A Taste of Italy, a Sip of New Zealand
Italy met New Zealand with great success at the latest Bangalore Wine Club event, A Taste of Italy, a sit-down dinner held on Friday 19th March. Hosted at Bangalore's well-known Italian restaurant, Via Milano, reports Ruma Singh, SI correspondent in Bangalore. The restaurant was filled to capacity at the dinner where a range of Montana wines from New Zealand were paired with Italian cuisine by Chef Paolo Nonino.
The five course dinner commenced with a wine reception, where the Sommelier India Wine Competition (SIWC) award-winning Nine Hills Shiraz Rosé was circulated with canapés which included smoked salmon and mushroom and goat's cheese quiche.
The starters saw the pairing of a classic Buffalo Mozarella and tomato salad for the vegetarians, and grilled shrimp for the non-vegetarians with the Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2007. The classic fruit-forward notes of the New Zealand varietal - gooseberry with tinges of mango and capsicum - found wide approval among the guests. The excellently-done saffron risotto that followed had many guests opting for a second glass.
The second course - homemade gnocchi in porcini mushroom sauce and roast duck ravioli saw the debut of the Montana Pinot Noir 2007.The well-balanced and complex wine found many fans, even more so on account of its rare appearance on Indian retail shelves. The main course, baked eggplant rolls with spicy broccoli and Parmesan was a pleasant surprise for the vegetarians, while the non-vegetarians were heard raving about the perfectly done tenderloin wrapped in bacon with shallot and red wine reduction and the stewed lamb with star-anise reduction served with polenta.
The much-awaited Montana Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 made its appearance with the main course and was received with much appreciation.
For the finale, there was a delightful summer dessert made of a medley of pears and Parmesan in a balsamic vinegar reduction, served with the Jacobs Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir, its crisp flavour providing a celebratory end to the evening. Bangalore Wine Club Members were thrilled by their 'return gift' of a wine journal in which to record all the wines they have been tasting presented by the UB Group.
Speaking on the occasion, Adip Agarwal, area sales manager of Pernod-Ricard's Montana wines, mentioned that this event was seeing the debut and inaugural tasting of the newly launched Montana range in India, and that there were many high expectations from the brand. Judging by the approval of the BWC members, it has certainly got off to a flying start!
