Chef Shetty has designed an exciting menu of dishes crafted just for us. We make no apology that this is a seafood dinner, even if we'll be serving two red wines, which, contrary to popular wisdom, work well with the dishes that they'll accompany.
We’ll start the evening with a glass of Domaine Carneros Brut 2012, the consistently good sparkling wine produced in Sonoma by the House of Taittinger. After an amuse bouche, we’ll drink Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2004 with clams in a mildly spicy chorizo and white wine broth accompanied by an eggplant tapenade crouton (perfect for nudging the last bits of chorizo onto your fork and for mopping up the broth). Hamilton Russell Vineyards pioneered the production of Pinot Noir in South Africa and, 40 years later, in a wholly different winemaking environment with a vast number of competitors, it's still one of the country’s top three wines. Next, we’ll enjoy sweet buttery lobster with couliflower purée, warmed with the gentle spice of a light curry lobster sauce. We’ve matched this with Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2013, which achieved a 93/100 rating in Decanter Magazine’s vintage review. The main course will be local queen snapper on a bed of fava beans with Asian black beans and half Brussel sprouts glazed with honey accompanied by Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 2008. Maison F.E. Trimbach are, without question, the world’s top producer of dry Riesling. You may be surprised to learn that the 2008 vintage is actually the current release of Trimbach’s two prestige wines – the Clos Saint-Hune, which is fantastically expensive, and the Cuvée Frédéric Emile which is sensibly priced and great value for money. This bone-dry Riesling works perfectly with Chef Shetty’s snapper dish. To end the meal, there’s a chocolate dessert served with Leeuwin Art Series Shiraz 2009 —— yes, Shiraz with chocolate. We promise you it’s delicious. Leeuwin Estate is one of the top producers in the Margaret River region of Australia. Its “Art Series” represents the estate’s most opulent and age-worthy wines of each vintage. The 2009 Shiraz is rated 93/100 by James Halliday, Australia’s equivalent of Robert Parker, and is drinking perfectly now.