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The spirit of New York City lives on! Several weeks ago, I received an invitation to attend a Spanish wine and tapas tasting in the Regent Hotel on Wall Street. At the time, I dismissed it, thinking that I would not be there. But as happens so often with my job, a consulting gig arose in Manhattan during that week. Since the proceeds of this show would benefit the families of people who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center, I felt it was worthwhile attending. So after my work commitments were completed that Wednesday afternoon (November 14, 2001), I took the subway down to Wall Street and partook of the offerings, along with about 200 other well-to-do folk, journalists, wine connoisseurs and food lovers. (Which am I, hmmm?) It was a classy, casual affair. There was plenty of room in the main ballroom of the Regent to accommodate all the attendees without us tripping over each other, and there were plenty of wine and food tables all over, generously serving all comers quickly and efficiently. A flamenco guitarist and his bass player serenaded us with melodic strummings throughout the night.
I was given a glass of Freixenet Rene Barbier, an excellent dry chardonnay with a touch of French oak, and I then drifted toward the cheese table to sample the Murcia al Vino -- a goat cheese marinated in red wine -- commonly called "drunken goat" cheese!
After that, I sampled a "white gazpacho", consisting of grape juice and sherry with pureed almonds, pine nuts and spices topped with a drizzle of basil-infused olive oil and pistachios. Then I joined the line at the seafood table, to have marinated clams on the half-shell topped with chopped tomato, peppers and chillies.
I sampled a few other forgettable whites, then chanced upon an excellent red -- the Coto de Imaz Reserva Selección Pedro Guasch by El Coto de Rioja -- a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano grapes. An excellent, hearty, smooth wine with lots of body and potential for a long life. To accompany that, I sampled the spinach crepes filled with a spiced sweet potato and onion filling topped with a spicy red sauce presented to me by chef Andrew Di Cataldo of "Patria" restaurant.
At this point, I was filmed by an Argentine TV crew who were covering the event for their Latin American viewers. Pity it wasn't a local crew, so I doubt I'll get to see the footage -- oh well! I then grabbed a glass of Montecillo Reserva 1996, a rich luscious wine made from Tempranillo grapes, reminiscent of the best Coonawarra reds. It went very well with the dungeness crab mousse and the dates with bacon and figs prepared by Juan Carlos Rodriguez of "1492 Food".
Time for brandy! So I sampled a wonderfully rich Carlos I Brandy de Jerez Solera Gran Reserva, matured in casks previously used to make Amontillado sherry. The Casa Diva Cosecha Miel 1999 White Muscat went well with a dark chocolate dessert, which put me in the mood for a dark sweet sherry to finish the evening. I found it well-realised in the Noé Pedro Ximénez by González Byass, a dark, syrupy fluid reminiscent of licorice, molasses and raisins. Having eaten and drunk my fill, I wandered back to my hotel room, watching the passing parade of oddities that epitomise New York, such as the character carrying a cross scrawled with religious slogans.
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