On Saturday we headed over to Noble Rot Wine Bar on Swan Lane for a sherry long lunch, involving sherry tasting, from dry to sweet, and Spanish inspired food. Sherry can only be produced in the area around Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucía and is a protected term (just like champagne) and is made in a range of styles from very dry to richly sweet. The lunch was designed to transport us to El Puerto de Santa Maria, north of Cadiz, with 8 sherries and a vermouth to taste and a range of fantastic food.
We sat at a table with two other couples, one of which we chatted to about the food, sherry and travels. As we were introduced to the lunch, we sipped on the welcome drink (first on the list above). A flight of the dry sherries then appeared with bread, butter and two fantastic dips – the olive tapenade being particularly light and flavoursome. In the pictures below you can also see the manchego and serrano croquette served with a spicy, yet refreshing gazpacho and wonderful tuna escabeche.
We also enjoyed a miniature light pastry tart topped with white anchovies (not pictured), chorizo croquetas and garlic giant prawns with these three sherries. Before the next set of dishes and sherry, owner Maciej Zimny, told us about the history of sherry and how it is produced which was really interesting and I felt a new world was opened up to me.
The flavours of the three sherries went so well with the food, as did the next two which came along with the tortilla, eggplant pisto (like a ratatouille), lamb meatballs and the soft and tender red wine poached chorizo, not to say the jumbo prawns and perfect octopus (not pictured).
There was barely room for dessert, but who could resist this platter to go with the final two sherries? I had one of the mini Basque cheesecakes and one two hazlenut afajor. To end, we were served a glass of crisp vermouth topped with olives. This made a great ‘palate cleanser’ to end the afternoon.
This was an absolutely fabulous event with so many flavours and taste experiences to last a long time.
Entered in Wednesday Words and Whimsy.
Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.
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