Massimo Riccioli and South African wines

On Tuesday, March 21, chef Massimo Riccioli will be hosting within his restaurant La Rosetta in Rome the special dinner “Rome seen from a ship at sea”, offering an ample selection of our South African wines paired with homemade delicacies.

Preview article on “Il Messaggero” (Rome edition) written by Cristina Montagnaro:

 

A special dinner, Roman cuisine and South African Wines

by Cristina Montagnaro

 

Cacio e pepe, baccalà, assorted battered and fried foods, anchovy flans. These are some amongst the many typical plates of the gastronomic Roman tradition, surprisingly paired with South African wines. This unusual marriage will be celebrated on the occasion of a special appointment, “Roma con vista mare e vini sud africani”. On the 21st of March spring starts at La Rosetta restaurant, a two minute walk from the Pantheon in Rome.

Seemingly fixed preconceived notions suggesting that Roman cuisine is heavy and made only by using innards will be discarded following the re-elaboration of traditional recipes based on fish, seafood, and thanks to an alliance with South Africa, a land that has demonstrated its value through its oenological productions. Rome and South Africa, two fascinating lands rich with history and culture, will be then united through a common passion: the love for good food and great wine.

The food will be prepared by a creative chef, Massimo Riccioli, who has expressly designed a particular menu for the event. The various courses will be paired with prestigious South African wines provided by SABI, a company having an exclusive distribution contract with 10 top-notch South African wine producers, importing in Italy some of the greatest references produced today. Common time zone, Mediterranean climate and wonderful natural reserves.

“The idea” – says the chef Massimo Riccioli – “is to valorize the cosmopolitan and convivial aspects of the city of Rome, that are reflected in my plates. This is why I have decided to re-elaborate typical Roman fish dishes, like baccalà (dry salted cod fish), arzilla (ray fish) and triglia (red mullet). Amongst the dishes I love the most there are different types of “primi” (pasta/risotto), but also a baccalà reborn in a new life full of different flavors. Roman cuisine is a folksy and playful cuisine that valorizes the act of being toghether and having fun”.

The menu created for this special dinner offers a welcome “aperitivo” glass of sparkling wine: Costantia Uitsig MCC Blanc de Blancs 2012. Deep fried battered foods, baccalà supplì with zucchini flowers, Roman field mixed salad with arzilla (ray fish), must and soup, artichocke and anchovy flan. The whole lot paired with a Rietvallei Stondale 2016 Shiraz.

 

Roman traditional fish dishes: Cacio e pepe maccheroni with shrimp, Spelt spaghetti with garlic, chilli pepper, and baby squid, accompanied by a 2015 Longridge Ou Steen Chenin Blanc demi-sec. King cod fillet with potato cakes, Reyneke Sauvignon Blanc 2016.

For the most avid gourmands, who will surely have some space left in their savvy stomachs, there will be a cantaloupe sorbet, a ricotta and cherry cake with chocolate ice cream, and homemade biscuit donuts exalted by the aromatic notes of Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2014.

 

For more information and booking: 21st of March, La Rosetta Restaurant, via della Rosetta, 8, Rome. Phone: 39 06 6861002. € 80 per person, wine pairing included.

Info: www.sabiworld.it

 

Pubblicato il 20/03/2017 alle ore 17:19