Italian Wine Dinner September 2017

Posted by Carlee Wilson

Brian and the Team Welcome Gianni Bertolino of the Tenuta Olim Bauda Winery

On arrival, guests enjoyed a glass of Prosecco to get their palate ready for a tasting of fine wine matched to a fine selection of dishes carefully put together using some of Scotland's best produce, by our award winning Chef, Brian Maule.

First Course

Succulent West Coast Crab lightly spiced and served with asparagus tips and red pepper. Matched was the outstanding Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG 2016. 100% Cortese, steel fermented, this was a beautiful clean accompaniment for this dish. Subtle floral notes with a polite citrus backbone blend with the fresh shelled crab and asparagus like a four part harmony. Herbaceous undertones on the palate finish mingle with the salad and sweet red peppers delightfully.

first course

Mid Course

A firm favorite on the evening, was Brian's delicious chicken and ham hough lasagne. This dish features delicate hand made pasta sheets, layered with chicken and beautifully salty ham hough. Finished with a cream based (but not heavy) Madeira sauce. This dish is a stunning feature alone, however, paired with Tenuta Olim Bauda's Barbera d'Asti DOCG, 2016, it's flavour really shone through. Not oak treated, what strikes first on the nose is a delectable red fruit quality. This evolves in intensity as the glass allows the wine to air-rate. The jammy red fruit is reflected on the palate, and with fantastic structure and balance the roundness of this wine is utterly outstanding. The salty ham picks up the sweet red fruits, and the sauce picks out the small tannin features in the lingering finish. This wine is a true reflection of the quality of this wine maker - no guest would guess the 15% ABV with this non-abrasive and extremely approachable and charismatic wine.

Mid course

Main Course

Scotch beef with cepes and roast root vegetables featured as Brian's main course. Served perfectly pink, this tender roast (rib-eye) of beef is sourced from one of the premium Scottish suppliers. Matched was Tenuta Olim Bauda's Barbera d'Asti DOCG Superior, 2014. This wine is harvest at very low yield and grapes are chosen almost entirely by hand. The result, an elegant, finely structured red wine with hints of forest fruit and cocoa, soft vanilla to accompany the long and lingering finish. Marry this to a lovingly roast slice of perfectly seasoned Scotch beef and you'll never feel sad again. Roasted root vegetables bring awesome texture and an important earthy flavour to compliment this Barbera's (almost sweet) tannin.

Main course

Final Course

Poached peaches, with creme chantilly and merigue chard, fresh raspberry and gel was our dessert. A wonderfully textured dish - with varying levels of sweet flavour through-out. Matched was Tenuta Olim Bauda's Moscato d'Asti DOCG 2016. Petillance is abundant (and almost key) in the delight of this sweet treat. Green apple and pear mingle in the sweetside of this delectable wine. But the bubbles melt away any kind of cloying or heavy quality leaving this wine fresh and appealing on the palate. These qualities match wonderfully with the sweetness of poached peach and fresh raspberry. The light meringue chards complement the light bubbly quality of this delightful moscato.

Final course

Brian and the team would like to extend their sincere thanks to all at Alliance Wines and Gianni Bertolino for showcasing his very special wines at our event.

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