1. A blessedly good pair
In the world’s first Chinese food and wine pairing category within an international wine competition, Taltarni
Three Monks Fumé Blanc 2009 won a gold medal for its pairing with Kung Pao Chicken at the 2010 Cathay
Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC).
The gold medal winners were a cosmopolitan trio of diverse varieties, with Argentina’s Sangre de Vina Shiraz
2009 and The US’s Hahn Monterey Pinot Noir 2009 sharing the limelight with Australia’s Taltarni Three Monks
Fumé Blanc 2009. The judging panel was an equally cosmopolitan line-up of Asia’s most esteemed wine experts,
including Debra Meiburg MW, Tim Atkin MW and Simon Tam.
Both Kung Pao Chicken and Taltarni Fumé Blanc are named after historically important figures. The classic
Sichuan dish ‘Kung Pao Chicken’ is named after Ding Baozhen (1860-1886), a former governor of the Sichuan
province, whose title was Gōng Băo or palatial guardian. The name ‘Kung Pao” is a derivation of this title. Casting
your mind yet further back in history, Taltarni Three Monks Fumé Blanc takes is named from the early Christian
monks who played a significant role in the preservation of winemaking around the time of the fall of the Roman
Empire.
So, we can thank Ding Baozhen and the early Christian monks for today’s delectable pairing of chilli, nutty,
Sichuan peppercorn chicken with the intense flavours of Taltarni Fumé’s citrus, lychee and white peach.
Taltarni’s team of winemakers, under the leadership of chief winemaker Loïc Le Calvez, have drawn on their
combined experience and expertise to produce this gold medal-winning wine. “It’s a difficult variety to make
well,” says Le Calvez. “Our Fumé is barrel-fermented in French oak for eight months, giving the wine those
beautiful soft oak characters,which integrate so well with the other citrusy flavours. We’re really proud of the
result.”
It’s a blessedly good result, as is the combination of Kung Pao Chicken and Taltarni Three Monks Fumé Blanc. I
know what I’m having for dinner.
For more information, please contact:
Rosemary Shisler | Marketing Manager Australia/Asia | Goelet Wine Estates
rshisler@goeletwineestates.com | +61 437 394 637
www.taltarni.com.au | www.twitter.com/taltarni
Images available upon request