BEAUJOLAIS WINE-PAIRING DINNER

Divine Palate charmed an exclusive group of 30 executives and professionals at its very first wine-pairing dinner on 25 May 2017. The elegant affair featured award-winning 2015 Beaujolais wines from respected winemakers Domaine Mee Godard and Domaine Jean Foillard - both recent recipients of one star each from La Revue du vin de France.

The Garden Club Bar of the Singapore Wine Vault, South-East Asia's largest wine space, wasn't just a suitably posh venue but also allowed diners a glimpse into the high tech wine studio downstairs in a special tour.

Divine Palate took care of every detail at the dinner, from centerpiece flower arrangements to fine Christofle cutlery in the table setting.Divine Palate's private chef designed a menu to specially complement the wines provided by WEA Wines.

The first course was an intriguing medley of Squid Ink Cracker; a smoked Quail Egg served with coriander sponge, herbal crumble and herbal gel; and Shishito Pepper in Charcoal Tempura Batter, with a Miso Emulsion. The NV Bereche Brut Reserve made a refreshing accompaniment to this amuse bouche trio.

The incredibly rich French Onion Soup was served with a Gruyere tuile for second course. The soup stayed remarkably warm in the double walled bowl. Diners got to compare and enjoy two wines for this course - the 2015 Mee Godard Morgon Corcelette versus the 2015 Foillard Morgon Corcelette.

Next came a Seafood Croquette topped with smoked apple gel and ikura. Partnering this was a decadent bacon-wrapped Hokkaido Scallop atop a luscious squid ink mash, served with pancetta chips and a sprinkling of bottarga powder. Again for this course, diners had two wines for comparison - the 2015 Mee Godard Morgon Cote du Py versus the 2015 Foillard Morgon Cote du Py.

For the main course, guests could choose between the fish or quail. The Chilean Sea Bass with Miso Broth was pan-seared to perfection with crispy edges. It got a spicy kick from the Divine Palate housemade chili sauce. The Quail Roulade cleverly integrated quail and chicken into a delightfully palatable roll. The chicken toned down the gamey accents of the quail, while pickled pearl onions and green pea puree added tang and sweetness respectively The housemade chili also made a welcome appearance here. Both mains were paired with the highly rated 2015 Mee Godard Morgon Passerelle 577 featuring the Gamay grape variety.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Mango Coulis and Gold Leaf rounded up the meal with a fruity flourish. The crunchy ginger flower sable at the bottom gave the creamy dessert a lovely contrast in texture.

Thus ended an evening of gastronomic pleasures enhanced by exquisite French wines. Divine Palate plans to organise more of such events in future, so look out for updates and announcements on social media.