 Sevilla is a beautiful artistic, cultural, and financial city in Andalucía, south of Spain. It delights you with its old and antique Moorish charm. Sevilla is also a restaurant (where the old Corbett used to be), part of the boutique Hotel Claridges in Lutyens’ Delhi as Mediterranean in style as in its cuisine- a perfect evening spot for a romantic, relaxing evening. It has trees, water-bodies and meandering walkways that take you to various nooks and corners where quite and unobtrusive seating arrangements have been placed. For those preferring the cool comfort of air-conditioning, there are three cabins including one that reminds you of a machan, because of its elevation and the vantage point.
It is a perfect setting to enjoy wine with pizzas, pastas, risotto, chorizos and several tapas and Mediterranean dishes crafted by the Executive Chef Ravi Saxena. He has gained extensive culinary experience in Italian cuisine in his previous assignments, including the previous one at San Gimignano in Hotel Imperial when he spent months in Italy, honing up his skills.
Torres Winemaker Dinner
When the news came that Miguel Torres, the owner and patriarch of the Catalonian wine giant Torres would visit Delhi again, in May (he was here last year when I had the opportunity to interview him over lunch), Delhi Wine Club grabbed the opportunity to organise a winemaker dinner at this venue with his wines being imported by the Prestige Wines (an offshoot of the earlier TT&G) in which Torres is a partner with Gautam Thapar.
There were a couple of problems though. There was not enough space to seat all the attending members in one room. They would have to sit in the two air-conditioned cabins that are located close to each other but separated by an outdoor seating arrangement which would be ideal for those who prefer to enjoy the natural beauty the place has to offer.
Seating outside in the hot month of May was a fear that Dirk Reinhardt, the new spritely F & B Director tried to allay. He and his man of the evening Ravi Prakash Singh assured us that with the mist fans blowing, it would be sufficiently cool. The expats apparently prefer to sit outside because of the fresh air and romantic, Mediterranean atmosphere. The only limitation would be the total number of guests that could be invited to ensure proper service of the hot, pre-plated multi-course dishes. So the number of guests had to be capped.
Pop the Champagne- let the evening begin
 The unexpected, but much prayed-for squall a day earlier, was a great help but the number of additional people that showed up unexpectedly, wasn’t going to help, as we discovered soon after the first bottle of Taittinger Champagne was popped. ‘Don’t worry, sir, we shall manage’ was the spontaneous refrain both from Chef Saxena and the Restaurant Manger Kumud. The speed at which the guests kept pouring in, we finally overshot the planned number by 70%.
The extra tables were swiftly laid to cope up with the overflow of people, while the guests munched on the delicious, pass-around Assorted Tapas - Warm artichoke and tomato on toast, Spicy olive salsa on toast (vegetarians delight), Oven Baked Pink Chorizo and Manchiago on toast (outstanding) and Pesto Marinated Chicken on toast (hot and well-done).
Champagne with any tapas and vice versa is a welcome start for any wine evening. The crispy, fresh, fruity and soft bubbly Taittinger with creamy texture and tiny bubbles did not disappoint. The extra bottles organised by Sumit Sehgal, the national marketing head of Prestige Wines for contingencies, came in extremely handy. Yet, we were obliged to advance the table seating by 10 minutes, as the bubbly dozen were disappearing fast in front of our eyes.
The sit down
The cold and Classic Gazpacho started the sit-down with the De Casta Rosé 2008- an interesting pink wine. Some might have found the soup a bit too spicy or thin compared to the classic Madrid variety, but I found it rather flavourful- perhaps making the match with the Rosé a bit difficult and redundant though. Made from Grenache and Carignan varietals it was dry but fruity wine with floral fragrance and cherry flavours that do justice to pizzas, pastas and tapas. It is also a vegetarians’ delight as the tannins are soft and flavours fruity when served at the perfect 10º C. The wine could not show its true colours to a few guests who were served at slightly warmer temperatures.
Risotto with salted cod spidieni was the first platter. Having recently been to the paella capital Valencia, and Piemonte, home of Arborio rice which is used not only all over Italy for the best Risotto but exported globally; perhaps I had set my expectations for the risotto too high. It is also a bane of chefs whether to make the risotto and pasta ‘al dente’ in the classic style which I like, or mushy as many Indian gourmets might prefer. This dish was caught somewhere in the middle and disappointed some people on our table.
But Garlic Foccacini, the signature hot crispy Mediterranean bread slices served in the shape of slices of pizza bianca, with just the right touch of salt and garlic were a delicious welcome as fillers-you just could not stop at one!
The accompanying Fransola 2007, a DO Penedes wine made from Sauvignon Blanc did come to rescue the risotto. Any Sauvignon would be a perfect match for vegetarian Risotto or Paella, but this soft, oak treated and partial barrel fermented delicious, well-rounded single vineyard wine had a powerful tropical fruity nose and structure. The long and citric after taste would make it a great aperitif wine. But the creamy texture also had a synergic effect on the cod added for non vegetarians.
Wine with 5 star grapes
 The piece de resistance of the evening was the Braised Lamb Shank in Red Wine with Papas Aragudas, matched with Grans Muralles Gran Reserva 2001. This grand wine from Torres known more for its ubiquitous Viña Sol and Sangre de Toro and Coronas, the wines that have made the entry of other Spanish winemakers to India a difficult task, is made from five grapes; Monastrell (Mourvedre), Carignan, Grenache & a couple of relatively unknown indigenous grapes Garró and Samsó.
The perfect match
The medium-full bodied wine had exploding berry fruit aromas with an undertone of peppers and cinnamon that carried well into the flavours. With great structure and harmony this wine with juicy and mellow tannins had a slightly smoky flavour in the background and danced long enough on the palate, leaving a deep and pleasant after-taste. The wine was a heavenly match for the braised lamb- just an example of what I have always maintained- that the beauty of a food and wine pairing is evident when it gives synergy to the combination on the palate.
The Grans Muralles deserved 4.5/5, and so did the lamb shank. The way lamb is prepared by the modern chefs these days, using the latest science and technology, makes it soft, tender and cooked uniformly right through to the bone. One didn’t need the knife to cut the meat with the deliciously flavoured meat slivers coming off just with a fork.
This was the combo that merited a 9.5/10, making the discovery a bundle of joy for wine connoisseurs looking to discover that special synergy, rather than the people who happily and ignorantly believe that ‘one can choose any wine with any food-it is a matter of personal choice,’ thus missing out on the synergy possible with proper pairing.
Not so perfect pairing
 A case in point was the alternate dish which I had requested Chef Saxena to rustle up for people like me who avoid red meat but love red wine. The chicken breast with pine nut and foie gras crust served with basil tossed potato gnocchi, white asparagus and vanilla tomato butter was delicious by itself with the gnocchi adding flavour and texture to the dish. But if I gave 4/5 to the crusty and juicy dish with just the right amount of sauce made to match the red wine, the combo deserved 8.5/10 (4.5+4.0)- no additional excitement but a good match, all the same. Incidentally, the vegetarian member sitting next to me and tasted the gnocchi said this was the best she had ever tasted!
When I tried the same dish with the next wine to be served, a Jean Leon Cabernet to which I would rate 4/5, the food-wine pairing would earn only 7.5/10 (3.5+4.0)- a .5/10 worth of drop and disappointment to my palate by the combo.
But this is only my personal opinion and everyone does not need to agree. However, if you like to argue, I’d be glad to meet you- provided you bring a bottle of Grand Muralles on the table while we argue and eventually agree to disagree.
Another gem in the necklace
 Talking of Jean Leon, it is the name of the label as well as the winery owned by Torres but introduced in the market as a separate label. Apparently, this is because of the stipulation by the former Hollywood celebrity restaurant owner of the sixties who later went back to Spain and set up a winery in Cataluña. He eventually sold it to Torres on the condition that the label would remain unchanged, ensuring his eternal continuity. Jean Leon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2002 is a DO Penedes wine which also contains 15% Cabernet Franc in the blend.
Cheese and wine anyone
Using his Italian experience, where cheese is an integral part of a grand dinner, Chef Saxena had made a smart move. He knew that the Cabernet Sauvignon with rounded tannins and powerful flavours of blackcurrants, sweet vanilla oak and slightly smoky layer would be a good combination to serve with an assorted cheese platter. This would enable us to taste the extra wine being offered this evening (normally 5 wines are served) but because it would also give some respite to the palate between the main course and the dessert. The classic balsamic and honey sauce made the cheese that much more palatable, although a platter containing all hard and cured cheese would have helped add at least .5 /10 to the cheese-wine combo.
Final Chapter
Classic Spanish Churros served as dessert perhaps added many extra calories. But this traditional breakfast Spanish dish enjoyed with hot chocolate was a very good match for the sweet Moscatel Oro. Made from Muscat of Alexandria and Muscat of Asti grapes, the dark topaz colour dessert wine had candied flavours and balanced acidity that would go well with most desserts.
The food & wine chapter was finally closed with the serving of Torres 10 Brandy Gran Reserva- a brandy aged for 10 years, perhaps for the first time at the club event; only as it was from the same producer. DWC sticks to only grape fermented liquids even if they are fortified, like Sherry. The brewed and distilled alcohols have not been in the beverage domain. Unlike in Cognac and Armagnac in France, it is made from a blend of the typical Cava grapes- Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada, and is very popular in Spain and Latin America. The intense, lush and lingering brandy was a tad too strong for some members who found it too ‘heavy.’ Like many European wines made from indigenous wine grapes, it may take a few more sippings to appreciate it better.
Talking about Mr. Torres whose proposed visit got the machinery rolling for what eventually turned out to be another best attended evening of the Delhi Wine Club, he had decided to cancel Delhi and visit Mumbai instead. But ‘never fear, their Brand Ambassador, Marc Perelló was here!’
 Mumbai based Marc flew to Delhi for a day, especially for the dinner. He presented and talked Torres when Taittinger was flowing. Later on, he did the table dance-going from table to table and talking to the guests about Torres wines. At 1:30 in the morning, while sipping the last of his Torres 10 he declared, ‘this is perhaps the most fun wine dinner I have ever been to.’
Toast to Team Sevilla
The credit for making it fun also goes to the club members, many of whom kept on soaking up the wine and the ambience, asking for more, much after Pralines and the Cappuccino in the chic Spanish styled cups had been served. Much obliging was ‘Team Sevilla’ led through the evening by Dirk Reinhardt who went from table to table, talking to the guests a majority of whom had come for the first time. He looked elated when most first timers confirmed they would want to come back soon. In what could have been a fiasco because of the unexpected sharp increase in the number of guests to be served pre-plated hot food, he and his team proved that they are good fire-fighters too.
A job well done! And with a bit of tweaking, who knows, the next wine event at Sevilla might be even more memorable.
Subhash Arora
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