Reviews

Wine and food events: everyone wins
(fine)wines №5 summer 2008

“Wines were chosen to meet several requirements.

Firstly, they must reflect the general topic of the event. Secondly, they should preserve the idea of regionality, and, thirdly, we were looking for a best possible match between food and wine”, was commenting an experienced sommelier who was invited to select wines for lunch made by a famous Italian chef. The event took place at the prosecco festival Vino in Villa that is held annually in the middle of May in Veneto where this popular Italian sparkler is produced.

Vino in Villa festival is among successful examples of how to promote wine in context of gastronomy. The event is primarily dedicated to wine (it is organized by the consortium of Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOC), and various wine topics are explored there. Along with a traditional two-day tasting for professionals and general public in which around 100 estates participate and a cycle of seminars on different aspects of wine, each festival features a special gastronomic programme. Established and emerging star chefs come from all parts of Italy. This year, for example, prestigious international school of Italian cuisine ALMA headed by renowned Italian maestro Gualtiero Marchesi participated in Vino in Villa. A gala dinner for 350 guests was an enchanting mix of flavours from traditional and innovative Italian cuisine that was successfully supported by wines from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area and from the countries chosen as the event’s guests of honour.

Besides, Vino in Villa organizers annually offer signature lunches and dinners with wine. This year the gastronomic programme was dedicated to ‘poor’ cuisine of Italy’s north and south, with a smartly presented opposition of modern creative and traditional approaches. Lunch dishes by Sicilian Pino Cuttaia from La Madia restaurant in Agrigento favoured bold and unexpected combinations of flavours — such as gnocchi with cuttlefish, fennel cream, artichoke chips and black coal or swordfish in olive oil with ashes. Unusual ingredients, unconventional mix of products, their presentation in new textures and fine preservation and focus on flavours — all these aspects of creative approach not only led to a deeply emotional perception of dishes, but also required ideal wine matches. A sommelier had a challenging job, and not all of combinations were totally harmonious. But when the pairing was successful — like in case with a savoury dessert Parmigiana del giorno dopo (mousse from baby aubergines with a red tomato-garlic ‘heart’, green sauce and white Ragusano cheese cream and shavings and aubergine chips) and a rare sweet wine from Colli de Conegliano Torchiato di Fregona 2005 by Luciano Chies — guests enjoyed an incomparable pleasure, a true enogastronomic nirvana.

While being highly attractive, the drawback of such presentations is that only a limited number of people can attend them. Nonetheless, chefs participation in wine events is important for other reasons, too. As Umberto Cosmo, owner of medium-sized quality-oriented Bellenda winery said, events like Vino in Villa provide winemakers with an opportunity for direct contacts with representatives of culinary and restaurant industry and to find to sales channels. This is one of the obvious marketing advantages for producers and importers who present wines on similar in concept wine events abroad.

Another scenario is when wine companies penetrate the exposition area of food exhibitions and presentations or include their events in a general programme.

A prime example of such event is Madridfusion, key international food and culinary forum. It is held annually in the end of January in Madrid and attracts top chefs from around the world. The main action takes place in a huge auditorium where chefs present their concepts and dishes on the stage. But this is only a part of the programme. Madridfusion’s venue is Palace of Congresses, and the building is fully used for forum’s events. Part of the space is given to exhibition stands and an additional open stage for gastronomic and wine shows, and other rooms are used for seminars and round tables.

Stands of individual wineries and whole wine regions are a permanent feature of Madridfusion exhibition. They are located next to olive oil, jamon, cheese, chocolate, spirits, kitchen equipment and other stands related to food and gastronomy. Renowned names such as Alejandro Fernandez or Ribera del Duero DO are spotted there. They find the forum a fitting place to reinforce their image. Wine seminars are regularly held during Madridfusion. Last year the Institute of Foreign Trade ICEX prepared a wide programme on all wine regions of Spain, and the international association of biodynamic wine producers La Renaissance des Appellations chose Madridfusion as a venue for their tasting. Rioja regulating council organizes annual seminars with participation of well known wine critics and experts. These tastings are always popular with forum’s guests.

Wineries and wine regions are traditional sponsors of Madiridfusion competitions and presentations, evening receptions and gala dinners. This year, for example, presentation by a legendary chef Juan Mari Arzak was held under patronage of Rioja wine region. Wines for lunches at Madridfusion are routinely supplied by Spanish producers, as well as Champagne houses including Moet & Chandon and Bruno Paillard. Renowned Spanish estates — Marques de Riscal, Codorniu, Chivite and Grupo Pesquera — sponsor evening receptions and dinners during which they have an opportunity to present their wine range. Here, though, producers should be extra careful in choosing wines and must work together with chefs. There were occasions when inappropriate wines (such as a powerful oaky white selected for light seafood consommé) had a negative effect. Such mistakes cost dearly, and make the efforts wasted.

Madridfusion is important for the wine industry also because the general situation in the culinary and gastronomic spheres is voiced there. Food and wine are closely related, and whatever happens in the food world is not isolated from the wine industry. For example, Ferran Adria’s latest manifest discusses issues which are also useful to know for sommeliers and merchants. Today chefs prefer to work with vegetables and seafood, as well as with other products suitable for light dishes. It means that white, rose and light red wines are increasingly chosen to pair them with food. A new serious aspect of gastronomic experience is emotional and intellectual analysis. Wine can and must contribute to this experience. There is a tendency for new ways of serving dishes. Classical hierarchy starter — main course — dessert is being destroyed. Dishes with elements of sweet, salty, spicy and savoury can be served in a new sequence. It changes traditional wine service too. Off-dry and sweet wines can precede the dry ones. Dishes are often served in smaller formats, and this requires a wider by glass offer from a sommelier.

Winemakers’ participation in food events also helps them understand changes and new tendencies in the restaurant sphere which can affect consumption or promotion of wine. A new trend is to use natural materials such as compost, clay, charcoal as ingredients in a dish. If natural flavours and fashionable in the gastronomic circles, why shouldn’t winemakers who follow the ideas of terroir and natural production use this trend to promote their wines?

A new event was held in Italy this year where restaurant dishes, food products and wine were presented as equal partners of the show. Gusto in Scena (“Taste on the stage”) even took place in Venice. This enogastronomic congress offers a concept of three-in-one. Leading Italian and Spanish chefs present their ideas and dishes at Chef in Concerto programme in the main auditorium, in the meantime producers pour their wines at I Magnifici Vini (“Magnificent wines”) tasting, and delicacies can be sampled at Seduzioni di Gola (“Gastronomic seductions”).

It is worth noting that chefs, as well as winemaking estates, are chosen for the event by certain criteria. Italy nowadays is known in the food circles as defender of traditions, while Spain as a country of great innovations. Avant-garde Spanish chefs such as Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana and Martin Berasategui were invited to Venice. The Italian movement (both traditional and creative) was represented by Gualtiero Marchesi, Norbert Niederkofler, Corrado Fasolato, Herbert Hintner and others. Thirty chefs in total were invited.

Around 100 Italian wineries with high quality wines were chosen. The event’s organizer Marcello Coronini (a well known Italian journalist and author of more than a dozen books on wine and gastronomy) offered an unconventional wine classification. Wines were grouped not by geographic place of origin, but by the dominating landscape — sea, mountains, plains and hills. This division is, naturally, not definitive, but it helps draw attention to the role of landscape in wine production and to find common features in wines coming from areas with similar topographic conditions.

The innovative format of Gusto in Scena was well received in Italy, but didn’t attract a wide international audience due to the factor of novelty. HoReCa operators, especially from Veneto region where the event took place and a large number of wine and food lovers were main visitors. Representatives of wine estates were generally satisfied with the idea of the event but noted that despite all the attractiveness of Venice, the city is inconvenient from the point of view of logistics and access, and that the majority of visitors gathered in the evening, though the tasting was opened from the morning. If this criticism will be taken into account, Gusto in Scena may become an important enogastronomic event in Italy and in Europe.

Organisers of fine and rare wines tastings — be them producers, merchants or auctions — often use lunch or dinner formats. If one is to consider a high-profile, and at times historic status of tastings, organizers have no right for an erroneous choice of gastronomic partners. That’s why such events are usually run in prestigious restaurants, or assisted by high ranking catering companies.

One of the recent memorable examples is a vertical tasting of Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion to commemorate 25 years of the ownership by the Dillon family. The event took place in the London restaurant The Square, which is awarded 2 Michelin stars and whose cuisine is among the finest in the British capital today. The restaurant’s management took an unprecedented measure and closed the whole restaurant in order to have perfect conditions for the tasters to evaluate over 50 wines, as well as to enjoy the food.

The event consisted of two parts. At the beginning all guests, including the most acclaimed British, European and American critics, tasted 42 vintages in a usual format. Then four outstanding vintages of white Chateau Laville Haut-Brion and nine of red Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion were served for lunch. Aesthetically beautiful and impeccably executed from the culinary point of view, the four-course lunch proved a great accompaniment to great wines (with vintages 1929, 1945, 1959, 1982, 2000 and others). Without question, it added value to the exceptional tasting.

The Austrian wine merchant WeinArt is well known among wine connoisseurs and collectors for regular, high-end enogastronomic tastings. They are held approximately once a month, and guests have a rare chance to assess meticulously gathered vertical collections of the world’s finest wines, from Chateau Margaux to Petrus, from Egon Muller to Domaine de la Romanee Conti. Each tasting features at least 30 vintages. The events are dedicated to wines, but tasting menus aren’t be underestimated either. Karl Heinz Wolf, WeinArt owner, understands their value especially well. He has a vast working experience in the restaurant sphere, as well as with high quality products. In the past, Wolf was a chef who opened two restaurants recognized by Michelin and Gault Millau and an importer of delicatessen. Along with the wine business, at present he owns LandArt, producer of premium foods and a catering company.

Extensive restaurant experience helps Wolf create special menus which ideally match wines at tastings. WeinArt enogastronomic events are usually done in a dinner format. The service of wines and the timing between flights are impeccable. After wines are served, guests have time to taste them and write their notes. Then food arrives. Tasters enjoy finely prepared dishes and can compare how various vintages combine with food. This two-in-one approach stands for a winning formula. Each tasting lasts at least 5 hours, and its success depends not only on wine, but also on a well-designed menu and professional service of sommeliers and waiters.

Tasting menus are creative and seasonal — but not over the top, so that wine can take centre stage. Yet, each event features ‘provocative’ dishes which turn to be unexpectedly good partners to wines and teach new lessons in food and wine pairings. One of the most memorable combinations at the Egon Muller tasting was a dish of beef roulettes with sauce and aged Riesling Wiltinger Braune Kupp Auslese Goldkapsel 1976. Another unconventional, but harmonious pair was Chateau Margaux 2002 with white asparagus and red wine sauce. Such experiments enrich tasters’ experience and make one think about mechanisms of interaction between food and wine.

As we can see, a right choice and organization of events can produce a considerable benefit for promoting wines in a gastronomic context. In the end of the day, wine is more often drunk at the table with food, than at abstract tastings, and operators of wine sector should always remember that.