|
Photos By:: Adil Arora
 A native of Netherland, who has spent 10 years in Australia, Michel Koopman is the best thing that has happened to the wine consumers and Hotel Leela so far as the promotions are concerned. He is bindaas in planning the wine programmes. It was at his initiative that the monthly wine dinners debuted last April. After the successful completion of one year, the current year is chugging along fine with 60+ people attending the previous dinner at Zanotta last month, not only promoting wine and showcasing labels but popularising the restaurants and the hotel also for banquets which are becoming extremely popular and an important source of revenue. It has also become the most successful hotel-run wine club, a concept pioneered by Hotel Shangri-La in Delhi years ago when Andrew Steele, the then General Manager introduced the concept in 2008.
 The concept of this dinner, as Michel emphasised, was all about having fun only and was simple. Each course had 2 wines- one from an Allied country and the other from the Nazi supported countries. After many years it struck me that Italians had been the bad guys once (not their fault-it was the fascist M who supported the Nazi H).
But that’s not the reason why the ‘bad guy’ lost out the first wine bout- with the ubiquitous Sartori Ti Amo Prosecco DOC pitted against Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne. The elegant Brut Reserve Champagne had a distinctive edge as the first bell was rung and continued with the lead consistently - but thanks to the dexterity showed by the serving staff, the Prosecco stayed in the ring till we moved from the Bar to the dinner venue- Spectra PDR, when I muttered, ‘Ti amo, Taittinger!!’ My choice for the bout would have been Taittinger champagne with a Franciacorta-like Bellavista for a fairer competition.
 The second round saw the Dr. Burklin Wolf Riesling 2007 compete with Ch. St. Michelle Riesling from Washington , USA and the winner was… Champagne poached lobster salad with Arugula leaves, goat cheese, pear and caramelised and crunchy nuts. If the German Riesling had been served to test the tasting prowess of the guests, it succeeded. I could not take a second sip of the amber coloured liquid while many at the other tables insisted it was really elegant and perhaps one of the best examples of aged Rieslings they had tasted. I would have been devastated if all the people at our table did not like it and send it back. St Michel was, as expected, a bit too sweet and simple. Fortunately, the co-operative waiter let us have the winner from the first round and this course turned from very good to amazing. Left to me, my choice would have been Dr. L from Dr. Loosen, pitted against the Ch. St. Michelle Riesling which is anyway being produced in collaboration with Ernie Loosen who makes and sells Dr. L in millions of bottles- both wines imported through Brindco.
Tofu in Soy Sauce didn’t do justice to either of the two whites- Woodbridge Chardonnay 2012 from Robert Mondavi or the majestic Querciabella Batar 2011 (equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco) from Tuscany. Though still slightly closed and young, the Batar showed its elegance and aristocratic personality (decanting for an hour might have helped tame the oak tannins a bit) and was an ample proof of why the Batard Montrachet Grand Cru appellation in Burgundy had been frightened enough to sue them and take the 'd' out of the Batard. Very mineral, complex wine with years ahead of its life- it was like a top seed routing an unseeded player in Wimbledon in the first round-no surprises here! My choice for the competition would have been between Batar and a Batard Montrachet.
Pumpkin ravioli was a heavenly dish paired with Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba 2012 and Villa Maria Kiwi Pinot. Both were equally delicious by themselves with the Pio having a slight edge. But the gap widened with food- Barbera was a ‘natural’ for the dish and to me it was a clear winner because of the food and wine pairing. Great selection for the match!
The reverse was true when the main course of grilled pork loin was served with Benziger Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 and Frescobaldi’s Nipozzano Chianti Ruffina 2011. The latter might have a slight edge as a better wine by itself but the powerful cabernet with ripe tannins and fruitier flavour was a better food-wine choice. Again a very good and fair match for the wines- both from the family owned wineries in the USA and Tuscany.
 The dessert was a surprise in more ways than one. Firstly-the sheer delightful appearance and flavours – 6 mini portions created by the Executive Pastry Chef Pablo Morales from Spain. Lambrusco is one of my less favourite wines from Italy. Too sweet, too dark and with non matching fizz is not my favourite when the BA’s, TBA’s Vin Santo or Icewines or even Moscatos might be around. But the desserts with flags identifying each dish were a great match when smaller quantity was sipped with each spoonful and it was a true surprise. Great way to finish another memorable evening from Hotel Leela and the wine visionary and aficionado Michel Koopman who has, I am sure, several surprises up his sleeve for the future.
The idea behind curating the evening was to have fun around wines and the Leela was truly successful in its endeavour. It did bring out in a subtle way that wines match differently with food and depending on your personal tastes they leave different impressions on your palate.
Michel Koopman has a string of such dinners organised every month and tries to introduce something new every time. Let’s see what he has up his sleeve for the future dinners which are priced quite reasonably at Rs. 3950++.
Subhash Arora |