.A Wine Tasting Evening.
{ La Bodega Lounge, Bangsar }
Guess what? Having wine has never crossed in my mind until I met this Wine Talk event which is exclusively a special Wine Appreciation Evening for Bloggers.
I have loved wine since I never know the tasting way to drink but it is still the desire I wanted to taste but it has not yet to reach my limit to know more. I used to drink a few variety of wine. Thanks to my family who has the fond for wine, I have had attempt to try in several times. I have always wanted to go forth from what I have had try. Yes, it is the Wine Talk would be the good idea for me to join. And I did!
There I was invited to the WINE TALK! Yippie!
My blog friend, Henry and I have looked around for La Bodega Lounge, there this place was a good locates in the heart of Bangsar. It was a like VIP the way upstair to the bar! I was so thrilled and yes I was warm welcomed by Ms. Celeste and Ms. Kathrina.
The lounge is looked so sophistic and the lighting were so dimly in the romantic way. We found a table with beautiful decoration of glassy wines with soft couches to sit on. We were waiting for our other blogger and our interpreter friends, Selina and James.
While waiting for everyone to be ready, I was given a brochure book about the event yet it was so helpful tip where I, myself a Deaf person could not catch up words when they speak to me. Thanks for the useful informative before I follow with everyone.
Very classy of glassy wine that are putting on the table nicely with simply of creative
.5 different wines from different countries.
Argentina, Portugal, France, Africa, Spain
There we all everyone has been ready for the show! The Wine Talk's French sommelier, Mr. David Stephan a friendly man who gave a talk. He has started the evening by serving the first white wine.
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| Mr. David Stephan, the Frenchman |
Have you ever experienced going to an event where wines are served and you are not really sure how to look like you are confident with holding the wine glass? And even if you finally become confident with how you hold the wine glass, you are then faced with the challenge of drinking like a pro? Why do people swirl the glass and sniff the wine? What difference does it make? Is that a requirement or something?
It is true that I even did not know that all these are important to know how to enjoy the wine.
Who is Wine Talk?
Wine Talk Malaysia is a concept launched in 2012 and created by the venture of the owners of Room Service Deliveries and Gastrodome Management Services, responsible for the famous restaurants - La Bodega, Pressroom & Espressamente lily.
Combining our expertise in both fields, our aim is to offer more than just a wine delivery service.
What is Wine Talk?
Wine Talk provides easy wine shopping through WINE TALK ONLINE ordering of different wines. We now have more than 400 labels, with the widest range of countries, regions or grapes varieties possible; you can get each wines individually or through one of our selected mixed cases. We also have a great Wine Club to help you in your journey into great wines.
:David's TOP 8 TIPS to appreciate and taste wine like a PRO:
- Hold the wine glass by the stem, not by its bowl. In my years of serving wines, I've probably seen hundreds of people holding a wine glass by the bowl. It's not that bad but doing this exposes the wine to your finger's temperature. Bets is to hold a wine glass by its stem. It reduces exposure of wine to heat and it also makes you look like a pro. Classy and elegant.
- Swirl the wine in your glass, be careful not to spill. Swirling allows the wine to release aromas. Just give your glass a gentle swirl. After you've done this a few times, you'll get the hang of wine glass swirling.
- Sniff the wine. It's totally fine to put your nose inside the glass. Learning to appreciate wine aromas is learning how to appreciate the character of the wine. Don't panic if your friend smells something else that what you smell. Wine aromas can be completely subjective. Your friend might smell flowers while you smell fruits. It's fine. The important thing is whether you like the aromas or not.
- Look at the color the wine. You can hold you glass higher to get some light. The color of the wine can tell you a lot of things about what you're drinking or tasting. Some white wines might be lighter than others; it will roughly give you an idea about the taste. Some red wines are very dark while types like pinot noir might have lighter red color than merlot and shiraz.
- Sip the wine. Take note: SIP not gulp. Sipping gives you more chance to appreciate the taste. If you are willing to expand your tasting skills, you can explore inhaling air through your mouth while the wine is inside. This can be tricky but perfecting this skill can give you significant difference in appreciating wines.
- Take note of the aftertaste. This is where you'll notice if a wine has strong or light tannins. Tannins are most commonly present in red wine. It is the textural element that makes wine taste dry. Observe your tongue when you taste red wines, it's that 'dry' feeling or taste when you swallow wine. Some grapes have higher tannins while some have lower.
- Swirl, sniff then sip again. This will allow you to rediscover the aromas and the taste for another time.
- Be familiar with basic wine terms. Looking and sounding like a pro need a bit of research. Some people might talk to you about nose, legs, fermentation, vintage, corked wine, acidity and other terms. Take a few minutes to read about some wine terms before you attend a gathering where wine will be served. If you're armed with some wine knowledge, you'll relate to what people are talking about and maybe even add some comments that make you look and sound like a pro!
Introduced me the first wine from Argentina
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Tucumen Savignon Blanc
RM72 |
Soft and mellow wine, with delicate floral and citrus notes; it offers a fresh and balanced acidity, with great subtle aromas of peach and lemon. This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc is excellent as an aperitif and a very good companion for seafood, fish, pastas, poultry and goat cheese. A very crisp and delicate Sauvignon Blanc, to enjoy at anytime.
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| Pulpo a la Gallega Spanish octopus served with potatoes, paprika and extra virgin olive oil |
The food is so good to eat with the white wine which I hardly come to believe that this wine matches the evening dinner perfectly!
Followed by second wine from Portugal
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Monte da Peceguina Branco
RM90
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The Branco (white) cuvee is a classic blend of local varieties; it showcases a very aromatic expression of the grapes, with citrus and floral notes, combined with a great minerality and intense flavors, balanced by a great acidity. The ultimate 'geeky' wine, with a great discovery, better enjoy with food & friends.
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| Gambas al Ajillo |
Tiger prawns deliciously sauteed in olive oil, garlic and chilli
The sauce was so tasteful indeed to feel, taste and its good aromatic even with the fresh big prawns!
Followed by an another 3rd sweet red wine from France
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Chateau Fontareche Corbieres 'Tradition' Rose
RM 70 |
This is a classic Southern France Rose, made mostly from a very old local varietal, the Picquepoul Noir. Light grenadine pink in colour, expressive, vibrantly fresh nose with notes of wild strawberries and fruit drops. On the palate, fine balance between the fruitiness, fatness and acidity.
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| Albondigas "Saint Climent" |
Delectable lamb meatballs in a rich brandy sauce
The lamb meatballs were so real perfect heaven to feel, smell and taste them! They were so juicy and good sauce to absorb all in the meatballs. WoW Slurrp! I loved this forever! Wish I can cook such a good one.
Followed by the 4th dark red wine from South Africa
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Lion's lair Shiraz
RM 55 |
This cuvee is aged in stainless steel to keep the authenticity of the opulent, bright fruit. A beautifully elegant palate with round tannins layered with clove spice, ripe cherries and violets. A very friendly and approachable Shiraz - great for any occasion.
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| Arroz Negro con Calamares y Allioli |
Spanish rice cooked in a paella with squid ink and squids, topped with garlic mayonnaise and tiger prawns
The rice was so sticky but yet so good taste to eat with its great season, of course had the red wine which brought its bitterness together. The outcome was good in end.
Lastly by the 5th red wine from Spain
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Pago De Cirsus 'Vendimia Seleccionada'
RM 81 |
It showcases an abundance of red fruits like plum aromas and ripe black berries, typical of Tempranillo, blended with scents of cocoa. The wood is fully integrated. This wine is fruity and long, with rich but smooth tannins.
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| Cheese Platter |
Selection of cheeses served with dried fruits and crackers
The cheese platter was so lovely in that way but they were so sour when to eat them. Yet the cheese did not effect my taste when mixed with the red wine. Thumbs up.
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| I enjoyed drinking the wine |
They did a great job, thumbs up!
What a truly evening of the day!
The First of its kind in Malaysia
All Pleasure. No Fuss.
Enjoy the luxury of having great wines personally handpicked by their French sommelier and delivered to your home every month. With the Wine Club by Wine Talk, you will receive wines chosen for you based on your preference and pleasure.
All the wines I tried that night are exclusive to Wine Talk; you would not find these in supermarkets or other wine shops.
Good news for my readers! Love wine? Need to send wine as a gift or need wines for an event, gathering or party? Use my special voucher code when you shop at Wine Talk to enjoy RM 50 off on your order of RM 300 worth of normal-priced wines! Simply key
in SWEETBLOG50 upon checkout!
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If you really want to learn more about wines, it is best to keep trying more. Wine Talk has a special service where wine lovers or enthusiasts can discover more wines that will be personally handpicked by David. A person just needs to join the Wine Club, which is FREE from sign-up or membership fee, and receive 6 or 12 bottles of wines every month or 2. It's a convenient way to enjoy wines. You don't need to worry about what wines to buy because David, the sommelier, will choose them for you based on your preference. Isn't this amazing? And another great thing from Wine Talk is their GUARANTEED PRICE and GUARANTEED SATISFACTION. If you're not happy with the wine you received, they will change it for you. Cool!
Wine Club and Wine Talk's wine delivery service are currently available across Peninsular Malaysia. Log on to http://www.winetalk.com.my / call 1300 88 97 88
For those who loves to find out in social media
FaceBook
WINE TALK
WINE CLUB
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| My appreciation of the night |
