Noël Vanwittenbergh - the harmony and excitement of wine
Would you like to learn the art of wine tasting? Are you curious about the special characteristics of different grape varieties? In the spectrums of flavor of new-world wines? Or perhaps just the ins and outs of Meursault or Chablis? You can discover it all in the Okura's Wine Room, where wine expert Noël Vanwittenbergh gives workshops at every level.
The Perfect Sommelier
Noël Vanwittenbergh, Flemish by birth, is the perfect sommelier. He made his name at The Grand in Amsterdam, where he got to know classic, old-world wines like no others. Since 2007, the oenologist has been attached to the Hotel Okura Amsterdam, where - under the influence of the delicate and innovative cuisines of Ciel Bleu, Yamazato, Serre Restaurant and Sazanka - he has deeply penetrated the realms of lighter, more refined wines.
Wine and Food
Noël Vanwittenbergh brings especial expertise to workshops focusing on matching wine with food. "The chefs and I always taste everything together," he says. "It's only in that way that I can build that bridge between a dish and an appropriate wine. My primary quest is for harmony between the food and wine, but creating a little tension, a little surprise, is even more attractive."
House Wines
Our Culinary Center house wines are for sale in the Taste of Okura shop [read more]. As a white house wine for the cookery studio, Noël Vanwittenbergh chose a fine Riesling from the vineyards of Dr Loosen on the Mosel, which while having a flinty structure, is full of fruit.
With Meat and Fish
The Culinary Center red house wine is a cabernet franc from the Italian winemaker Borgo Conventi. A young wine (2008) it goes well with both meat and fish, in sommelier Vanwittenbergh's opinion. "The green herbiness strikes you, with fine peppers and a ripe tannin structure, in smooth softness....Can you taste that?"
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