Wine-paired Italian dinner in Jaipur

Feb 19, Jaipur: I arrived here yesterday evening from Delhi. After concluding a brief meeting I attended the Italian dinner hosted by Sunil Gupta, General Manager of ITC Rajputana.  A select group of about 40 persons were invited to the four course sit-down dinner which was unique in many ways.

In Jaipur, coming on time for a dinner or an event is a big issue and the hosts were aware of this fact. So the dinner which was at 7:30 pm actually took off around 9 pm when all the invitees were at the table.

The novelty of the ITC Rajputana dinner, in collaboration with Fratelli wines, was that Fratelli wines were paired with signature dishes crafted by renowned Italian Chef, Francesco Costagli, who is a champion of slow-food movement (as an alternative to fast food).

Francesco is said to be among the best chefs in the world. He is also known as the ‘zero kilometre chef’ for his zeal, inspired by the slow-food movement, to cook with local produce grown in and around Castellina, where he lives. A level one sommelier, he works closely with many wineries.

Some of the inspired creations include pappa al pomodoro – a traditional Florentine soup made with white bread, cooked with olive oil, fresh tomatoes and a hint of garlic served with Fratelli rosé or chenin blanc. Ravioli filled with duck served on a base of spring onion and potato sauce with bitter walnuts is paired with merlot, and for vegetarians like myself, there was ravioli filled with asparagus served on a base of saffron velvet to go with the sauvignon blanc. Piatto del nostro orto – fresh tomatoes with goat cheese and basil sauce topped with crusted bread alongside a potato and mushroom cake with puréed beans, is paired with Fratelli sette.

Many leading members of the social fraternity of Jaipur were present at the dinner. Today evening there is a Japanese performance at the City Palace titled `SOUL OF JAPAN’ which I will miss as I have to catch a 11 am flight to Delhi.
ess bee