The View at Hotel Equatorial Penang is one of the most established fine dining restaurants on the island. Boasting magnificient views, the restaurant was the perfect setting for the Luis Felipe Edwards Wine Dinner held recently.
The Luis Felipe Edwards wine dinner offers an impressive 5-course meal, each dish paired with specially selected wines from one of Chile’s most progressive and highly awarded wineries. Luis Felipe Edwards, the largest family winery in Chile, is currently the 4th ranked winery in Chile and is the largest supplier of Chilean wine to Malaysia.
About 5 years ago, Luis Felipe Edwards supplied their wines to 50 countries but that number has grown to more than 90 countries today.
The View hosts exclusive wine dinners about 2-3 times a year. For more information on the when the next wine dinner will be held, do keep up to date via Hotel Equatorial Penang’s Facebook page.
Small nibbles for guests to munch on before the start of the wine dinner
Bread basket (with very good breads I must add)
First course – Amuse Bouche
Crabmeat & avocado Salad with roasted capsicum coulis & micro greens
Wine Pairing: Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserve Family Selection Sauvignon Blanc
When the Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserve Family Selection Sauvignon Blanc was first served to us, we detected fresh and fruity notes. Nick Tullett, theCommercial Director for Asia, Pacific and Middle East for Luis Felipe Edwards Wines of Chile, explained that this Sauvignon Blanc was a very fruity and sweet wine with less grassiness and less acidity.
I personally thought that the amuse bouse of crabmeat and avocado salad paired very well with the wine selection. The taste of the sauvignon blanc became more full bodied when paired with the creamy crabmeat salad. The sweetness of the crabmeat permeated through the salad while the roasted capsicum coulis lent some smoky flavour to the dish. Definitely a good start to the meal.
Second Course – Escargot Ragout with Fried Eggplant
Wine Pairing: Luis Felipe Edwards Reserve Gewurztraminer
The next course of Escargot Ragout with Fried Eggplant was paired with a light and zesty Luis Felipe Edwards Reserva Gewurztraminer. I personally preferred the first course for I found this pairing less successful. The escargot ragout had depth of flavour with the added mushrooms but I found it over-seasoned. The Gewurztraminer was light and sweet with a slight spicy aftertaste.
Third Course – Seafood risotto with Mushrooms
Wine Pairing: Luis Felipe Edwards Marea de Leyda Pinot Noir
We were thrilled when presented with the third course for it was beautifully plated and so visually stunning. I was expecting a richer, creamier risotto but this version was surprisingly good. Again the chef managed to bring out the fresh sweetness of the prawns and seafood to the risotto, which was a delight to dig into. The crispy cheese disc further elevated the dish and added some texture.
The Marea de Leyda Pinot Noir hails from the Leyda Valley which is an up and coming region for cultivating premium wines. It’s proximity to the sea ensures cool ocean breezes, coupled with warm sunshine, the grapes cultivated at Leyda Valley are allowed to ripen fully and develop complexity. I found the Marea dey Leyda Pinot Noir to be bold and crisp. A lovely red to pair with the seafood risotto.
Spicy Papaya Seed Sherbet (a very interesting palate cleanser with slight spiciness)
Fourth Course – Entrée
Pan-seared black angus beef rossini served with Brussels sprout puree, pink potatoes, and
Port wine glaze
Wine Pairing: Luis Felipe Edwards 900 Blend
The fourth course came in the form of a lovely juicy black angus. I had asked for mine to be done medium rare. The black angus rossini had an ethereal melt in your mouth quality. It was even better when eaten together with the creamy perfectly pan seared foie gras. Although my stomach space was near full by this point, I still found space to savour every bit of this dish.
The wine paired with the black angus was the LFE 900 Blend. This was perhaps my favourite wine of the night. The LFE 900 is a hand picked single vineyard blend and at 900m above sea level is the one of the highest vineyards in the country. The vineyard also enjoys snow melted water from the Andes mountains and this unique combination of soil, water and climate results in the lovely and complex LFE 900 Blend.
Fifth Course – Dessert
Passion fruit tart accompanied with lime sherbet, raspberry coulis, and vanilla hazelnut
Wine Pairing: Luis Felipe Edwards Reserva Late Harvest Viognier Sauvignon Blanc 375ml
I was looking forward to tasting the sweet dessert wine, and it did not disappoint. The Luis Felipe Edwards Late Harvest Viognier Sauvignon Blanc is complex, rich and fruity. Quite an intense dessert wine, which was why I found it was a well-balanced pairing with the tangy summery dessert. The passion fruit tart was delightful although I would have liked a more butter-y and flaky crust. The lime sherbet which I found overly sour on it’s own, was a joy to the tastebuds once paired with the sweet dessert wine.
We ended the night with freshly brewed espresso and petit fours.
*Many thanks to Hotel Equatorial Penang for extending this invitation.
*Luis Felipe Edwards wines are also available at The Wine Shop, Lintang Burma, Penang.
The View at Hotel Equatorial Penang, facade
Hotel Equatorial
1, Jalan Bukit Jambul
Bayan Lepas, Penang.
TEL: 04-632 7000
