Denise Medrano (aka The Winesleuth) is a London based wineblogger originally from California.
Read more about Denise Medrano and see other articles by this author.
Organic. Biodynamic. Sustainable. Buzz words all but do they catch your eye when you’re choosing a wine or a restaurant? I ate recently with representatives of the Sustainable Restaurant Association as they tried to convince me of the viability of sustainability in the restaurant trade.
We sampled the food and wine from 3 different central London restaurants who had all joined the SRA. The aim of the SRA is to help restaurants to take positive sustainable action, “to change not only the food that people eat and enjoy, but also the way it is sourced, transported and created”. Consumers nowadays are asking more questions about where their food comes from, how it’s treated either before it’s butchered or while it’s grown as well as issues such as waste disposal, recycling and energy efficiency. Doubtless there is a commercial aspect to it all as restaurants that show they care will appeal to the more savvy and (usually) conscientious consumer.
Good winemakers have always been about making the best possible wine and the best way to do that is by carefully tending the vines and giving the grapes the best care and attention possible before they leave the vineyard. I remember speaking to a French winemaker once who told me that he was just a grape grower, that all he did was crush the grapes and put them in a barrel. He was of course, being modest as he owned a renowned vineyard but his philosophy highlighted how important viticulture is to the finished product.
Seresin Estate from the Marlborough region of New Zealand has that same philosophy. They do their utmost to use not only sustainable practices but also use bio-dynamic principles as well as organic viticulture to produce their fantastically pure and intense wines. Seresin was founded by Michael Seresin who in a former life was a Director of Photography on many a Hollywood blockbuster, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Michael wanted to produce wines that are “high quality, hand-made wines of individuality and complexity.” To that end, he found some of the best land in Marlborough and proceeded to grow his vines and make his hand-crafted wines.
We sampled the Seresin Estate 2005 Riesling, paired with a Chermoula baked line caught sea bass at The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell. Riesling with a bit of age is most appealing to me, especially those from the Southern Hemisphere. They tend to be a bit zippier then their German counterparts and much drier. The Seresin ’05 was no different. A very aromatic wine, passion fruit, lime leaf and tangerine on a very fresh nose wafted around the glass. It was as if someone had opened a window and allowed a wave of spring fresh air to permeate a stuffy hot room. Swirling it around the glass, I took one last whiff and then sipped. Delicious! A lemon and lime pith followed by a hint of orange on the finish. I found this such a clean wine that went rather well with the fish, which was a bit on the heavy side as sea bass usually is, a full wine with excellent acidity and bone dry with no hints of residual sugar, a real palate cleanser.
Seresin Estate make a range of mostly white wines as well as a Pinot Noir. To find out more about them visit their website, Seresin Estate.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Great Restaurant. Highly Recommended. Good products in a modern and sexy way of presenting them.