WINETASTING AFFAIR WITH DOMAINE KENYA LTD. DAY 1

Winetasting is an affair you want to have. It is always fun. And it is even better when the facilitator knows his stuff. Domaine Kenya was having wine tasting sessions at The Kenya Hospitality Trade Fair on 15^th May 2014. Day 1 went well. The facilitator, Kipchumba, had great insights  eloquence and he knew his wine. He projected his wine notes on a screen so that people could jot down stuff as the session continued.

Mwachanje from IHTI explaining some wine knowledge to me.

My friend Mercy , Mwachanje from IHTI and I

 Mercy, Kipchumba and I

The company had two stations. One station was the wine tasting station and the other was the display section. At the first Location the team had set up tables and shelves full of fine wine. Domaine Kenya are Fine Wines and Spirits Merchants that stock a variety of wines from different countries all over the world. Some of their brands are Vina Maipo, Boland Cellar, Torres, Mateus, Spier and Bardinet.

On Day 1 we tasted four types of wines. Winetasting is a journey of the senses. We took a sensory journey from South Africa to Italy to France to Spain. I had carried my wine journal with me and I recorded every tiny bit of information and I am always happy to share it with my readers. Check the next post for the in depth reviews.
Enjoy.

MY TWO DAYS WITH BAR PROJECT KENYA

The Barproject is a company in Kenya that deals with Bartender Training, Bar Catering events and Consultancy. This company has a team of experts that focuses on responding to the customer needs while offering different services.

I met these two amazing guys, Alex Dalesandro and Sabino, who are the founders of Bar Project. 

   

They are currently based in Malindi, Kenya but they plan to set up shop in Nairobi. They will be having mixology and bar-tending classes but they can only accommodate 7 people per time. They began the project 6 months ago and they plan to tap into the Kenyan market. I was very impressed by their cocktail sets since I have been looking for one since for ever. It is very hard to get the set in Kenya. The only thing that the supermarkets stock are cocktail shakers. Well they had three types of sets. They had the complete set with everything from the ice bucket, jiggers, bar-spoons. They also had another set that had the basics. This included the strainer, bar-spoon, peeler, shaker, jiggers and chopping board among others. This went for a price of  Kshs 7000 (negotiable). The other set did not have the kitchenware( chopping board and peeler)because you can get these things readily in the supermarket. I didn’t get the exact price for that set but its roughly Kshs 5-6000.

MIXOLOGY SESSION
 Day 1 was very amazing. People thronged the Bar Projects work station where Sabino was showing his prowess in flaring and making cocktails.  They made everyone some vodka Cocktails. They used different flavours of Smirnoff. They also had different fruit mixers that characterized the different cocktails that they made. This was a very interactive session and I'm glad that Kenya is getting sensitized on different ways to take drinks. Here are a few photos to showcase Bar Project Kenya at work.

 Bar Project with lovely fans

 So this is how you hold a shaker.

 And this is how you pose for a photo.

Sabino making a cocktail.
 I really had fun. For more info Check them out here.

ANTIOXIDANTS AND WHY YOU NEED THEM ON YOUR PLATE

From time to time I do posts about health and It has been a while. It is always good to take care of your body and to make sure you are eating the right thing. Antioxidants are natural r man made chemicals that prevent cell damage. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that result from the process of oxidation.
Here Is a list of foods that you should incorporate in your diet. they prevent liver and heart diseases as well as cancer
1. Pomegranates
Pomegranate have three times the anti oxidants of green tea and red wine. pomegranates reduce artery clogging.

2. Blackberries
A small cup of blackberries has the most antioxidants than other berries. Blackberres have more antioxidants than cranberries, blueberries and strawberries.

3. Other Berries
the other berries like strawberries, cranberries, blueberries and raspberries also have antioxidants so you should eat them more often

4. Brocolli
Brocolli has Indole 3 carbinol. This chemical compound prevents breast cancer, ovarian and cervical cancer.

5.Cloves
Cloves are a spice that has numerous health benefits to the body. Cloves are flower buds of an aromatic tree an they are great with food.

Have a healthy week and eat one or all of these this week.
Enjoy...

2ND NAIROBI CULTURAL FESTIVAL

On Saturday, The Wine & Food Review was on location At the Nairobi Museum for the 2nd Nairobi Cultural Festival

It was a fun filled event and different countries showcased their culture and food. We attended the event with Maryanne ( a great friend of mine).  Among the countries that showcased their food and culture were Kenya, Mexico,Finland , Japan, China and The Philipines. I learnt so much and I was juggling taking notes and taking photos ( I need an assistant).
Every country showcased their culture. I will document the day in a series of photos and I will do a post later on the specific foods that stood out for me. 

FINLAND

 In the Finnish stall there was free candy and Liquorice too.

I won a Muumin Mug.  Muumin is a Finnish Cartoon Character

 

One of the highlights is that I met a fellow food blogger Jer from Jercocktails Shes a  lovely lady. You can check out her blog.

My pal Maryanne

WINE REVIEW: FRAGOLINO ROSSO

I had a very eventful weekend. Well I had a sleepover with one of my girlfriends on Friday.  I was looking for a great wine that would be perfect for the night. Here was what I had to work with. I was on a budget of about Kshs 900 So the wine had to be below Kshs 900. As you know I shop for most of my wine at Nakumatt so I went to the Moi Avenue Branch. It was a Friday and the liquor section was full of people so I had to make a decision fast. I told the guy to give me a great red wine that would be good for a girl’s night in. I needed a wine that one would drink while gossiping the night away amid watching chick flicks and eating junk. Without hesitation he said, ‘’I know just what you need. You can thank me later”.

It was his conviction and confidence that made me not ask any more questions. I took my bottle and waited in line. Fast forward to the part where I actually do the wine review.

NAME: Fragolino Rosso

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 10%

PRICE: Kshs 775

STOCKIST: Nakumatt Moi Avenue

TASTE: Very sweet. Tastes of freshly cut strawberries.  Little aftertaste of sugar and strawberries. Intense hints of other fruits.

AROMA: Smells fruity, Smells of strawberries, Fruity and sweet smelling, nectary.

PAIRING: We paired it with spaghetti, Minced beef with peas and cucumber, with grated carrot and pepper (Pilipili) on the side.

THOUGHTS ON THE PAIRING: It was just perfect. The food tasted well with the wine. One of my best food and wine pairings yet.

COMMENTS: Planning a picnic, lunch, dinner or a girl’s night in? This is the best option. Very affordable you don’t have to break the bank. I am definitely buying it again. The bottle is very pretty and presentable.