{"id":15654,"date":"2024-04-10T16:11:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T14:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/?p=15654"},"modified":"2024-04-10T16:11:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T14:11:35","slug":"zero-to-hero-the-rise-of-non-alcoholic-pairings-in-fine-dining-s-pellegrino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/zero-to-hero-the-rise-of-non-alcoholic-pairings-in-fine-dining-s-pellegrino\/","title":{"rendered":"Zero to Hero &#8211; The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Pairings in Fine Dining"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It\u2019s more than a trend\u2026non-alcoholic pairings are becoming de rigueur in fine dining restaurants around the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Chefs and sommeliers from FYN, Pier, The Living Room at Summerhill Estate, and Salsify talk about their experience of non-alcoholic pairings in a South African restaurant context.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Fine dining and fine wines have been the preferred pairing since long before Escoffier revolutionised haute cuisine.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The current worldwide movement of non-alcoholic drinks, which has seen most restaurants on the <strong>World 50 Best<\/strong> list sponsored by <strong>S.Pellegrino &amp; Acqua Panna<\/strong> and in the <strong>Michelin Guide<\/strong> applying their creativity to tasting menus, is also here to stay in South Africa\u2019s restaurants. \u201cWe have always had a non-alcoholic pairing menu, but we have seen a significant increase in demand and interest over time,\u201d says Jennifer Hug\u00e9 of FYN. \u201cThe global lifestyle has changed, people are drinking less and leaning more towards healthier lifestyles.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>No longer do \u2018sober conscious\u2019 diners miss out on the pairing dimension of a tasting menu. Alongside the essential bottle of <strong>S.Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, <\/strong>they are now sipping on beautifully crafted non-alcoholic drinks which are thoughtfully paired to complement the chef&#8217;s menu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe create most of our pairings in-house,\u201d says Hug\u00e9. \u201cVersatility is always a key consideration, giving the guests a full experience. We make our own kombucha and fruit shrub infusions as well as fat-washed butter.\u201d She works together with the head chef of each restaurant in the FYN group to develop the pairings. \u201cIt is important that the non-alcoholic options are made alongside the food. It gives us complete control over the final flavour, often complimenting the dish better than wine, which is an inherited creation.\u201d An example from the latest non-alcoholic pairing menu is a red rooibos infusion with caramel and puffed rice, giving a caramelised, nutty character that pairs superbly with their mushroom cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Living Room at Summerhill Estate introduced their non-alcoholic pairing in 2019 and haven\u2019t looked back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout 20% of our guests now opt for the non-alcoholic either for religious or health reasons,\u201d says Johanna Richter, head of the wine programme. The pairing has evolved from homemade juices, syrups, and mixers to include different teas, vinegars, kombuchas, and extractions, many of which come from their kitchen garden. \u00a0\u201cMy current favourite non-alcoholic drink is made with habaneros, apple, and lime leaf. We use pickled habaneros from our kitchen stock and combine this with our homemade apple juice and ginger beer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The La Colombe group embraced non-alcoholic pairings to adapt to lockdown regulations during the pandemic, and when sister restaurant Pier opened in 2021, they decided to include it as a standard offering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn summer there is a slightly higher demand due to the influx of foreign guests, during our winter months it slows down a bit,\u201d says front-of-house manager Aaron Farqhar. \u201cGuests that don\u2019t drink alcohol still want the full immersive experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their pairings are a collaboration between chef John Norris-Rogers and their bar manager. \u201cOur offering is mostly cocktail-based,\u201d says Norris-Rogers. \u201cVirgin cocktails are just as tasty as alcoholic ones and it\u2019s relatively easy to balance a drink without alcohol, by adding a sweet, sour, or thickening component. Concentrated fruit, savoury, and botanical elements play a big role. I love our malted chai latte, which goes with our octopus, smoked mussel, chorizo, and sourdough dish. It\u2019s essentially a sour cocktail base with sweet spice and savoury flavours, perfectly balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">At Salsify the non-alcoholic pairings are curated on demand,<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn average we receive about three requests a month, mostly from pregnant women,\u201d says sommelier, Victor Okolo. \u201cWe design a balance of teas and mocktails for the whole menu.\u201d It\u2019s very much a collaboration between Chef Ryan Cole and Okolo. The teas are pre-made and chilled with sugar syrup on the side. Mocktails are made before the dish leaves the kitchen. \u201cInterestingly, it\u2019s more challenging to work with the mocktails than with the teas,\u201d he says. \u201cMy current favourite is the shiso mocktail with a few ground chilies infused into it, which pairs with the springbok tartare &#8211; it\u2019s sublime.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Another useful element in the mixologist\u2019s repertoire is the Sanpellegrino range of Italian Sparkling drinks.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cThese are ideal for mixology, especially Pompelmo and Chinotto bearing notes of exotic citrus fruit from the Mediterranean, super flavourful for non-alcoholic cocktails,\u201d says Ania Odyniecka \u2013 Sales &amp; Marketing Manager for Sanpellegrino &amp; Acqua Panna in South Africa. \u201cI consider these beverages to be in a class of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>All the chefs and sommeliers interviewed create pairings in-house rather than rely on existing non-alcoholic or de-alcoholised wines and spirits, but they do keep an eye on the local market. \u201cWith wines, the options are still very limited \u2013 there are only a few producers, \u201csays Hug\u00e9. \u201cNon-alcoholic spirits are easier to find, and the market has certainly grown over time. There are non-alcoholic gin options, aperitif styles, beers, and ciders available now.\u201d She names Devil\u2019s Peak and Loxtonia Cider as reliable suppliers, and a de-alcoholised MCC called Allure from Graham Beck (which the La Colombe group also recommends). However, she warns that de-alcoholised beverages can have a residual 0.5% alcohol, which is important to be aware of.<\/p>\n<p>Hug\u00e9 says that sometimes a quality mineral water such as S.Pellegrino or Acqua Panna is all you need to accompany a dish, \u201cWhat I really enjoy is the S.Pellegrino sparkling mineral water \u2013 the light fizziness provides a lively sensation that beautifully compliments the delicate flavours of sashimi, with a little squeeze of lemon will add acidity to the sashimi.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHistorically our brands have always been associated with the gastronomy industry,\u201d says Odyniecka. \u201cWe believe that good food, no matter the occasion should always be paired with pure natural mineral water. The taste of water is defined by the terroir from source to bottle and its mineral properties. Other than the factor of \u2018keeping hydrated\u2019, a natural water elevates the dining experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What comes through from all the restaurants is a sense of intrigue, enjoyment, and eagerness to rise to the challenge sparked by this fresh arena of drink curation. \u201cWhat\u2019s exciting about the non-alcoholic pairing is that it\u2019s become an integral part of how we minimise our food waste,\u201d says Richter. \u201cFor example, we use breadcrumbs and unused marigold offcuts to make a non-alcoholic beer \u2013 the marigold acts as the hops.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s inspiring them to explore new techniques and ingredients. \u201cOne thing that excites me at the moment is air freeze dying, a new technique in South Africa,\u201d says Hug\u00e9. \u201cThis method allows us to preserve the highest quality of an ingredient and reduces wastage.\u201d They are working closely with local farmers like Meuse Farm to supply interesting and unique ingredients.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than being seen as a dietary restriction, the alcohol-free movement is adding new horizons to the fine dining scene. \u201cBeing able to offer non-alcoholic pairings gives us a greater reach. It allows us to offer a more creative and diverse experience as a whole at Pier,\u201d says Norris-Rogers. And the new offerings are even inspiring pairing-envy in some circles\u2026 FYN is introducing a new offering of half pairings so that diners can sample both the wine and non-alcoholic pairings with each dish on the tasting menu.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thinking outside the box, exploring new ingredients and techniques, and taking alcohol-free drinks into new dimensions &#8211; umami, bitter, sour, salty, and sweet \u2013 the non-alcoholic pairing has already become an essential part of the fine dining experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s more than a trend\u2026non-alcoholic pairings are becoming de rigueur in fine dining restaurants around the world. Chefs and sommeliers from FYN, Pier, The Living Room at Summerhill Estate, and Salsify talk about their experience of non-alcoholic pairings in a South African restaurant context. Fine dining and fine wines have been the preferred pairing since&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15654"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15656,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15654\/revisions\/15656"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}