Mezzacorona Wine Dinner with CSS Wines & Spirits at Cicchetti Di Zenzero, Kuala Lumpur

[Event]

Kassey and me with the winemaker from Italy

Kassey and I attended the Mezzacorona Wine Dinner on Wednesday, 7 March 2018 at the Cicchetti Di Zenzero, which is located in right opposite the KL Tower, in downtown Kuala Lumpur. We started off the evening with a pre-dinner selection of Bruschetta, Cicchetti and varieties of pizza, paired with the Castel Firmian I Classici Pinot Grigio DOC 2016.

Characteristics of the Castel Firmian Pinot Grigio:

PRODUCTION AREA: Mezzacorona grows this variety on the hills of Pressano and Faedo, North of Trento.

CHARACTERISTICS: A delicately complex wine with an intense fragrance , it is dry with a pleasant slightly bitter after taste.

PAIRINGS: Ideal to serve with cold meats, tasty first courses, red and white roast meats.

Starter

Belgian Endive with Drunken Cheese

Roasted Endive served with Drunken Cheese, Walnuts Gremolata and Vincotto

Wine Pairing – TEROLDEGO ROTALIANO DOC

PRODUCTION AREA: Mezzacorona cultivates Teroldego grapes in Piana Rotaliana vineyards, i.e. “Fron”, “Rauti”, “Catorzi” and “Sottodossi”.

VINIFICATION: Pressing with separation of the stems. Maceration of the skins with frequent repassing of the must. Fermentation at controlled temperature of 25°C (77°F) for 12 – 13 days. 24 months of aging, of which 12 in oak barrels (Allier and Troncais) and final refining in the bottle.

CHARACTERISTICS: Wine with intense ruby-red color. It presents a bouquet with pleasant aroma of ripe fruit, prunes and blackcurrant. Full body and pleasant tannins balance well with fruity and light barrique.

PAIRINGS: It pairs well with stews, roasted or grilled red meats, and aged cheeses. Ideal with rich risotto dishes.

The combination of tastes and textures on this dish was testament of what was to follow. Creamy, savoury cheese balanced out by the roasted endives and walnuts gremolata, and paired with a red wine that was fruity and easy to drink. A good start to the meal!

Pasta

7 Egg Yolk Tagliatelle

Served with Slow and Low Braised Lamb and Beef Ragù

Wine Pairing – Castel Firmian I Classici Marzemino DOC 2016

PRODUCTION AREA: Mezzacorona cultivates this variety of grapes on the hills around Ala, a municipality in Trentino at the end of Val di Ronchi in Vallagarina.

VINIFICATION: Verified the perfect ripening of the grapes in vineyards, the winery proceeds to the manual harvesting of a first tranche of grapes in order to drying theme in a temperature and humidity controlled room. During this period – which lasts about 70 days – the grapes ripen and evolve, releasing unexpected aromas and velvety sensations. At the end of the cycle the grapes are de-stemmed, crushed and the juice obtained is fermented in steel at a controlled temperature of 25 °C – 28 °C with selected yeasts for this type of wine. The rest of the grapes are harvested as late as possible consistent with the climate evolution of the season and their health status. Even in this case, the grapes are de-stemmed and left to ferment in stainless steel containers with a strictly controlled temperature of 25 °C – 28 °C inoculating specific yeasts. Once the fermentation ends, the two parts are put to rest in steel containers pending their assembly and aging in the bottle.

CHARACTERISTICS: The colour is ruby red, extremely decisive. The aromas are intense and embrace a bit of all the fruit of the underbrush, even jam, and cherries in brandy. The taste is pleasant, soft with delicate tannins, consistent with the aromas and persistent.

PAIRINGS: It is an ideal companion for medium-aged cheeses, pasta dishes with delicate seconds and white sauce based on white and slightly fatty red meats.

There are nights when I actually drop by McDonald’s on the way home after a fine-dining dinner to grab some supper as the tiny portions of the fine dining dishes can barely fill me up. No such nonsense here and to ensure that everyone leaves with a happy and full tummy is a very heartwarming pasta dish that was served with a rich slow cooked lamb and beef ragu. I liked how the pasta here is cooked al dente like how the Italians enjoy it, and not the crazy soggy overcooked Malaysian style which is really a huge waste. Definitely no McDonald’s for me on the way home.

Main Course

Black Angus Tenderloin

Marsala Wine and Black Truffles Sauce with Potatoes Au Gratin

Wine Pairing: NOS Teroldego Rotaliano DOC Riserva 2011

PRODUCTION AREA: Mezzacorona cultivates Teroldego grapes in Piana Rotaliana vineyards, i.e. “Fron”, “Rauti”, “Catorzi” and “Sottodossi”.

CHARACTERISTICS: Wine with intense ruby red color. It presents a bouquet with pleasant aroma of ripe fruit, prunes and blackcurrant. Full body and pleasant tannins balance well with fruity and light barrique.

PAIRINGS: It pairs well with stews, roasted or grilled red meats, and aged cheeses. Ideal with rich risotto dishes.

If there was one think I had to choose to eat for every meal for the rest of my life it would be a good steak paired with some decent red wine! The flavours of the ripe fruits on the palate perfectly complemented the steak which was cooked to a beautiful medium rare!

A beautiful cut of meat that was cooked to a lovely medium rare – leaving it juicy, tender and tasty!

Cheese

Gorgonzola Dolce

Toasted Walnuts Bread and Honey

Wine Pairing: Castel Firmian Assonanza DOC 2014

PRODUCTION AREA: Mezzacorona cultivates these varietals in contiguous zones, on Trentino hills.

VINIFICATION: The grapes are harvested and selected by hand; they undergo a cold maceration and a soft pressing, followed by a cold settling and a temperature controlled fermentation, in order to release all the typical aromas of the varietals.

CHARACTERISTICS: The low alcoholic strength and the fresh acidity of the Chardonnay perfectly complete the exuberance and the alcoholic strength of the Gewürztraminer, giving a refined and pleasant bouquet with hints of yellow apple and floral notes of dog rose.

PAIRINGS: Excellent as an aperitif, with spiced appetizer and fish first course dishes.

I really love cheese, especially when it’s paired with some good wine. The fresh acidity of the wine kept the dish from becoming too cloyingly rich as is the case with many cheese dishes. The really surprising yet delicious element was actually the honeycomb which balanced it out perfectly – savoury and creamy, with acidity and sweetness!

Dessert

Cannoli alla Siciliana

Cannoli Stuffed with Riccotta and Chocolate Chips, served with Salted Caramel Ice Cream

A delightful end to the meal. This time a mixture of sweet and salty flavours with a variety of textures! We kept some NOS Teroldego Rotaliano DOC Riserva 2011 to go along with this dessert and it paired very well!