Sanguine Estate Music Festival - Wine Matching Lunch - Saturday 10 March 2012
One of life's great joys - good food, great wine, stimulating conversation...
Last night's full moon prompted a little reflection on the year so far...and one of the highlights of our busy spring period was the inaugural Sanguine Music Festival.
Guests at the event indulged in incredible performances from world class musicians performing in the candle-lit barrel room and fotified themselves between concerts with Sanguine's wines and of course three days of Pierre's meals. From canapes under the stars, freshly baked muffins for breakfast, Pierre's picnic lunch in the vines to a four course gala dinner...no one was left wanting. But for us, Saturday's wine matched lunch was a particular pleasure.
The process of preparing for the lunch was as much a joy as the event itself. First, the wines had to be tasted, always a hardship to spend the afternoon pondering a mixed six of some of Heatchote's finest. Then a menu created, trialed and tested - the rose jelly made with Sanguine's Rose a particular triumph...
Menu suitably composed, we spent a beautiful afternoon in the wine cellar of St Agnes in Kyneton with the Festival Directors and the Winemaker. To a soundtrack of the performers scheduled for the festival weekend dish by dish, course by course, wine by wine we diligently workshoped the lunch to ensure each dish sung with Sanguine's wines.
To begin..two options for Sanguine's superb chardonnay, scallop on a half shell with chorizo..the verdict...a superb dish but the chorizo a little loud for the subtlties of the Chardonnay, a quick tweak substituting Istra pancetta and the match was made. Next, Gravlax with honey and dill dressing...well..the aromatics in the dish echoed the aromatics of the wine...and on the palate? According to the winemaker "This is what food & wine matching is all about!"
Breaking from tradition (as Pierre is wont to do) next up Tempranillo - match one - a Peking Duck Consumme, the tempranillo elegant, feminine...match two - Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Morello Cherry...the smokey pork with the sweetness of the cherry a perfect counterpoint to the Tempranillo.
Three Shiraz went up against Lamb Backstrap with Caponata and Olive Tapenade with much to and fro to find the wine that harmonised most sweetly. Already sated we gallantly forged on, our next task to reapeat the process with the Daube of Beef - emerging victorious finding the ideal match for the beef in the Special Edition Sanguine Music Festival Shiraz.
Our work here now done, the final menu was written. Three weeks later, thirty VIP guests of the festival joined chef Simon Fenwick and winemaker Mark Hunter amongst the barrels in Sanguine's winery...the verdict..good food, great wine, stimulating conversation...
Click here to read Vulture Magazines review of the Sanguine Music Festival.
