Under Grain in collaboration with Charles Grech World of Wines will be hosting a special food and wine pairing event on the 25th of November.
Under Grain’s Michelin-Starred Chef Victor Borg, together with his team of culinary virtuosos, will cook up a brand-new mouth-watering menu, and guests will also be treated to a cherry-picked selection of premium Bordeaux and Super Tuscan wines, each one chosen specifically to complement the flavours and textures of each dish in this exquisite five-course meal.
“The entire kitchen team has taken a lot of care and consideration into creating a menu that will surprise diners,” explains Chef Victor Borg. “As with any great food and wine pairing event, we began by planning a perfect menu that showcases the finest, freshest seasonal produce. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons, and I wanted to put together an entirely new set of dishes full of bold, dynamic flavours.”
With so many new autumnal flavours being introduced on the menu, does chef have any personal favourites?
“Each dish is a highlight in its own unique way. I’m particularly proud of our starter dish: salt baked celeriac with pickled wild mushroom and a Saint-Maure and Vin jaune custard. Vegetarian dishes have a tendency to be subtle and understated. So, I wanted to do something that was the complete opposite, really amp of the flavours. It’s bold and unusual, and I think our diners will be really surprised.”
Next up is ravioli of Scottish scallops with caviar and sage beurre blanc followed by black Angus beef with crushed Jerusalem artichokes and garni Forestiere. For dessert, Chef is serving up one of his signature dishes.
“My white chocolate cheesecake with passion fruit and marjoram sorbet is the one returning dish for evening. I’ve been perfecting this dessert for 20 years. It’s so popular with guests that I wouldn’t dare take it off the menu,” he says with a chuckle.
Of course, the food is only one half of the story on this exclusive evening, which will also serve as something of an oenophile odyssey into the refined worlds of Bordeaux and Super Tuscan wines.
“Bordeaux and Super Tuscan wines make for an interesting match-up,” explains Chef Victor. “Bordeaux and Tuscany share a similar terroir, yet these regional wines offer their own distinctive notes and aromas.”
Winemaking has been woven into the fabric of Bordeaux in South Western France for over two millennia. The region has become synonymous with its variety of grapes, including the merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. These grape crops are often blended to produce medium- to full-bodied intense reds with distinct notes of plum and black currant. On the night, guests can look forward to sampling two exquisite Bordeauxs: Baron Philippe de Rothschild Baron Carl Saint-Emilion (2016) and Chateau de Pez Saint-Estephe (2010).
Super Tuscan wines are a much more recent variety of vino that originated in the 1970s in Tuscany, Italy. At the time, a few of the region’s more radical winemaking families began introducing French grapes into their winemaking process. This innovative fusion of French grapes with Italian terroir made for some exceedingly high-quality wines, which by the 1980s had attracted the attention of international wine connoisseurs. Guests will sample no less than three superb Super Tuscans over the course of the evening: Frescobaldi Lucente (2017), Ornellaia Poggio Alle Gazze (2017), and Frescobaldi Mormoreto (2016).
“It has been a great pleasure to collaborate with Alberto Bafumi of Charles Grech on this food and wine event. Together, we’ve selected some fabulous full-bodied wines which really match the flavours and intensity of the food. We can’t wait for our guests to experience what we have in store for them.”
Join us for this intimate evening of wining and dining at the Michelin-star Under Grain restaurant in Valletta on the 25th of November. Places are filling up fast. Make your reservation today to avoid disappointment.