KEN HUNTS FOOD: Penfolds Wine Dinner @ Georgetown Wines, Georgetown, Penang.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Penfolds Wine Dinner @ Georgetown Wines, Georgetown, Penang.

One of the renowned Wine shops in Penang- Georgetown Wines organized its inaugural Penfolds Wine Dinner on 27 August 2015. The long-established Australian wine label matches well with Georgetown's heritage history (170 years in wine making) and has record of producing more than half of the wine produce in Australia. Penfolds has been exporting a lot of their wines to UK and many countries in Asia; it is also well-known for its consistency and quality, made possible by their old and diverse vineyards. The meticulously paired 4-course wine pairing dinner designed by extraordinaire Chef Aldrien deftly combines Asian and Western flavors with premium Penfolds Wines; a commemorative event to Georgetown Wines' first anniversary. If I may, the Penfolds Wine Dinner is a one-off event but Georgetown Wines does have great plans for wine events in the near future. Rm 168 nett for a seat at the Penfolds Wine Dinner.

Many Thanks to Georgetown Wines for hosting us that evening.

A promising start, we had Butter Fried Mantis Prawns with Corn Puree, Ikura, Roasted Beetroot Jelly and Crispy Basil; paired with Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2014. The Mantis Prawns were lightly battered and deep fried to a tawny crisp while the Roasted Beetroot Jelly has the instantaneously melt-in-the-mouth effect and the briny pops of Ikura added another layer of seafood sweetness to the concoction. The flavors were flawlessly harmonized followed by a buttery-after taste. The White that goes with the dish has a citrusy flavor ; which overall, amalgamated well with the dish.

Pan Seared Duck Breast with Plum and Brandy Reduction, Creamed Spinach and Confit Potato Steak was a dish echoing many diners. Fabulously seasoned though certain parts were a little rough in texture; the Plum and Brandy Reduction was good. It has the sweet, savory and acidic features but sans the Brandy flavor; that brought the Duck to a whole new level. Creamed Spinach has the right texture but a tad salty to my liking. We had one of the classic blends in Penfolds to go with this dish- Koonunga Hill Seventy Six Shiraz Cabernet 2012.

A delicate yet complex main- Slow Braised Beef Ribs served with Buttered Shimeiji Mushrooms, Parsnip Puree and Red Wine Braised Baby Onions. The meat was so tender that it falls apart at the nudge of a fork, flavors were well-balanced; sweet and savory but it was not monotonous. The earthy, crunchy Shimeiji Mushrooms set another crispy layer of dimension to the dish. Our only wish was the portion could be larger. Two types of Red were recommended: the vintage Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 and Penfolds Bin 138 Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2012. The former blend was more approachable, fruity and light while the latter one has a great depth of flavor, dominated by the earthy oak-flavor. Strong characteristics but more versatile I presume.

Sweet ending was gloriously good, truly a miracle of pastry engineering. The addition of Penfolds Club Reserve Tawny Port enhanced the sweetness and added a boozy touch to the Chocolate-wholesomeness- Duo of Dark Chocolate Mousse with crushed Walnut Praline Caramel and Nuts Flourless Chocolate Torte. I simply enjoyed the contrast in texture, the Mousse was silky smooth and light in texture while the Chocolate Torte was dense and slightly hard in texture; both went extremely well with the sweet, caramelized Port.