RECAP: VINOMOFO SUMMER MASTERCLASS
It turns out there’s a whole lot more to food and wine pairings than just cheese and wine (although that’s a match made in heaven right there if you ask me) and we had an opportunity to explore some of these combinations with Vinomofo’s summer masterclass.
If there’s anyone who knows their wines, it’s the folks at Vinomofo. Their philosophy is all about sharing good wines (and at excellent prices) with the community, which has now grown to over 300000. Which really says something about the quality and impeccable taste of the wines they pick. Alongside some adventurous food+wine combos, we also picked up plenty of pointers during the evening. Most importantly, you don't make friends with frose!
The event kicked off to a sparkling start with a Bisou Bisou; a sparkling blanc de blanc created in collaboration with De Bortoli Wines' Steve Webber. The bubbly nature of the drink worked well to balance out the pungent richness of the gorgonzola and sweetness of the stewed pears from the tart pairing.
Next came the Fanny Limehead; a riesling created in collaboration with Clare Valley’s Penna Lane, and this was teamed with an almond, rosemary, goats cheese and lime doughnut. Perhaps more so because of the donut flavour than the wine, this was the evening’s most bold combo. My taste buds were often confused by the savoury and sweet nature of the donut and by the end of it, I still couldn’t work out if I liked it or not, but it did wash down well with the riesling.
We were presented with another donut and wine pairing. This time, the Mimi Flamingo, a premium chardonnay made in collaboration with Oakridge, and served with an apricot and rosemary donut. Fun to say, better to drink! The chardonnay had noticeably more body compared to the riesling but this was rounded out beautifully by the tanginess from the apricot filling.
Following a more classic combination, we also tried The Don, a premium pinot noir made together with Fratelli Wines’ Andrew Santarossa, and paired with Peking duck pancakes. An excellent red and tasty Peking duck pancakes, what’s not to love?
With a few other wines and tasty morsels here and there, including plenty of cheese and wine action, a lovely evening was had by all.
On another note, check out the Vinomofo office space... 'Office'. Lucky folks!
Disclosure: I was invited to attend the event as a guest of Vinomofo. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely only my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.