Middle Eastern Food and Wine Dinner at The Salty Dog 3rd December 2009

On Thursday 3rd December we hosted a Middle Eastern food and wine dinner at The Salty Dog featuring wines from Israel and Lebanon.  A much anticipated evening as last years event was a sell out and a great success. 

Damon put together an amazing menu for us and our task was to ensure that the wines matched perfectly.  Having only a small selection of wines from Lebanon (mainly from Tanail Winery) and nothing from any other area in the Middle East (apart from Chateau Musar 1983 at £49.95 a bottle!), did limit our offering so we decided that we would undertake some research in the form of acquiring new samples.  Not only would this expand our knowledge but also give us a chance to see if there were any exciting new wines that we could use for the dinner and then start selling in the shop. 

One of the most popular wines from the Middle East is Chateau Kefraya (Lebanon) so we obtained a number of samples from them as well from a Chateau called Chateau Ka and some from a winery called Carmel from Israel.  We were very unimpressed with the wines from Kefraya but the wines from Carmel and Ka were outstanding and we were delighted to import them just in time for the dinner.

After welcoming the guests in the bar area with a glass of Massaya Arak from Tanail Winery Lebanon, (an aniseed flavoured eau-de-vie which is a little sweeter than the likes of Pernod or Ricard) or a glass of Mercier Champagne (for those who did not want the Arak), we sat down to our mixed platter starter (Mezza Classic) together with two new wines from Carmel Winery, Israel.  The platter consisted of : Dolmas - Spicy Lamb Wrapped in Vine Leaves, Char Grilled Mackerel, Sweet Potato Pickle and Mint Yoghurt, Houmous with Crispy Shredded Duck and Marinated Harissa King Prawns with Mint and Cucumber.  These were accompanied with Lebanese Flat Bread. 

With this course we served Carmel Winery 'Carmel Ridge' White 2007, a wine made mainly from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes, with a little Colombard and Semillon, from the Zichron Ya’acov vineyards. It was cold fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the aromas of melon, pear and lime and was light-bodied, clean and refreshing with good balancing acidity.  A perfect match with all the food, particularly the Harissa Prawns.  We also served the Carmel Winery 'Carmel Ridge' Red 2007 made mainly from Carignan, with a little Shiraz, Petite Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon also grown in vineyards surrounding Zichron Ya’acov. This is a medium bodied wine with a fabulous aroma of cherries and plums and a little vanilla in the background.  It was soft with a satisfyingly long finish and also worked well with the food, particularly the stunning lamb wrapped in vine leaves.

Next up was Syrian Slow Braised Lamb with Saffron Cinnamon Rice and Roast Aubergine and Artichoke Salad with Green Beans and Tomato Fenugreek Sauce.  This was served with Chateau Ka (Cabernet /Grenache/Mourvedre) 'Source de Rouge' 2005 (Lebanon) and Tanaïl Winery Silver Selection Red 'Massaya' 2005 (Lebanon).  This course was delicious and beautifully cooked.  I particularly loved the Aubergine and Artichoke salad.  Both reds were great but undoubtedly the star was the Chateau Ka and everyone agreed.  Quite Bordelaise in style, this wine was succulent, juicy, smooth and very moreish.  It went down a treat!  We are so pleased to be stocking this wine and will, we are sure, be a great seller for us.

Finally, the dessert of Baked Quince Tart with Tahini and Rose Water Honey was served and we couldn't wait to get stuck in.  More of a sponge than a tart but it was simply stunning.  With this we served the equally stunning Carmel Winery 'Sha'al Vineyard' Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2006 from Israel. This wine has a fruit and flower aromas with a lively flavour of citrus fruits. Moderately sweet, with rose petal and orange peel overtones and honeyed pear, apricot and litchi fruits;  it was almost like a dessert in itself. Succulent, with a long-lingering finish and a perfect match with the dish.  Many commented that the wine actually 'made' the dessert!

Oh how I wish Damon would also set up a Middle Eastern restaurant because he really is a damn fine chef who clearly spent a lot of time researching the food and perfecting the flavours and authenticity of the dishes.  I personally have not experienced the food first hand from these countries but Kasia, one of our Sales Advisors has and she said the food was actually better than when she visited!  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the new wines were very well received.

Huge thanks to Damon and his team, a very memorable evening!  We will be there again on Thursday 10th December for the Latino dinner and again on Saturday 12th for our Christmas Staff do!  We just love The Salty Dog!  See their website http://www.saltydogbistro.com/ for details.