High Wine at the Dylan Hotel Amsterdam
Two weeks ago I went to Amsterdam for a weekend break…. how have I missed out on this city??
It was amazing! I loved the vibe, everybody was sitting outside eating and drinking by the canals and generally enjoying life.
Admittedly, crossing the street was a little stressful. Bikes whizz out of nowhere and seem to come at you from all directions, this is on top of all the usual suspects like people and cars.
Anyways, on to the important stuff – High Wine.
The Dylan Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Amsterdam, has come up with a new version of Afternoon Tea.
Gone are the scones and cucumber sandwiches, and in their place is a four course amuse bouche tasting menu with wine pairings.
Needless to say, my friend Prima and I were intrigued and couldn’t wait to check it out.
First up was deliciously fresh halibut mixed with cashew nuts, fresh veg, and topped with a mango sauce.
This was paired with a Torrontes wine from Argentina.
“Dry, fruity wine with undertones of peach and lemon zest”
I debated trying to pass-off the sommelier’s description of the wine as my own, but then thought it might be a tad concerning if my knowledge of wine was at a professional level.
Our second plate stayed with the under the sea trend – Ocean Perch with carrot and cucumber, paired with an Italian white wine from Scilly.
The Crudo Catarratto Zibibbo won points… for the name, seriously who came up with that? It was also the perfect wine to complement the Perch, light and citrusy.
Course 3 was a nice switch up from fish with a deconstructed chicken korma paired with a Pinot Noir from Chile.
The concept of a deconstructed curry was interesting and I appreciated the creativity, but it could have done with a bit more spice, just for that added kick.
On the other hand I was pleasantly surprised by the wine. When it comes to those red grapes I’m usually all about the Chianti or Malbec, Pinot Noir doesn’t typically feature. I find it to be a bit like tea that hasn’t been brewed long enough. The Ledya however, was splendid and had that extra bit of oomph that I love in red wine.
Wrapping things up was a fabulous Eton Mess.
Again the wine had note worthy name “Grappoli Rossi Piemonte Brachetto” – I’m so glad I took a photo of the bottle! As it happens I decided to look this wine up and learn a bit about it. During my research I learnt that all the grapes to make this particular wine are picked between the 10th and 15th of September – and I thought I was temperamental!
Overall thoughts – we both throughly enjoyed are little sojourn to the Dylan Hotel. The menu was ideal for summer with everything being so light and fresh. Though they may perhaps want to change it up a bit when winter truly hits.
Is it going to replace afternoon tea?
To be real, I will always be partial to a warm scone with clotted cream, but I would for sure recommend it as a late lunch and a way to catch up with a group of friends!
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