I have just had the pleasure of being taken out to dinner at the French Cafe. The last outing involved us taking part in the degustation menu, all 11 courses. What a performance that turned out to be. Some of the best food in New Zealand turned up at our table with perfect grace.
The evening was conducted like a well rehearsed orchestra performing at the ballet.
This time was to be no different we decided that the A la Carte menu was to our liking.
There were 12 guests at the dinner table and this was the most suitable option until, that is, we tried to decide on the wine.
The wine for the evening turned out to be great. The Lafond Rhone Marsanne/Rousanne was fragrant and the oily texture with high acid made it perfect for my aperitif. I carried on with this wine through the starter of Goats Cheese on Beetroot tart and then moved on to the Pisa Range ‘Black Poplar’ Central Otago Pinot Noir for my main course.
The Black Poplar exhibits ripe cherry/red fruit with a splash of earthiness and touch of oak all held together beautifully with well integrated acid.
We skipped dessert and decided on expresso instead rounding off another beautiful experience. I tip my hat to the staff for maintaining such high standards and perfectly presented and cooked food. This is truly a 5 star house.
Hi Jayson
I see that the white wine ‘Lafond Rhone Marsanne/Rousanne’ was your choice to pair with the Goats Cheese.
Would you ever pair cheese with a red wine?? It’s something I’ve always wondered about since a Swiss person I met said that having red wine with cheese makes the cheese sit like a lump in your stomach! I personally like having a red wine with cheese – is that wrong??