It was the first time that the owner of Battaglio winery, Mr. Gianluca Battaglio had ever stepped foot in Penang, though not his first time in Malaysia. Arriving from a grueling flight from Milan, he was immediately whisked to WineNot at Icon City by Dionysus's Mr. Louis Choong. He still looked fresh and was incredibly pumped up for the evening to share his passion for his wines.
Battaglio winery is located in Vezza d'Alba, a small town of culture in the Roero area, a few kilometers from Alba, the capital of Piemontese enogastronomy. Of course, Piedmonte is the northwestern region in Italy best known for the Barolo and Basbaresco, made from Nebbiolo grapes. Dubbed the King and Queen of Italian wines, these labels are much sought-after and comes at a hefty price. We were elated that Basbaresco was part of the wine paired with the main course.
The dinner was a 4-course menu prepared by WineNot's very own private kitchen. Each course is expertly paired with matching wines to enhance the gastronomical experience. We started off with the amuse bouche accompanied by the Soave Classico. Was a bit surprised when I saw this wine as Soave originates from Veneto region in northeastern Italy with garganega as its principal grape varietal. The dry white varietal indigenous to Piedmonte is Arneis which for certain reasons were not available. Would have been great to try!
Next, we tasted the Barbera d'Alba Madudina which is bright ruby-red with a nose of plums, jam, cherries and blackberries. It goes well with pasta dishes, pizza and also cheeses.
The highlight of the night was of course the Barbaresco paired with the succulent New Zealand baby lamb rack. The nose was an intense perfume of tobacco, spice and floral bouquet. The wine has been aged in French oak barrels for 24 months and you could tell from the luscious aromas. The tannins were strong but not overpowering with an elegance to it. Little wonder it has a 4.3 rating in Vivino and 91 Suckling points.
Overall a very enjoyable experience, excellent food, great crowd and a very good deal! It was nice to meet Mr Gianluca who was a very down-to-earth, friendly and passionate about wines. The rain and traffic jam on the bridge did not bother us one bit.
More photos from the event.
Links
WineNot: https://www.facebook.com/WineNotPG/
Dionysus: https://www.dionysusasia.com/
Battaglio winery: http://www.battaglio.com
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