Bottega Gold and Bottega Rose Gold sparkled in a delightful pairing with a tasting menu by renowned Italian chef Mauro Civiero at the Bottega Lounge in EQ Kuala Lumpur recently.
Bottega Gold is a Prosecco Brut sparkling wine, while Bottega Rose Gold is a Pinot Nero Spumante Brut Rose. The gold and rose gold bottles stood out amidst the display of Chef Mauro’s menu items at this exclusive Aperitivo Hour and Wine Tasting at the Bottega Lounge.
Amberjack Tartare paired with Bottega Gold prosecco DOC Spumante Brut
Amberjack Tartare marinated with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and olives, with zucchini threads
The Bottega brand is the second best-selling sparkling wine in travel-retail and is distributed in about 300 airports around the world, on 60 airlines and some of the best wine shops globally. Under the Bottega brand too are Limoncello, Bacur Gin, the Bottega wine range and Stardust Prosecco.
Usually Bottega Lounges are in the airport, but the one in EQ is in collaboration with this premium brand, serving its sparkling wines, fine wines and beer in a plush setting.
At EQ’s Bottega Lounge, Chef Mauro had all the ingredients laid out for a cooking demo, with recipes from the Bottega 100 Gold Book of Recipes by Sandro Bottega. They were: Amberjack Tartare, Buffalo Mozzarella, Venetian Style Crabmeat Salad, Rose Veal with Mascarpone Tuna Mousse and Sbrisolona.
The dishes were easily assembled and put together, then served. The Amberjack Tartare marinated with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and olives, was put atop a “nest” of zucchini threads. The Bottega Gold Prosecco was poured for this appetiser. Creamy notes on the palate, a little acid and nuances of white flowers made it a perfect pairing with the Amberjack Tartare.
Buffalo Moarella emulsion with wild oregano, tomato jelly and basil, with Bottega Pinot Grigio Venezia DOC
Buffalo Mozzarella emulsion with wild oregano, tomato jelly and basil is a traditional dish from Naples, said Mauro, interpreted in modern way. He started with ring of tomato jelly, filling it with the mozzarella emulsion and finishing it with basil blended with olive oil. Bottega Pinot Grigio Veneia DOC was crisp, refreshing with notes of pear and mineral, going so well with this tart and creamy mozzarella creation.
Venetian Style Crabmeat Salad with eggplant and a drop of parsley. This typical Venetian dish channels the sun, sea and summer. It was brilliantly matched with Bottega Rose Gold Pinot Nero Spumante Brut Rose. We loved this spumante: it was fruity and delicate, and we went for seconds after this.
Venetian Crabmeat Salad ith Bottega Rose Pinot Nero Spumante Brut Rose
The star dish for me was the Rose Veal with Mascarpone Tuna Mousse. The veal was simply delicious. It had been marinated with shallots, spring onion, celery, capers and anchovies for a day, then slow cooked at 62C for three days. The texture of the veal was amazing – lush, tender and flavourful. The Mascarpone Tuna Mousse was creamy and lovely too, made with mascarpone and cream, tuna, capers, shallots spring onions and vinegar.
Rose Veal with Mascarpone Tuna Mousse — so delicious
Land meets the sea in this incredible dish. The perfect wine to match? Bottega Rosso di Montalcino doc. It’s a dry red wine, slightly tannic, made from the Sangiovese grape.
Sbrisolona translates into “broken tart”. It is like a flat, chunky crumble tart much loved in Italy. It’s made of flour, brwn sugar, polenta and almonds. It’s no mant to stay whole after baking. It’s broken into chunks and served.
Chunky Sbrisolona., a crumbly almond cake from Lombardy
Bottega Manzoni Rose Spumante Bottega Limoncino was paired with this. It was a delightfully sweet, aromatic sparkling wine.
Chef Mauro, who’s from Milan, has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany and Italy. He has served in prestigious hotels in Italy, showcasing his culinary mastery.
At EQ Kuala Lumpur the chef also presided over a five-course wine pairing dinner.