Of Chilean wine and Cantonese cuisine

FUSION food has reached an all new level at the Tai Zi Heen restaurant where diners can feast on the best of Cantonese cuisine while sipping Carmen wine in a unique blend of East meets West.

Carmen is the name of the oldest Chilean wine brand that was founded in 1850 and was introduced two months ago to Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur’s wine list. It is available at all its food and beverage restaurants.

Tempting: This cod fish fillet goes well with white wine.

After a 36-hour long flight from Chile, two wine experts gave their opinion on the combination of tastes that is fast becoming common locally.

“Chinese food has a very rich taste that is full of spices and ingredients. It goes very well with our Carmen wine as it is rich as well,” Carmen chief winemaker Stefano Gandolini said, adding that it was his first time eating Chinese cuisine.

He said it was important for a wine to complement the food and to do that, it had to have the right balance of everything a wine stood for.

“A good wine has to have a good flavour that is clear and rich. It has to have harmony and structure with the perfect balance between its acidity and alcohol,” Gandolini said.

Nice: The fried modern Chinese dim sum served with white wine whets the appetite for more.

Wine usually accompanies food because it clears the mouth and allows the taste of the food to come to the fore without overpowering it, he said.

Carmen Asia export manager Alejandro Abarca said he could feel the oil and fats from the beef dish being washed away by the red wine served with it.

“Our wine is affordable and it goes well with everything.

Must-try: Thien’s signature fried rice with abalone and seafood was served with XO sauce during the winemaker’s media luncheon.

“Part of the fun of the wine experience is that each is different and finding the perfect mix of food and wine for yourself is an adventure,” Abarca said.

He added that introducing wine to the local region would increase the number of wine lovers around the world and there was nothing better than appeciating it with friends and family.

The restaurant served six dishes including a dim sum combination, shark’s fin soup, over-baked cod fillet, stir-fried diced beef, the chef’s signature fried rice and chilled mango puree prepared by chef Ricky Thien.

Accompanying the meal were two wines from the reserve Carmen wine line and known for its exceptional quality, a Sauvignon Blanc as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend.

Wines are usually differentiated by its ageing process, grape quality and vineyard location, the mix of which could result in a wide variety of subtle tastes.

Gandolini, who joined Carmen a year ago, said the brand would be introducing new blends in stages throughout the year and Malaysia would get to enjoy them early next year.

He added that they were also trying to replace the cork used as a stopper for the bottles with screw caps.

“Some wines have a corky taste that takes away the fruit flavours of the wine. One out of 10 bottles from any winery is bound to have this problem,” Gandolini said, adding that most people would not be able to taste it.