The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:35 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — They are pedigree wines from Tuscany, from a noble Florentine family whose roots in wine making date back 700 years. And the Marchese Ferdinando Frescobaldi was keen to tell us about the Marchesi de Frescobaldi wines that had scored above 90 in the wine ratings by the respected Wine Spectator, Falstaff and Wine Enthusiast.  The Nipossano Riserva Chianti Rufina DOCG 2007 got a score of 91 in Wine Spectator. — Pictures by The Malaysian Insider The Marchese, 72, hosted the lunch, with the vivacious Erika Ribaldi, area manager for Marchesi de Frescobaldi, holding forth about the wines. He is the president of Compagnia de Frescobaldi, the family holding company, as well as the president of the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia wine estate.  The Marchese Ferdinando Frescobaldi, 29th generation of a family long in the wine business. We began with the Pomino Bianco DOC 2010, paired with Poached Scallop on Giant Octopus Carpaccio and Warm Truffle Parmantier. Pomino is the name of a village up in the mountain close to Florence. The wine is made with Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco grape varieties. The appellation is very small, the elevation of 2,700 ft and the colder nights give more acidity and aroma to the wine, said Ribaldi. It's dry, refreshing, with mineral notes and a lengthy finish. "Frescobaldi has been making Chardonnay for 150 years. One of the ancestors brought Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux varieties to Tuscany, to plant at higher elevations. The French gave us Chardonnay, we taught them to play soccer!" she said, drawing laughter. The other three wines we drank came from Castello de Nipozzano, a military fort in a village on a mountain that's 1,000 years old. The thick walls of the fort prevent the heat from coming in during summer, and keeps the warmth in during winter. "We have been harvesting the vines here for 600 years," said Ribaldi. "The oldest wine we have dates back to 1902. Frescobaldi was the first to bottle wines and put in the signature to guarantee the quality since the beginning of the 19th century." We then had the highly-rated Nippozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina DOCG 2007 with Thin Slices of Cured Goose Liver with Mix Cress Sprout, Orange Ricotta Pudding and Grilled Pan Brioches. It was a harmonious wine which paired well with the velvety and creamy goose liver with tangy sweetness from the orange ricotta. "We make our Chianti on the highest elevation, so it's more elegant and austere. We make only a small amount of Nippozzano Riserva. We age the wine for 12 extra months in the cellar," said Ribaldi. The Montesodi Riserva Chianti Rufina DOCG 2008 was poured for the Red Wine Flavoured Risotto with Slow Cooked Radicchio di Treviso, Baked Pumpkin, Walnut and Maccagno Cheese. This wine is from a single vineyard, and is made only in exceptional growing years, with Sangiovese grapes. It's a rich, intense wine, with crisp acidity and a lengthy finish.  The distinguished Momoreto Toscana IGT 2008 with the Seared Lamb Tenderloin on Traditional Ferogola Sarda Creamed with Goat Cheese and Asparagus Salad. Its first vintage was produced in 1983, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. "It's the expression of the best of every harvest. One bottle of wine uses one kilo of grapes. It's a very, very small production. The berries are smaller and higher in sugar, have more skin and yield more colour," said Ribaldi. "The wine is silky smooth, with persistence of tannin. The length in your mouth is very, very long. The wine for us represents elegance, luxury and power." It was indeed all this and more. I loved the wine, which almost overshadowed the delicious Seared Lamb Tenderloin on Traditional Fregola Sarda Creamed with Goat Cheese and Asparagus Salad. We then had the Pomino Vinsanto 2006, a "holy" wine which used to be produced in Tuscany for the church. The grapes are harvested in September and they are hung in the cellar till February before they are crushed. As these yield only 60 per cent of the juice, it has 60 per cent more sugar.  The very vivacious Erika Ribaldi who gave a lively presentation at lunch. The Marchese sat proudly through the lively presentation by his export manager. He's the 29th generation of the Frescobaldi family, but the line of succession has been secured, with his son Matteo, and children from his brother and sister being involved in the family firm. "For the new generation, it is not easy to come in and work. They need to study agriculture, marketing and business. But we have the CEO and a very clever manager, outside the family." He had his first taste of wine at age 10. "It was water and wine at first, then when I was 14, I had wine." He relishes the idea of dining as a family. "I have five brothers and two sisters and we would spend at least an hour at the table because my father wanted us to share the experiences of the day. My father would explain what has happened in the countryside. There was no TV then. We had wine every day at dinner." The Marchese lives in Florence, and gets around on a scooter, while his two sons are based in London and New York. "They tell you to drink two glasses of red wine a day for health. I drink five!" The Frescobaldi wines are brought in by Sunrise Wines & Spirits. |
| Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson’s new show taps more stars Posted: 18 Oct 2012 04:57 PM PDT  British chef Nigella Lawson. — AFP-Relaxnews In addition to Lawson and Bourdain, the show has enlisted French chef and US-based expat Ludo Lefebvre and San Diego chef and restaurateur Brian Malarkey to act as mentors to the competitors. Produced by US network ABC, the hour-long show is set to premiere next year in eight episodes. The premise? The 'Mentors' will coach a team of four competing cooks through a series of challenges in each episode before tasting each dish blind, with no knowledge of what they're eating, how it was prepared or who made the dish. While virtually unknown in his native France, Lefebvre found fame in the US for his guerilla pop-up events called LudoBites, and his several TV appearances on shows like Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef America. Malarkey is a San Diego chef and restaurateur best known for his critically acclaimed restaurant Searsucker which was named the second hottest restaurant in the US by Time magazine last year, and for his appearance on Top Chef Miami. The Taste is just one of several projects being undertaken by Bourdain. Next month, his PBS series The Mind of a Chef premieres in the US, another culinary travel show which travels to Montreal, San Sebastian and Tokyo, made in collaboration with New York Momofuku chefs David Chang and Wylie Drufresne. Meanwhile, another major food TV personality is also rumored to head a television series – only this time, it's not another reality show. According to Deadine, Gordon Ramsay has been tapped to produce an NBC restaurant drama series called The Inferno. — AFP-Relaxnews |
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