A Date with d'Arenberg

Wine Depot had more food and wine moments with one of Australia's more humorous wineries - d'Arenberg. The dinner event featured 6 wines paired with 5 dishes prepared by the adventurous chefs at purple feet.

We were seated somewhere between tables named after d'Arenberg fun facts like "Footbolt" (the race horse that Joseph d'Arenberg sold to start his winery) and "Mclaren Vale" (where d’Arenberg vines are grown. Among the first wine regions in South Australia.)

Some snapshots of the evening...

Special prices for the Money Spider, d'Arry's Original Shiraz Grenache and Stump Jump GSM

The Galvo Garage, Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay and the Dead Arm Shiraz were also on sale!

 

All ready for a dinner feast... Alex, Lia, Grace and myself

Gian and Kalin

 Brett and Andy

Alex with Toby

  Apple melon mesclun salad topped with Atlantic Salmon Trout, chopped pistachios and drizzled with a green tea dressing. This first course was harmonized with a refreshing white - The Money Spider Roussane. It has fruity hits of melon and an influence of green tea.

Next was the Iberian pork loin on a bed of crispy arugula leaves with rhubarb cherry plum sauce, paired with the Stump Jump - an aromatic red filled with notes of peppercorn, dark cherries and plum.

 Lamb medallion drizzled with licorice coffee and plum jus, complemented by a glass of d'Arry's Original Grenache.

 Toasting to good eats!

  Gourmands, Lalay and Jojie

More satisfied guests, Marly Laraya and Beng Abella

A duet of grain fed beef and Wagyu medallion smoked in tobacco leaves. Chocolate, wild mushroom and mint, and truffle sauce top this succulent dish. The Galvo Garage Cabernet Sauvignon and the award-winning Dead Arm Shiraz bring out the smoky, meaty taste perfectly.

the finale - buttered peach, green apple and orange rind crepe with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and butterscotch glaze. It's made even more sinful by the Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay which is packed bold, sweet flavors of marmalade, cumquat, ripe peach and orange butter.

 Good job, Chef Marco!

Looking forward to the next Garden Party with wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State!

NOW BREWING: CULINARY BLOCKBUSTER VITTORIA COFFEE

One thing I love about coffee, other than the fact that there are so many ways of drinking it and so many names to call it, is that it somehow seems to magically go well with anything. Like, who would have thought that the secret to making good Lamb Rosti was a touch of java? Or that traces of coffee in a good piece of steak adds an incredible depth of flavor?

I recently attended the MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia) Blackbox Culinary Challenge held at the Rockwell Tent (Apparently, it’s called that because competing teams are given a black box containing secret ingredients). It was a battle among the city’s ‘gourmet meccas’ like reigning Blackbox champs Lolo Dad’s. Being the coffee junkie I am, I was just thrilled to be there and sample the best coffee-inspired dishes for one entire day.

the stage is set for a battle of EPICurean proportions

A coffee lover’s dream: Row after delicious row of coffee-infused creations

Vittoria Coffee was the official coffee that the competing teams had to use in their dishes. It’s that Australian brand being served at popular restos like Purple Feet, Apartment 1B, Sala and People's Palace. It has that really rich taste I look for in coffee because it’s made from pure Arabica (unlike most of the coffee blends we know which uses a mix).

Blending with the best of the best: Vittoria Espresso is sheer heaven in a pack

For the appetizer round, it was a Coffee Spiced, Cream Cheese-Studded Lamb Carpaccio on Crispy Vegetable Salad with Citrus Nectarine Vinaigrette for Enderun College. The College of the Holy Spirit made Lamb Rosti with a unique twist adding not only coffee but also chocolate into their recipe (and we all know the simple formula to happiness = chocolate+coffee).

        Holy Spirit's Lamb Choco Coffee Rosti

The young yet very creative guys at Ninyo Cuisine made a mouth-watering masterpiece for their main course using Vittoria in its Miso and Coffee Braised Melbourne Prime Rump Set on Open Scalloped Potato and Leeks. Yummm!

Ninyo’s coffee-braised succulent prime rump steak

At the Purple Feet station, the chefs used Vittoria coffee for my favorite part of any meal – dessert. Their Coffee Cake, Blueberry Panna Cota and Chocolate Mousse creation was melt-in-your-mouth unforgettable. All the textures and flavors really came together in this one.

Purple Feet's Chef Jimson plates his Dessert Trilogy

The finished product in all its coffee glory

MLA Judge Chefs dig in at the Purple Feet Station

By the end of the night,  after the awards were given and all teams were acknowledged, the coffee fix left me intoxicated (in a good way). I just remember this sudden urge to grab myself a pack of aromatic beans and see what else it goes with in our kitchen. I left with a newfound appreciation for coffee and the many ways it lends itself not only to food but to my experience of it.