Grappling with the Grape: Wine Tasting Party

Inspired by wine-tasting whilst on holiday in Southern France, sipping delicious local wines in the sunshine amongst beautiful scenery, I was keen to host my own wine-tasting party. What a perfect way to get everyone in the festive party mood!


Vineyard in Southern France

In homage to my recent travels, I decided on a French theme and to include both red and white wines.  Other possible themes could be a specific colour, grape variety or region. How about trying sparkling wine or port for a festive tasting? After confirming the guest list, I asked each person to bring a bottle – instructing them which colour to bring and from which region of France. This ensured we had a variety for the tasting. I also asked my guests to cover the label before arriving, so that I couldn’t cheat when setting up the bottles!

Next, I carefully wrapped up all the bottles, covering everything including the neck so that no-one could recognise their own. Tissue paper, newspaper or foil all work fine. Make sure you have everything to hand so you can wrap the wines quickly and get back to hosting.

Round 1: The Whites

First up were the white wines! These were served before the reds, since they are lighter and don’t leave a tannin aftertaste.

Each guest had a score card to fill in and was given the challenge of identifying the grape, region and price, before giving the wine marks out of 10. To help guess the grape, I provided a list of the varieties with a couple of words on how they taste (fruity, honey, oak etc.). To my surprise, this guide worked really well and helped lots of people to guess correctly! I had also added 2 ‘wild cards’ from different countries and asked people to try and spot them.

Bottles at the ready!

Using my (very) basic knowledge, I showed my guests how to identify the wine by its appearance, aroma and taste. Cue lots of very silly fish faces as we all had a go at sucking air into our mouths with the wine! Of course, we all needed extra measures to check the taste.

Serving canapés alongside the wine provided the perfect nibble in between tasters. Finger food is fun and sociable, as well as helping to line the stomach! Making your own canapés will really impress your guests and are much more appetising than stodgy, bland shop-bought ones. To complement the white wines, I served smoked salmon and cream cheese crostini, cranberry and stuffing filo bites for a festive touch, and mozzarella, basil and tomato topped crackers (see below for crostini recipe). All of them went down a treat, especially the salmon. Luckily I’d made plenty!

Really bring your canapés to life by designing interesting flavours and spending extra time on presentation. Using an assortment of different bases and a variety of colourful toppings increases the visual appeal, making them too tempting to resist!

Round 2: The Reds

Next up were the red wines, which we moved on to with gusto. The canapés I served to complement them included fig and blue cheese topped crackers, grape and duck pate topped apple slices, and chorizo, red pepper and hummus crostini.

After multiple slurps, spills and the odd coughing fit mid fish face, we rather hazily reached the end of the tasting and unveiled each wine in turn. In the battle of Reds Vs. Whites, the 'wild card' Argentinian Malbec was the overall winner, with the sweet Riesling the favourite amongst the whites. Interestingly, one of the most expensive wines was one of the least favourites!

Who had the most refined palate? Well, I can safely say everyone got less accurate and more ambitious as the evening progressed! I guessed all of the whites correctly (perhaps a sign I’ve practiced too often?!), but got all of the reds wrong (perhaps I haven’t practiced enough?!).

Serving up some sweet treats including mince pies, chocolate truffles and dark chocolate mints topped off the evening perfectly. Judging by our guests staying until the early hours of the morning and the number of empty bottles found the next day, it was certainly a successful evening!

So, choose your theme and host your own wine tasting party for an evening with a difference. Or why not try different ciders or ales? Perhaps don’t take up one guest’s suggestion of a tequila tasting party; that’s one hangover I wouldn’t be able to handle…

Crostini

Make your own crunchy crostini for your canapés:

1)      Cut a white baguette into thin slices.

2)      Brush both sides with a thin layer of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3)      Spread out on a baking tray and bake at 180⁰C for approx. 5 minutes each side, until golden brown.

4)      Leave to cool before assembling toppings.

Top Tips for a successful wine-tasting party:

Tasting the reds!

- Make sure you’ve got enough wine glasses!

- Ask guests to bring their white wine pre-chilled.

- Chill glasses in the freezer before serving the whites for a special touch.

- Provide a list of the grape varieties and instructions on how they taste if you are beginners. Otherwise, it’s impossible to guess!

- Pop a carafe of water on the table to keep hydrated between tasters.

- Match your canapés to your wine colour.

- Aim for a total of 12 canapés per guest (plus a handful more for spare!)

Tickle your Tastebuds: Seven Course Tasting Menu

I am currently working on a special blog post which is taking me a little longer to prepare. In the meantime, after multiple requests, here is a glimpse of my seven course tasting menu which I cooked with success for a very special person’s birthday. I hope this post shows you that you don’t have to be a professional chef to cook your own tasting menu!

Menu

Rhubarb Bellini

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Prawn and Wasabi Crostini

 

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Beetroot Smoked Salmon with Walnuts

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French Onion Fillet of Beef

 

*

Pears Poached in Red Wine and Thyme

*

Key Lime Pie Lollipop

 

*

Dark Chocolate Truffles

 

Unlike my other posts, these recipes are not my own. On this occasion, I used ideas from http://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/romantic-meal and http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/french_onion_beef_tenderloin.html. Please visit the websites for the recipes to try yourself!

My top tips for a successful tasting menu:

Enjoying Key Lime Pie Lollipops!

-        Preparation is key! Decide on your menu early, checking that you have everything you need, including enough crockery.

-        Check with your guests for any allergies or dislikes before you plan your menu.

-        Choose a variety of fish, meat and vegetarian courses….or be creative and choose a theme that runs through the entire menu.

-        Aim for recipes which can be made in advance for some of the courses, so you can spend more time with your guests on the evening. There’s no point being in the kitchen all night! I made the lollipops and truffles the day before.

-        Choosing a cold starter enables you to compile it before your guests arrive, meaning more time to host and no worries about oven timings in conjunction with the main course. The same goes for most canapés and amuse-bouches.

-        Exchanging food for a cocktail for one course adds variety and makes the menu kinder on the stomach!

-        Smaller portion sizes ensure that every course is enjoyed.

-        Don’t underestimate the power of presentation to show off your hard work and make each course different. Use different coloured plates, rustic wooden boards or wrap up sweet treats in little parcels.

-        Choose drinks to complement your dishes. This may require a couple of different ones throughout the menu. Don’t forget those that are driving!

-        Give each course a name to make it personal to your evening and guests. A play on words or a quote can work well.

-        Place a copy of the menu rolled up into a scroll at each table place, so your guests can uncover what treats they have in store for the evening!

I hope this inspires you to have a go at your own tasting menu. Look out for my ‘Takeaway’ post next week!

‘Santé!’: Cotton-reel Canapés to Coq au Vin Creation

I’ve just returned from a fortnight in the idyllic Languedoc Roussillon, Southern France. Driving through beautiful vineyards nestled in breath-taking mountains, and hopping from one picturesque town to the next along the coast, what better place to try all of the traditional delights and be inspired to start cooking!

Montpellier

Our first stop was the lively city of Montpellier, where we stumbled upon its local delicacy of Petit Pâtés. These delightful mini pies look like cute cotton reels, and are stuffed with minced mutton. They are a little similar to pork pies, except the filling is an unusual combination of sweet and savoury. I couldn’t wait to make some of own! They can be eaten hot or cold and would make a perfect addition to picnics. But since we are now in autumn, try them as a warming lunch with fresh salad, as delicious canapés or as a starter ‘with a difference’ at your next dinner party. Likewise, they are just at home on a cheese board, accompanied by a bottle of red wine.
 

There are many variations of this recipe to be found, some of which include sultanas and spices such as nutmeg. However, I wanted to keep them as a savoury pie with a sweet twist, rather than like a Christmas mince pie. Here’s my  recipe:

Petit Pâtés

1.      Combine 400g mutton/lamb mince with the zest of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp. brown sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper.

2.      Make (or buy!) some shortcrust pastry and start constructing your mini pie. Use a glass approx. 5cm diameter to cut out 2 disc ends. Cut a rectangle approx. 13.5cm X 4cm. Adjust these sizes accordingly if you are making canapés instead.

3.      Make the rectangle into a cylinder shape on top of one of the discs. Pinch the 2 pieces of pastry together around the base.

4.      Fill the cylinder with the mince mixture. Place another disc on top, and pinch together to seal.

5.      Brush the pie tops with beaten egg, then put a few holes in the top using a skewer. Bake at 200⁰C for 20 minutes. Delicious with Dijon mustard!

 

The next part of our journey took us to the quaint fishing ports of Sète and Port-Vendres. 


Port-Vendres

Afternoons were spent soaking up the sunshine, whilst enjoying fresh local fish in restaurants dotted along the water’s edge. This reminded me of my favourite French dish; Pissaladière. I love how the saltiness of the anchovies and olives is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the onions. This dish is really easy to make, yet looks so impressive! The only part that requires patience is slow cooking the onions, but this is vital to give them their sticky sweetness. Try my recipe below:

Pissaladière

1.      Thinly slice 8 medium sized white onions and place in a saucepan with a generous splash of oil and 1 tbsp. sugar. Cook on a low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Set aside to cool.

2.      Roll out some puff pastry into a shape of your choice. Score a border 2cm in from the edge to form the crust. Spread the onions evenly over the base within the border.

3.      Arrange some anchovies in a traditional grid pattern over the onions. Then slice a handful of pitted black olives in half. You can either add these to the topping now, or when the tart is cooked, depending on personal preference.

4.      Cook in the oven at 200⁰C for 20-25 minutes, and enjoy!

 



Pyrénées-Orientales

Finally, our travels took us through the vineyards of the dramatic Pyrénées-Orientales. We were spoilt for choice on where to stop for ‘dégustation de vins’! Tasting all the beautifully-bodied wines of the region left me inspired to cook another French favourite; Coq au Vin. This dish brings back fond memories of having it as a child, since it is a favourite in the family thanks to my grandad’s love of French cooking. The trick is to be generous with the red wine! Try my recipe below and enjoy this warming one-pot wonder as the nights draw in:

 

Coq au Vin

 

1.      Add a splash of oil to a casserole dish and brown off the chicken thighs (2 thighs per person). Don’t be tempted to skip this stage since it locks in the chicken’s juices, keeping the meat succulent and preventing the sauce from becoming oily later on. Set the thighs aside.

2.      Pop a couple of handfuls of baby button mushrooms into the pan and cook for a few minutes until golden. Set aside with the chicken.

3.      Turn the heat down and sweat a couple of chopped onions and a diced carrot for 10 minutes, until soft. Add a couple of chopped garlic cloves and cook for a further minute.

4.      Now to make the sauce. Add 2 heaped tbsp. plain flour to the vegetables and stir to combine. Now estimate how much sauce you will need to cover your chicken. You will need 2 parts red wine to 1 part chicken stock. First slowly add the red wine, constantly stirring to thicken the sauce. Then add the chicken stock and stir to make a delicious sauce.

5.      Finally pop in the chicken, mushrooms and a bouquet garni, then season with salt and pepper.

6.      Cook for 1 hour at 180⁰C. Serve with a crusty baguette to soak up all the tasty sauce.

 

So, crack open a bottle of France’s finest and have a go at some of these traditional recipes. Oh, and don’t forget to save some of the wine for the cooking, Bon appétit!

À bientôt for my next post!