Food & beverage: planning ahead! Meeting with wine programme instructors, Eason Wu, Nicolas Bonnot and Matthieu Longuère, Le Cordon Bleu experts are happy to propose their tips and tricks to prepare your wines and beverages. Enjoy!
If you are hosting this year’s Christmas dinner, New Year’s Eve party or else, a few advice to making this season’s celebrations a treat are: Acknowledge tastes and preferences: Rather than trying to pair exactly the wine with the food, try to pair it with the people and the occasion. Instead, wait until your guests have arrived to ask them what they want to drink before opening the wines.
Sparkling, White, Rosé, Red, Sweet and Fortified. They can all keep in the fridge or a cold garage once opened. Chances are that, if you offer a choice, everyone will find at least one wine that will work for them with the food.
Variety of wines: Do not be too fussed about opening too many, this is Christmas, the wines can be drunk over several days or they can take some back with them. Have a variety of
Taste all the wines when you open them to serve them. If they feel too harsh, aggressive or too oaky, just decant them and check. The perception of dry tannins and acidity should become more harmonious complemented by all the different layers of flavour that the wines can offer. You can repeat the operation until the wine is ready to drink. This advice is valid for a lot of reds but also for most full-bodied white wines or mature and mineral white that can feel a bit overwhelming when first open. Especially when closed with a screwcap. I am not talking about sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio there.
Wine Master’s Tip Please do not open the wine too long in advance as, if the wine oxidizes and taste flat and flabby, there are no way to refresh the taste.
Matthieu Longuère, Wine Development Manager, Le Cordon Bleu London Since 1994, he has held senior sommelier positions in England’s leading hotels and restaurants. After being awarded Best Sommelier UK in 2000, Matthieu joined Michelin-star restaurant La Trompette as Head Sommelier where he won multiple accolades for its wine list. In 2005, Matthieu Longuère achieved the Master Sommelier Diploma, the highest achievable.
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