" A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away"
I quess in some way, I'm just trying to stay healthy! :D
So yesterday SAB had a wine tasting event, where most hospitality industry professionals were invited. The main idea is to get them acquainted with the wines SAB has to offer and since most were restaurant owners, the timeframe in which it was held was between 4 and 6 pm. And thanx to my wine course instructor, all participants also received an invitation.
I went there with a friend of mine, John, who has been in the hospitality business for many years. At the gate I also met one of my colleague wine course mates, so we started the wine journey in each other's presence.
The first thing that came into mind was:' Oh my god, it's in the garden!'. For those who don't understand where this statement comes from, it had been awfully hot the last couple of days. Even in the nighttime hours when it's supposed to be somewhat cooler, everybody's still complaining about the heat. So when we saw that it was held in the garden, that automatically means we'll have to enjoy wine under the heat of our Tropical sun.
But nonetheless, it was a great event. We were like 10 minutes late and I already saw many red faces, don't know if it was from the sun or the wine ( I believe the latter). And it was like a scene out of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I felt like a kid in a candy store and everything was for free. The decoration team did a great job with the setting: they set up a tent in the garden, with all the wine brands on different tables, a table with a variety of cheeses on the side and lounge chairs
in-between the tent and the terrace, where Lavazza coffee was being promoted.
We didn't know where to start and Ivo, one of the SAB employee's, came immediately to greet us and explain to us the how, what and where. So we all took a glass and started our wine tour at the Frontera section.
Frontera is a Chilean wine. This is from their site: www(dot)fronterawines(dot)com:
"Frontera is the best selling Chilean wine in the World, born in the fertile Central Valley where the vineyards are naturally protected by the four frontiers (Frontera in Spanish) of Chile".
I've had several encounters already with Frontera wines and till now, they haven't disappointed me yet and I don't hope they ever will. It's actually the only brand, which we tried all their varietals.
This is my opinion of all the wines I've tasted:
| Brand | Frontera | |
| Varietal | Introduction (translated from dutch) | My opinion |
| Sauvignon Blanc |
|
acidic and dry |
| Chardonnay | wine with fresh apple flavor. Ideal to combine with poultry, seafood, creamy sauces and salads | it was a bit too acidic for me |
| Merlot Rose | light and soft wine with a natural palate of cherries and floral aromas. Ideal to serve with Asian dishes, fruit and cakes. | light, dry, but I did smell the cherry flavor in it |
| Frontera Blush | (Cabernet Sauvignon): Clear rose with hints of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and apple. Delicious with dishes from the Latin American kitchen or as a aperitif | this one was very fruity. It was like having all kinds of berries in my mouth with every gulp. This sure is a winner. |
| Late Harvest | (Muscat or Alexandria): Gold colored wine with aromas of dried flowers and the sweet flavor of honey. Great with cakes, flan and fresh fruit. | The first time I had this wine some months ago, I liked it. But for this tasting, it was too fruity! It even tasted like overripe fruit. But my friend actually told me that she loves it in such hot weather and with some ice. Maybe I should try that next time. |
| Brand | Casillero del Diablo |  |
| Varietal | Introduction | My opinion |
| Shiraz | Fullbodied red wine with surprising variety of intense flavors like black currant, ceder and oak. Ideally to combine with spicy seasoned dishes and red meat platter | I was kinda confused with this one. It was smooth, but at the same time strong aromas and tasted lots of tannin in it, but still fruity. This was really a complexed wine for me. |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | A bodied wine with an intense bouquet of cherry, plums and vanilla aromas. Heavenly with peppersteak, lamb chops and pot roast. | This was very strong, dry and I do believe it would go very well with a good steak! |
| Pinot Noir | Lightbodied red wine with delicious aromas of strawberries, raspberries and hints of oak. Ideal wine to go with BBQ, but also great with vegetarian dishes. | This one was very oaky and didn't like it so much. Probably I had too much flavors in my mouth already, but I do believe I got to try it again. |
| Brand | Concha y Toro |  |
| Varietal | Introduction | My opinion |
| Demic Sec | a sparkling wine | This was the last one I've tasted. It was very good. Not too sweet, but still fruity. Very crisp and I could've had another glass of it. |
Of course, there was still the cheese stand from Keurslager, where they had cubes of spicy cheese, olive cheese and all kinds of other cheeses I've never had before. Unfortunately with the heat, they went all soft and the softer cheeses kinda sticked to each other.
Don't forget the Lavazza coffee. It was smooth and something else than my daily cup of coffee, but unless my employer buys such a machine, I think I'll enjoy it whenever I'm at one of their outlets. Yeah I know, I'm complaining about the heat and still I'm having hot coffee. But after all the wine I had, I sure needed it!
Sorry guys that it turned out to be such a long piece. I hope I didn't bore you guys, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it!
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