Cathédrale Saint-André, Bordeaux city

OVERVIEW.

I recently drove to Bordeaux and stayed at a wonderfully spacious hotel with an inner courtyard and never expected that the day and evening and following morning would turn so magical.

Cyclists in Bordeaux

I’ll skip the part about meeting my Italian surfer friend Gaia and sipping pre-9:00 pm curfew drinks with her lively and eclectic friends.

Pre-9:00 pm curfew aperos

I’ll skip the enchanting meeting with Julie and Maelie—both lovely young women who, with their friends, know how to enjoy porch gin and tonics while dancing until 3:00 am. 

Post-9:00 PM too Pre-3:00 AM gin and tonics and dancing

Instead, I’ll focus on earlier in the day—on a scrumptious and sumptuous lunch.

1. CHEF.

Namratha Prashanth from India now produces two Bordeaux wines (red and white) named Solicantus. She and her winemaker friend Sally Anne Evans from Cháteau George 7, together with her Michelin star rated chef friend Rameshwar Kulkurani, prepared a lavish lunch recently in the city. A few guests—including Jane Anson of Decanter magazine and Russian sommelier Valeria Tenison of Hedonism Travel and Tentazioni Restaurant were invited, along with myself and the apartment owner Michel, to decide which wines pair best with which Indian dishes.

Namratha Prashanth and chef Rameshwar Kulkurani

2. DISHES & WINES:

Wines included Solicantus white (60/25/13/2 blend of Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Sauvignon Gris/Muscadelle) and Solicantus red (90/5/5 blend of Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec), and Château George 7 white (70/30 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon) and Château George 7 red (100% Merlot) as well as that stellar South African wonder of Klein Constantia Vin de Constance (made on the Western Cape from the variety Muscat de Frontignan).

Lunch time wine line up

Appetizers:

Dahi Balla—lentil fritters in sweet yogurt, topped with fresh mint and chutney. Paired well with both Solicantus white and George 7 white.

Dahi Balla

Aloo Tikki—fried potato patties stuffed with peas, also served with mint and tamarind chutney. Paired well again with both whites.

Stuffed Mushroom Tikka—parboiled mushrooms stuffed with cheese and bell peppers, marinated with tandoori spices. Paired well with George 7 Prince red and Solicantus red.

Stuffed Mushroom Tikka

Main Dishes:

Chole & Puri—from the Punjab region of India: chickpeas cooked in an onion/tomato sauce, served with deep fried whole wheat bread. Paired well with Solicantus white.

Chole and Puri

Vegetable Coconut Curry and Peas Pulav—coconut blended with onions, tomatoes and spices and cooked with veggies in season, then served with rice, green peas snd spices. Served well with either white.

Paneer Butter Masala and Naan—toasted bread served with a sweet gravy of butter, tomatoes, cashew nuts, spices and cottage cheese. Served best with Solicantus white and/or George 7 red.

Paneer Butter Masala and Naan

Dessert:

Rasgulla—from Bengal in India come these cheese balls cooked in a sugar syrup. Paired wonderfully with a South African classic: Klein Constantia 2018. Scrumptious!

Rasgulla with a classic South African wine – Klein Constantia

3. SCENE.

Namratha and Russian sommelier Valeria Tenison
Sally Anne Evans of Château George 7, located in Fronsac, Bordeaux
Getting ready for lunch …
The quietly cobbled and inviting alleys of Bordeaux city

More next time—thanks for tuning in!

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