Wine and cheese tasting: No.10 foodies club (Aberdeen)

In good wine and cheese tasting fashion, looking down at my glass of Passopisciaro with Bonnet goats cheese on a homemade olive and rocksalt bloomer, my senses we all over the place. An explosion of flavour, my tastebuds were put to the test, pushing through notes and tones of unique, unexpected tastes, trying to figure out what flavours the wines, cheeses and breads all boasted.

Why certain foods are best paired together has always intrigued me. Understanding why these certain wines were paired with these specific magnificent cheeses was extremely interesting, and thanks to wine sommelier, Gordon Davidson, we were guided through a rollercoaster or flavours, learning how and why these pairings were so well suited.

My first wine and cheese tasting experience, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially when I don't like red wine. No.10 Bar and Restaurant went up and beyond regarding finding the right cheeses and breads to accompany the wines, and due to their outstanding attention to detail, kept guests on their toes, pushing our senses to the next level.

With five wines, cheeses and breads to indulge in, and experienced, knowledgeable staff guiding us through the flavours, we were in great hands.

Connage dairy crowdie with spelt and fig crispbread accompanied by an extremely light, almost transparent Riseling Lonely Vinyard, Eden Valley Australia, 2015

Bonnet goats cheese with olive and rocksalt bloomer accompanied with Passopisciaro, Tenuta Di Passopisciaro, Sicly, Italy, 2011.  Out of the two red wines we were served, this one was my preferred choice. 

Lock Arthur farmhouse cheddar with five seed loaf accompanied by Crozes Hermitage a  Vielles Vignes, Tardieu - Laurent, Northern Rhone, France, 2013.

Clava brie with classic french flute accompanied by The Gathering a light, refreshing Sauvignon/Semillon, The Lane, Adelaide Hills, Australia, 2012. The No.10 chefs also made a stunning homemade truffle honey to drizzle across the brie and french flute. This was one of my favourite pairings of the evening.

Last but not least was a Lanark blue cheese with spelt and honey bread accompanied by Sticky Mickey, a stunningly sweet Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Michiel Eradus, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2014. The best dessert wine I've ever tasted. Sweet and smooth, it was the definite stand out wine for me.

A big thanks to No.10 Bar and Restaurant for inviting me along, and a huge thanks to wine sommelier Gordon Davidson of Corney and Barrow Wines, as well as I. J. Mellis for the delicious cheese and The Bread Maker for the beautiful range of homemade breads we were served.

If you're interested in joining the No.10 Foodies Club and want to be the first to know about the restaurants upcoming foodie events and news then you can sign up to the club by emailing info@no10aberdeen.co.uk . Until the next foodies club, have a good one folks!

  For Now...

Just Julia

The launch of ten

If you haven't been living under a rock for the past - I don't know, let's say four weeks, then you'll be well aware that one of Aberdeen's much loved drinking establishments underwent an excessive refurbishment.

Yes, No.10 bar and restaurant, which officially opened two weeks ago, was stripped naked and injected with new life, producing a restaurant resurrection so impressive it was almost unrecognisable when I stepped in at the exclusive launch.

In all honesty, I'd only ever visited the eatery a handful of times before its refurbishment, but stepping back into the bar I was immediately engulfed by the ever so stylish, new and improved No.10 bar and restaurant.

With it's red exterior lighting, the the fancy new branding and the sleek new interiors, it's easy to say the establishment has seriously upped its game. The projected branding on the exterior side wall of the restaurant was a stroke of marketing genius if I do say so myself; it really was a nice touch.

Obviously the canapés and drinks were spot on, and the addition of a caricaturist 'just for fun' definitely added a quirky element to the event, and anyone who knows me knows I'm all about the quirk.

With food on my mind I quickly turned to searching for a menu, scouting the list of dishes I mentally noted the 'must try's' for my next visit. To memory, the sticky beef salad, the monkfish and king prawn skewers, and the caramelised shallot and artichoke tatin made the exclusive list, however, it was the chargrilled satay chicken with jasmine rice, crispy coconut and cucumber salad that won my heart that evening. That's a dish that dreams are made of.

To compliment the restaurant's clearly structured food menu, the open plan bar adjacent to the restaurant boasts a number of different spirits, a selection of craft beers and an extensive wine list. It is clear to me, as the bar and its clientele grow, the drinks menu will confidently evolve with them, where they will end up serving tipples only a whisky connoisseur could dream on enjoying, or should I say, dram of enjoying.

It's not only the food and drink which is the talking point of this basement restaurant, music also seems to be at the heart of it. From the music sheets used as wallpaper in the main restaurant, to the boisterous black beauty which entertains customers enchanting them with its blissful tunes, to the Friday and Saturday professional singing acts booked to serenade diners whilst they sip on their drinks and indulge in the delicious dishes No.10 has to offer, this ladies and gentlemen, seems like the new place to be.

All in all this new establishment is something the city has been crying out for. If you work in the West End of Aberdeen, I welcome you to your new stomping grounds with open arms, and if you need a drinking buddy, well I'm just across the road.

 For now...

Just Julia