the secondary and tertiary aromas
are more expressed. Our house specialises in maturer sparkling wines. With Brut
48 we brought the Medot world to a wider audience, as the sparkling wine is
somewhat less demanding, yet it still maintains its structure and complexity.
If we put on the market a sparkling wine with an even shorter maturation
period, we would compromise our style.”
We continued with scampi ceviche with mango and persimmon, rosemary sponge cake with olives and two glasses of exquisite yet very different rosé wines
In the
second cold starter the Adriatic scampi was marinated with lime and other
citruses. Persimmon was added as a local ingredient and mango for its tropical
aroma. The base was a local rosemary sponge cake with olives. The cherry on top
of the cake was definitely the coriander.
When chef
Grašič set the plates with scampi ceviche with mango and persimmon and rosemary
sponge cake with olives, two rosé wines were on the table. Both wines, Bjana
and Medot alike, are very dry (brut) and in both the main grape type is pinot
noir.
Bjana is
an excellent wine that regularly receives acclaimed prizes for its quality. The
most renowned is definitely the prize from the largest and most influential
wine competition in the world, Decanter World Wide Awards, which is held in
London. The Brut rosé was awarded the platinum medal two times.
In the third encounter a risotto with chanterelles, marinated salmon and burrata met white cuvée wines
Bjana brut
is made of ribolla and chardonnay, whereas Medot’s cuvée also contains pinot
noir. Simčič explained that the base is the same as for Brut 48, but the first
wine is matured on yeasts a year longer. Both wines complemented each other
perfectly alongside the risotto with a local touch. The salmon had been
marinated overnight in a mix of salt and sugar. Thus it dried a little, which
matched perfectly both dry sparkling wines. The risotto was made on a salmon
base and chanterelles cream. The white element seen on the photograph is the
burrata, which was used instead of butter to bond the risotto and make it
creamier. The chanterelles were fresh, sautéed with thyme and rosemary.
The highlight of the evening: brill fillet with roasted fennel, parsnip purée and cuvée extra brut
For the
main dish grilled brill with parsnip was served, combining salty and sweet
flavours. The base was morels with lobster velouté. The impeccably set tables
were served with Bjana Cuvée prestige
extra brut and Medot Cuvée extra-brut.
These are extremely dry sparkling wines as the residual sugar in the wine is
between three and six grams per litre.
Instead of dessert a selection of cheeses was served
The
evening was concluded with a selection of cheeses, which were recommend by the wine
producers themselves. For the grand finale we had Bjana’s Brut zero, without
added sugar. This sparkling wine is also called brut nature or completely dry.
Brut zero is made of chardonnay and ribolla. Medot house offered the crème de
la crème from their wine cellars to accompany the cheeses: the sparkling wine millésime
2011, which matured on yeasts for almost eight years. As it is produced with
grapes of just one harvest, each millésime sparkling wine vintage is different
and unique. The participants of this evening tried the vintage 2011, which
contained 40% chardonnay, 40% ribolla and 20% pinot noir.
Another unforgettable oenological and culinary evening was concluded with delightful smiles and new knowledge. Find out more about other gourmet evenings in Bernardin.
Photo: Aleš Beno
Ministry of Health warns: Drinking alcohol can be detrimental to health.