Akemi Restaurant’s final wine and jazz evening of 2015 attracted a record number of wine lovers. During the evening they sampled some 38 wines from MMI Tanzania, Mark Techno Tanzania, East Africa Quail and Wine Company,Mohans Oysterbay Drinks and Tanzania Distillers Ltd.
Brown’s Cheese were back to this fabulous event, providing a selection of high quality cheeses that were paired with selected wines.Chocolate Mamas were a welcome addition to the occasion, bringing along their fantastic selection of Tanzanian gourmet chocolates.
Akemi’s Chef Bernard showcased his expertise in creating canapés that are perfectly matched to selected wines. His team prepared 16 super tasty canapés including chicken roulade; petit salmon and cream cheese tartlets; prawns and spring onion wontons; spiced bobotie and raisin tarts; petit duck burger with camembert and sweet onion; peppered lamb croquettes; panko prawns; caprese stacks; pickled fish salad; tempura vegetables; and mini lamb cottage pies.
There was also a tempting selection of dessert canapés for guests to satisfy their sweet tooth. These included coffee and dark chocolate caramel stacks; carrot, raisin and nut squares; banana and chocolate crème brulee; chocolate truffles; and chocolate cheesecake.
Guests had plenty of fun during the evening making their own wine pairings for the canapés, cheeses and chocolates. My favourite pairings included:
Five Climate Bolland Cellar Cappupino CcinotagePinotage, South Africa 2013, an impressive coffee style Pinotage wine that expresses delicious mocha flavours of ground coffee and cocoa. This went down perfectly (and I mean PERFECTLY) with Chef Bernard’s creation of coffee and dark chocolate caramel stacks.
Calvet Reserve Bordeaux Merlot Sauvignon, France, 2011, a well rounded full-bodied blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which has flavours of caramel and black pepper , was paired with mini lamb cottage pies, delicious!
Chocolate Mama’s Chilli dark chocolate made for a taste sensation when it was teamed with Lutzville Diamond Collection Shiraz, South Africa, 2012. When the chilli in the chocolate is mixed with the spicy peppery flavours of the wine, the chilli particles explode in your mouth creating a fantastic taste sensation which is mixed with the dark chocolate for an exhilarating pairing experience.
Such occasions are a great opportunity to sample some of my favourite wines. My choice wines that evening included Laurent Perrier Brut NV, Champagne, France; Nederburg Baronne 2014, South Africa; and Lutzville Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa 2012.
But mostly I enjoy discovering wines I had never tasted before and therefore expanding my wine repertoire.
I have been falling in love with wines made from the Gewürztraminer grape lately. MMI produced a fantastic bottle of Two Vines Gewürztraminer, Washington , USA 2013. This off-dry Gewürztraminer nicely captures aromatic floral scents and lychee fruit notes of the grape. Amazing!
At Mark Techno’s stand, the J.P Chennet Mousseux, Ice Edition, France, was definitely a wonderful new discovery. It is a light, bright, mildly alcoholic (11% Alc) blend of white grapes that sparkles even more when served with ice. A party wine that would go down fabulously well at any celebration.
Top wine of the night was from Mohan’s Oysterbay Drinks Ltd: Bellingham The Bernard Series Small Barrel S.M.V, Paarl, South Africa 2013. This wine can rightfully claim its seat at the table of the finest Syrah-based wines from France’s Rhône Valley. This is a successful blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Viognier grapes which expresses intense yet satin smooth flavours of berry and herbs to create a satisfying, long finish.
See you in 2016 for more Wine and Jazz evenings at Akemi.
