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 As I was chatting with Chef Emiliano in the kitchen, a waiter came with a special request. One of the lady guests thought the prosciutto Bruschetta (for the 147th time folks, it is pronounced as Bru-ske-ttta –ttt is spelt intentionally to stress the t sound-and not broo- sh-eta) was too big for a bite and wanted him to cut in two halves. The Chef tried to convince the waiter it was not feasible. As the waiter insisted, he separately chopped the crunchy bread bed delicately and managed to make 4 delectable pieces, even though an equal number crumbled.
With a decade of experience as a Chef working in several countries, Chef Emiliano has been blooming steadily in the Prego Italian Restaurant at Westin Gurgaon. Every experience has been getting more enjoyable. The evening with diverse wines from –that too all-American - was a good example that one does not necessarily need Italian wines to match with Italian cuisine.
Chateau Ste. Michelle
‘This is the biggest selling Riesling in the world!’ exclaimed David as we sipped the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2011 Columbia Valley with loads of Bruschetta with tomato, salmon and prosciutto toppings, adding, ‘We sell 600,000 cases of this wine globally;7-8 million bottles’ is an impressive number. What’s more, we do not produce and then sell this wine. We get the expected requirement from the market and then produce it’. I have always rated this wine as a perfect partner for Indian chili-hot food as it is off-dry. The residual sugar level of 22 gms/liter is higher than most white Indian wines that feel a bit too sweet on the palate. But due to the vibrant acidity, it felt like 12-15 gms/liter. Consequently, alcohol is lower at 11% making it even more palatable with food. I was quite disappointed with the aromas though-it felt as if the sulphite levels were higher than usual-the nose was not very clean anyway.
 David has been the new find of Al Portney who is the Vice President of SMWE. Al has been a well-known figure in the Indian wine trade, participating in various events in India. Spending 3 months in a plane every year, he decided apparently to cut down on his frequent flyer miles and hired David as the Divisional Manager- Asia Pacific Region about 3 months ago to look after exports to the region from Australia. Working for ASC, the biggest importer in China for 6 years and with another 3 years experience in Hong Kong, makes him a perfect choice as Portney’s right hand man for the Asia Pacific market that includes India. Though on his first visit and seemingly enjoying the attention he was getting, one would presume to see a lot more of him during such events in the future.
Erath Winery
The Oregon-based winery was showcased through its most popular basic Pinot Noir wine. Oregon has established itself as the Pinot Noir specializing region of the US and is a fruity version made from grapes grown in different parts of Oregon. Soft tannins and medium bodied Erath was adequate with scallops wrapped with bacon accompanied by asparagus and sauce although I found it tantalizing with a glass of Riesling from a bottle of Eroica- a higher ended wine from Chateau Ste. Michelle, which made an unscheduled appearance on our table.
Stag’s, Stags’ and Stags Leap
Everyone familiar with the Judgment of Paris 1976 knows that Stag’s Leap was judged as the top wine in the fight between California and Bordeaux reds. But it is often confusing for non-Californians –including perhaps many Americans, who don’t know that there are two wineries with a similar name. To confuse matters further, there is also an AVA (American Viticulture Area)- the American Appellation system, of similar name.
David was diplomatic enough to skirt the issue. It might be worth recollecting that both wineries were started in the same year, before the AVA came into being. The court decided in favour of both of them-allowing Stag’s leap Cellar to have the apostrophe after g while Stags’ Winery was directed to use it after s as indicated here. Both were located in Stags Leap District and when the proposal came up to form the AVA, both reportedly opposed it tooth and nail. But the District was formed in 1989 as a sub-region of Napa Valley anyway, but with no apostrophe.
Again, as David explained it, most people are not aware that the Best Red Wine Award was won by the Cask 23 of the Stag’s Leap Cellar-the top wine of the house. There are two single vineyard wines below this level- S.L.V (Stag’s Leap Vineyard) and Fay (another vineyard). Artemis is the next in line-and can thus be termed rather unfairly, as the third wine.
 In August 2007, the original owner sold the winery to Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori. The sale included the winery facilities, as well as the S.L.V and Fay vineyards. The two continue to be partners in the venture and the two mid-level wines (Suggested Retail around $100 in the US) are doing extremely well. Artemis Cabernet 2011 that was served with the next dish- a shrimp open Ravioli with mushroom was not the best combo and I requested the waiter to serve me the last wine on the Menu- Merlot 2009 from the same winery first. Though David felt Cab Artemis was a better option with ravioli because of its higher acidity, I loved the Merlot. Everyone on my table followed suit and thanked me for the suggestion.
The downtrodden Merlot in the U.S market was very versatile and matched the last dish, Braised leg, well. Despite the rough edges the Artemis was a better match for the lamb which was cooked just right.
The dinner might not have dislodged the belief that Italian wines go best with Italian food, but it did indicate that American wines can be used as accompaniments too.
Subhash Arora
Tags: David Andrews, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Emiliano di Stefano, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Stag’s Leap |