Sweet and salty are a combination I’ve always found difficult to resist. Which is why my latest indulgence has been Monique Sison Enrile’s petit chocolat—dark chocolate with truffle honey and sea salt.
I’ve known Monique for ages. It had escaped me that I was her first teacher till she reminded me she took up her first cooking lesson under me—when she was just a teenager!
“I had been craving for dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt from abroad,” she told me. “Since I couldn’t get it, I decided to experiment and make my own.”
She was looking for that salty-sweet-bitter flavor but wanted extra character, she added. Hence, the truffle honey.
Monique said her method was unconventional: “I add olive oil instead of cream to the chocolate to give it a richer flavor and silky texture.”
Coming soon, she said, is her pretzel chocolat—crushed pretzels made with chocolate and mallow. She explained that it’s also salty-sweet, but crunchy and less delicate than the dark petit chocolat.
It will have two flavors: original, which is dark and white chocolate; and white chocolate plus Parmesan (tel. 0917-8941000; 0920-9778505).
Phenomenal
Since we give or receive wines during Christmas, here’s a list of drinks I tested during a recent tasting event, which I would be proud to give or happy to receive.
Fonte Mouro Reserva Red 2004 and Quinta do Quetzal Reserva Red 2009, both from the Alentejo Region of Portugal, are phenomenal, especially for those who know their wines. Wonderful nose, rounded, soft and gentle, with a sublime finish.
According to their importer Joao Branquinho, the estates producing the wines are quality-conscious. No expense is spared to produce great wines. The services of very well-known Portuguese wine makers are contracted. And only French oak casks are used to mature the wines in order to achieve the nutty, vanilla and wooden tastes.
Interesting to note: inside the Bodega at Quinta do Quetzal, where the barrels are left to age, music (but only Mozart!) is played.
Quinta do Quetzal is one of the most awarded Portuguese wines year after year all over the world. (To order, call Brankinho Trading tel. 5857765.)
Crisp, refreshing
From France, there’s Camas. When chilled to perfection, this light white wine is crisp and very refreshing: fruits and white flowers on the nose; light flavors of lime and a lot of flowers.
Also from France is Nature Rose (grapes are Syrah, Mourvedre), one of those easy-to-drink wines, perfect for lunch.
True to Thomas Bonhomme of Sommelier Selection’s description, Nature Rose is extremely rich in fruits compared to the classic dry rose from Provence. Red fruits such as strawberries, berries and red pepper on the nose; rich and smooth.
Esprit d’Automne (Syrah, Carignan, Grenache) is a fantastic wine on so many levels. Each sip is a new discovery—red fruits, black olives… It is said to be a perfect example of the extraordinary diversity of French wines. (To order, contact Sommelier Selection, tel. 8404211.)
Perfect for pasta
From Australia, there’s Peter Lehmann Art & Soul Shiraz-Cabernet.
Sherwin Lao of Golden Wines spoke of Peter Lehmann, who passed away last June 28 at age 83: “[He] was a pioneer in Australia’s best known region, Barossa, and he had always combined art with wines, thus his wine ranges are named as Art & Soul series and Portrait Series.”
The Art & Soul Shiraz-Grenache is a majority Shiraz blend with Grenache, resulting in a wine that is fresh, medium-bodied and herbaceous, with black pepper, dark berries, and a dry, slightly cinnamon-like finish. It is perfect for a light-sauced pasta and herb-roasted chicken.
Yellow Tail Bubbles Rose is dry, crisp, floral, refreshing, with a distinct character. It is perfect for the afternoon or for cocktails.
Yellow Tail Pink Moscato is intense grape, a light and easy drink; this is what Lao hails as the next big thing.
Decent taste, price
From Chile, there’s Cono Sur Bicicleta Wines.
“Cono Sur is the third largest winery in Chile and one of Chile’s pioneers in the environment/green movement,” said Lao. The wine is decent both in taste and price.
Cono Sur Bicicleta Sauvignon Blanc evokes lychee and passion fruit. It has good acidity; it has a not-too-dry, lemon-peel finish.
Cono Sur Bicicleta Cabernet Sauvignon meanwhile evokes ripe berries. It has a not-very-dry, medium-bodied and racy-peppery finish. (To order, call tel. 6385025 to 27.)