Maschio Dei Cavallieri Prosecco

SO January 27, 2016February 17, 2016

So lately it seems I've been drinking more Prosecco than champagne. This hasn't been a deliberate thing, just something that's happened organically through people bringing me bottles to try and restaurants and bars having a Prosecco as the sparkling wine of choice on their menus.

A recent visit to a friend's place saw me greeted with a lovely cheese board and a bottle of Prosecco on offer. This one was another Italian DOC one, and was called Maschio Dei Cavallieri.

I can't say much about it that I haven't already said about other Proseccos I've had the pleasure of drinking of late, except that it was definitely drinkable by my standards. And in case this is the first post of mine you've read, what I mean by that is that I seem to sway towards the sparkling wines with the lighter coloured tones and more delicate flavours.

So what I will say is that it went down well with the food on offer, worked well with the lovely crumbly strong cheddar and overall was a respectable experience.

At the end of the day, it's just such a subjective thing, and for me, the company I am in will always outweigh the quality of the wine or food.

#proseccotime #iloveprosecco #italiansparkling #wine #champagne #ilovechampagne #sparklingobsession #cheese #wineandcheese #cheeseboard #friends

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Petaluma Croser NV Sparkling

SO January 25, 2016January 28, 2016

One of my favourite things to do is cook for friends. I am particularly fortunate to have wonderful friends who love to try different foods, and this leaves me in the enviable position of being able to use them as guinea pigs, or just surprise them with something special when the occasion arises.

So when it was a long time friend’s birthday, out came the favourite recipe books. Flicking through them I was reminded that one of my most loved dishes is a beautiful risotto that is cooked with champagne. Normally I’d serve it as an entree, but for this occasion, I wanted it as a main.

To accompany either side of this dish, I chose to debut a stunning scallop recipe with cauliflower puree and crispy jamon crumbs as entree, and a silky smooth chocolate brulee with vanilla bean ice-cream and orange cointreau sauce.

Now back to the risotto....

I have to say, with the exception of a few very high end restaurants, that risotto served in most other venues is a flavourless disappointment, and so it’s great when you find a recipe you can make yourself that’s packed full of flavour. This one is made with marscapone for added creaminess, and cooking it with the champagne, then topping with ultra fresh oysters makes it one of the sexiest dinners around.

Adding the champagne definitely adds a lot of theatre to the cooking process, as you watch the bubbles froth up the arborio rice. It’s also an excellent excuse to start drinking the bubbles whilst you stand and lovingly stir the risotto!

I have made this risotto using Chandon NV Sparkling in the past, but on this occasion I thought I’d give the Petaluma Croser NV a try. And it worked beautifully. It’s a true champagne style body of flavour, but not too heavy so it held its own in this dish.

And to drink it is of course a pleasure – with it’s light golden yellow hue it’s simply happiness in a beautiful crystal flute. It’s also incredibly well priced, so you just can’t go wrong.

Pleased to report my friend loved the entire meal, but her favourite part was the risotto with champagne and oysters! Mission accomplished.

#champagne #risotto #oysters #friends #ilovechampagne #sparklingwine #birthdaytreats

https://www.petaluma.com.au/our-wines/croser.html

twitter.com/PetalumaWine

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Veuve Clicquot Airstream Pop Up Bar

SO January 10, 2016January 13, 2016

On a balmy Melbourne evening, who could say no to sitting down, overlooking the banks of the Yarra river and the stunning Melbourne City skyline? And if there’s a sparkling bevvy or two involved, and the promise of a DJ spinning sexy tunes, then that has to seal the deal.

Sunset drinks are always so beautiful and relaxing, as the mid-summer sun lies low and spreads a sea of gold over the familiar Melbourne skyline.

Tonight my sparkling companion is a friend who is experimenting with art and craft techniques so I looked forward to tasting some ice cold bubbles and hearing about their artistic endeavours. But before I speak about the Champagne, I’ll tell you about the not-so-great experience that the Veuve Clicquot Airstream Pop Up Bar delivered.

We arrived at the space, a splash of golden yellow umbrellas, tables, chairs and barstools with the caravan on site showcasing a menu of light snacks and nibbles. Having not had dinner, I ordered what looked to be the best (and hopefully most satisfying) item on the menu....lobster rolls.

I was advised that there were only two left, so I ordered them along with my glass of Veuve Clicquot and looked forward in anticipation to the food/sparkling wine combo joining in a delectable unison on my taste buds.

My companion ordered the truffle oil fries with aioli, which was a good starting point. I had hoped to hold out for my lobster rolls to enjoy them with the champagne. But time went by, and alas, my much-anticipated lobster rolls were a no-show. So I went back to the caravan to enquire as to their whereabouts. Both staff members looked at me as though they did not have any recollection of my order. One said they would go to follow up. She returned saying they were no longer available. Whaaaat? But I had already ordered and paid for them....

So I ordered something else, and when that plate was brought to me by a very friendly and polite waiter, I see two lobster rolls being served to a gentleman dining alone, facing out to the river, who had arrived there well after us! Not. Happy. At. All.

To add insult to injury, the plate of food I ordered when the lobster rolls were not available was slightly cheaper than the lobster rolls and I was not brought a refund for the difference, nor even offered it. I chose not to follow up as it was clear given the nonchalance of the staff member in charge, it probably wouldn’t have achieved anything. Very poor, (actually disrespectful is a better word) customer service is what I call that. And such a taint on the Veuve Clicquot brand.

How this happened, I do not know. And how it was allowed to happen, I do not know. And to top it all off, only a few minutes later, we ordered our second drink and were told that the kitchen and bar were closing up as the hosting venue (Fatto) was closing it’s kitchen. Surely if a customer has ordered and paid for something, and you have made a mistake with the order, you would follow up with the customer first, and apologise, and offer a suitable solution. Still can’t understand how this happened when it wasn’t even busy (note the photos with lots of empty chairs)!!

I’d also like to note that there was not a DJ in sight, nor were we served in the lovely yellow Veuve Clicquot branded glasses I'd seen in photos.....so all the promises of what I had read online and was looking forward to, were sadly, empty ones.

The only good thing was the beautiful taste of Veuve Clicquot, which never fails to impress. So easy to drink, so smooth, goes down so easily and is almost dry, but sits just below that, which I think is what makes it so pleasing to so many. Even being obliged to drink it out of a plastic champagne flute didn’t detract from it’s deliciousness!

#veuveclicquot #veuveclicquotairstreampopup #ilovechampagne #frenchchampagne #champagne #bubbly #sparklingobsession

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Tag: champagne

Maschio Dei Cavallieri Prosecco