Oktoberweinfest

Tonight we have another Gourmet Evening, this months theme is German wines, our Oktoberweinfest if you will. Francis Murray from OW Loeb, for many years the UK's best merchant for German wines has come up to present some of their wines paired to a fantastic meal from Simon.

To start with we are serving Sybille Kuntz's Estate Dry Riesling. A rising star of the Mosel, the Kuntz wines tend towards the drier style. Lean mineral flavours with citrus and a touch of herbal character. At first, after opening there was a touch of sulphur on the nose, this soon disipated.

For the first course we are pouring a Schloss Lieser QBA Riesling. Another crisp dry style with citrus lime flavours intermingled with freshly cut garden herbs. With about 11% alcohol and around 25g of residual sugar per litre this leaves a hint of sweetness on the tongue that the acidity will wipe clean.

Simon's Foie Gras escalope with whipped onion cream is paired with a Kaseler Neis'chen Spatlese 1997 from Von Kesselstatt. The nine years of bottle age on this wine have allowed the secondary aroma's of kerosine/petrol develop nicely, and with more than a touch of residual sugar this complements nicely with the richness of the foie gras.

For the main course we were going to serve a Joh Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese until our MD objected to the lack of a red wine (he's not a huge fan of German wines!!) so weve had to cowboy in a last minute substitute. Weingut Salwey Oberrotweiler Kirchberg Pinot Noir from Baden. Its 2004 which is good, because most of the German red wines that Ive had dont travel very well. Its pretty vibrant on the nose with a touch of tingly alcohol on the palate which isnt surprising as it weighs in at 13.5% abv. Im sure the prok belly will take the edge of that, but personally I think the Wehlener Sonnenuhr would have been better, but who am I to argue.

For the cheese we move back to white for Armin Diel's Dorsheimer Goldloch Auslese 2001. Apricot fruit and quince jelly with winter spices over the honeyed botrytised fruit aromas. Amazing length and build up of flavours.

For dessert we are pouring the Von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Beerenauslese. Late harvested wine, with intense botrytised fruit aromas - honey, golden sultana's, a faint hint of nail varnish, there is also dried apricots and nutmeg on the palate in very slight ways. Really rich, intensely sweet, not to my taste at all, but very very good.

So all in all, the numbers are down (Manchester United are playing at home tonight in a Champions League game), but personally I prefer the more intimate atmosphere of smaller numbers. Should be good.