Babes of Barolo and Barbaresco

An in-depth exploration of the wines of Piedmont being under the watchful gaze of some of Italy's hottest producers. Demand for Barolo and Barbaresco is at al all time high across the globe and with a run of great vintages it is easy to see why.

Global Wine Experience - 2007 Burgundy

Melbourne is the heartland for Burgundy worship in Australia and two of its foremost self-acclaimed nuts James Halliday and Philip Rich will help unravel the eternal mysteries that lie therein, through a single wonderful vintage, 2007. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leflaive, Roumier, Henri Boillot, Leroy and a raft of other top flight produces will be on show

We're here for the first session of the Acqua Panna Global Wine Experience and it's been held at the new Congress Center which is a most impressive venue. As we wait for the room to open it's fascinating to observe the type of people coming to this Burgundy Tasting - it's a well over 50's crowd of men who might find their kin in trainwatchers or twitchers.

Event @ Vue de Monde

Part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, we're at Vue de Monde for the Master and Apprentice Dinner - Shane Osborn from Pied à Terre and Marcus Eaves from L'Autre Pied.

The dinner will provide an opportunity to explore how this Michelin-starred chef and his protégé have learnt from and inspired each other. The menu will be influenced by local produce, and wines will be provided from Pyrenees vineyards Dalwhinnie and Taltarni.

While we wait for the dinner to begin, we are struck by just how much tension seems to be in the air. It's a sensation we hadn't felt here at least before. We later find out that there has been some last minute changes - the first of which is in the presentation of the canapés. Initially they were to be served as people arrived but instead were served when all were present.

Canapés:



Top row - left to right
Crisp polenta, quail egg, tomato fondue, lardo di colanatta and sage
Sauteed snail, celeriac fondant, sweet potato and balsamic crumb
Bottom row - left to right
Pumpkin and ginger foam, crisp ginger and crystalised sunflower seeds
Beignet of smoked bacon and shitake mushrooms and black truffle
To drink: 2004 Clover Hill

Lucky me, I got two slices of truffle! While Paalo quite enjoyed the pumpkin item, I thought it was somewhat lacking, falling short when compared to its companions.



Oh look, there he is.

Amuse:



Tartare of scallop, avocado, tzatziki and coriander

Another dish that caused some (understandable) tension - it was only added that day to the menu!








Starter:



Caille Rôtie
Roasted breast of quail with clams, peas, broad beans and smoked butter emulsion
To drink: 2008 Lalla Gully Riesling




Middle:



Truite Pochée
Poached Ocean Trout with fennel cream, green olive, vanilla sauce and olive tuile
To Drink: 2004 Dalwhinnie Chardonnay







Main course:



Râble de Lapin
Saddle of rabbit and thyme-crusted leg, roasted carrot oil, braised baby gem and pickled carrot
To drink: 2005 Dalwhinnie Cabernet Sauvignon



Towels are laid over the bench and vast amounts of ice were dumped on it - all to cool down the bench for the dessert





Shane says: Cock-a-doodle doo

Pre-desert:



Ananas et Chocolate au Lait
Pineapple, star anise and milk chocolate

Desert:



Mousse au Caramel
Caramel mousse with roasted banana, beurre noisette and passionfruit
To drink: 2007 Taltarni Brut Taché


The details:
Vue de Monde
Normanby Chambers
430 Little Collins Street
Melbourne
Phone: 03 9691 3888

Open:
Lunch: Tuesday - Friday Bookings:12.00pm-2.00pm
Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday Bookings:6.30pm-9.30pm

web:
www.vuedemonde.com.au

Retro Italian Dinner

Taste the influence of Italian cuisine and wine on the Australian dining psyche. From the genesis of Italian cuisine in Australia post World War II immigration, this five-course dinner will journey through the decades exploring the ingredients, dishes and wines that have found their way onto our tables and into our glasses.

The Retro Italian Dinner, part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, was hosted by Church Street Enoteca.



They certainly managed to get the retro feel going with those red check tablecloths and jars of Kraft Parmesan.

As we waiting to begin the dinner we enjoyed Christmont LaZona Prosecco and the following bites:


Caprese - Salad of heirloom tomatoes, white anchovies, fior di latte and 30 year old balsamic, baby basil, Yellingbo extra virgin olive oil


Salami sandwich - mini panino filled with hand made Calabrese salami


Fried Whitebait in Newspaper

First Course:


Aussie Pizza
My version - Fratelli Galloni Prosciutto, torn basil, broken egg, bocconcini
Served with: 2008 Chrismont LaZona Arneis

As with all the food this evening, it is served family style, large platters meant for sharing. A simple pizza but bursting with flavour.


Second Course:


Garlic Bread

I know garlic bread is twee but gosh it does taste good!


Lasagne
Fresh pasta sheets, ragu of pork, veal and pancetta, peas, reggiano
Served with: 2008 Chrismont LaZona Pinot Grigio

This is a Sicilian style lasagne, quite fresh and light.

Main Course:


Chicken Cacciatore
Corn-fed Glenloth chicken pieces cooked in fresh tomato passata with black olives
Served with: 2005 Chrismont LaZona Barbera 2005

A simple green leaf salad was served alongside this dish.

Dolci:


Tiramisu

After dessert we enjoyed chilled glasses of Limoncello di Capri followed by coffee and biscotti.


The details:

Church St Enoteca
527 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 9428 7898

Restaurant Open:
Lunch: Monday-Friday 12-3pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 6pm to late

Web:
www.churchstenoteca.com.au

Event @ Vue de Monde

3,2,1 Dinner!

Three continents, two great minds, one astounding dinner. The countdown begins to one of the most anticipated events of the Festival when Oriol Balaguer, whose sweet creations are prized from Barcelona to Tokyo, joins forces with Shannon Bennett at Australia's Restaurant of the Year, Vue de monde. The menu may be totally cutting edge but, as they're still sticklers for tradition, Shannon will do the savoury courses and Oriol will look after the desserts in this six-course degustation dinner with matched Spanish wines, each paired with a Victorian wine of the same style or varietal.

For us, this event was easily the highlight of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival - a festival in general that seems to have lost the lustre of earlier years. Perhaps it is trying too hard, perhaps it is too big and trying to serve too many masters, whatever it is, the events have become repetitive and staid. But this post won't dissolve into what is wrong with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, it's about this special dinner.

We had quite the surprise on Friday when Vue called to confirm the booking, they also informed us that Audi would be picking us up and taking us home as well!

Come Sunday night, right on time, the car arrived - a very lovely Audi A8. On the trip in we found out that Penny, our driver, would be waiting outside the restaurant along with the other 7 drivers, so she'd be ready to go whenever we were.


The calm before the storm

why you shouldn't drink when making glasses

One of the most pleasant aspects of the night was that we had private tables - none of that having to make awkward conversation. It was good just to be able to enjoy the evening - it's a pity though, that people can't work out how to turn their flash off.


Now onto the menu:



Amuse Bouche: A Spanish Tasting Plate
Drink: NV B Argueso Manzanilla Classica San Leon Sanlucar de Barrameda



The amuse consisted of 3 dishes:
toasted cubes of brioche, brandade, salmon pastrami and gazpacho jelly



Left: Jamon tartare with quail egg and brioche toast
Right: Crystal Bay Prawn





CRABE SAUTE:
King Crab, sautéed with a crab emulsion and potato tuile

Under the potato tuile sat the shredded crabmeat and on the other end of the plate sat a large piece of crab claw, in between sat a cluster of white grapes in jelly

To drink: 2006 Valminor Albarino, Rias Baixas and 2002 Pizzini Verduzzo, King Valley









GNOCCHI AU FROMAGE DE CHEVRE:
Goat's cheese gnocchi, 'pulled' chicken, burnet shoots, golden beetroot and perigold truffle

To drink: 2005 Senorio de Otuza Pezas de Portela, Valdeorras and 2002 Tallarook Marsanne, Central Victoria

Usually gnocchi made in this style are made to mimic the shape and size of a traditional gnocchi, in this case it's been served up as a long coil. I do enjoy the texture that comes with spherification, the way they just rupture to the bite and release their luxurious interior leaves you with such an intense flavour. I wasn't sold on the 'pulled chicken' - I don't think it really added anything to the dish. I should also note that in all the years of dining at Vue, it's the first time they actually forgot an ingredient - alas, the truffle went missing.


SALADE: Jicama

A light break before our main - a citrus dressing combined with jicama and diced apple.









ROTI DE PORC ET JAMON:
Pork roasted with Jamon

To drink: 1985 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva, Rioja Alta and 2006 Quartier Barbera, Mornington Peninsula



The warm jus is poured over by the waiter - topping the pork is a Gruyere crust and Brussels sprout leaves



The jus just disappeared into the meat - a very rich course.



It was served with these shots of warmed herb broth - they were to be drunk after finishing the pork.



SOUPE DE MELON: Oriol's Melon Soup with Watermelon and Basil

To drink: 2003 Telmo Rodriguez Moscatel Molino Real, Malaga and 2006 Crawford River Nektar, Henry

Simple and refreshing and a welcome course after the richness of the pork.




LES QUATRES SAVEURS DE LA TERRE:
Flavours of Chocolate inspired by the corners of the earth - A dessert collaboration by Oriol Balaguer and Shannon Bennet

To drink: NV ALvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927, Montilla Moriles and NV Chambers Old Vine Muscadelle Classic, Rutherglen



The dish we've all been waiting for - part work of art, part dessert. Chocolate represented in various forms, from a sauce to a frozen chocolate sand



Shannon's input came in the form of that spun sugar globe - inside was a mix of chocolate and lemon "crumbs"



The lemon was the pivotal ingredient here as after going through all that chocolate, the lemon provided that contrast and cleansing note.


PETIT FOURS:
Salted Caramel Truffles with Silver Leaf; Coconut Jellies, Meringues, Torrone with Candied Carrot, Toffee Kiwiberries



Left: Toffee Kiwiberry
Right: Meringue injected with Mango Puree



To finish off we were presented with a menu signed by Oriole and boxes of his chocolates.



We felt sorry about Penny having to stay outside all this time so we decided to give her one our chocolate boxes.

The details:
Vue de Monde
Normanby Chambers
430 Little Collins Street
Melbourne
Phone: 03 9691 3888

Open:
Lunch: Tuesday - Friday Bookings:12.00pm-2.00pm
Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday Bookings:6.30pm-9.30pm