Art of Good Taste

On the evening of Tuesday 21st July we held the first ever Art of Good Taste masterclass at Camino in Kings Cross.

Over 50 guests (a mix of food bloggers, guests who had applied for tickets through this site and Charles Campion!) enjoyed authentic tapas and copitas of Tio Pepe at the exclusive, ticket only event, taking the opportunity to meet some of the guide experts and learn their tricks of the trade.

This included an informal wine tasting of six wines with Master of Wine Peter McCombie, and a seafood masterclass with Darren Brown of Shellseekers. Darren dived for the scallops, oysters and mackerel in the early hours of Tuesday morning. All in all, over 90 oysters were eaten, simply served with a squeeze of lemon and a squirt of Tabasco.

 

Richard Bigg of Camino showed off his cocktail making skills by rustling up beautiful Rebujito, Agua de Valencia and Margarita creations, which were sampled along with Iberico jamon, olives and manchego cheese.

 

Entertaining expert Lorna Wing gave an interactive tapas demonstration and highlighted techniques which would impress even the most discerning dinner party guest.

 

By the end of the evening copious amounts of Tio Pepe had flowed, over 300 tapas had been consumed and there were plenty of smiling faces making their way home, busily imagining their next dinner party…

 

We came, we saw, we ate…here’s what you thought of the first ever Art of Good Taste masterclass;

 

• “So great to see how you match the fino with

        different foods"

      

• " I’ll be hosting my own dinner party very soon…”

 

• “…tonight I learned so much about seafood, wine, sherry and tapas. I am a general foodie, but tonight was a highlight in my experience of food and spirits knowledge! What a wonderful time. Please do it again!”

 

• “Absolutely superb evening – terrific wines, stunning food, beautiful people. It was all sherry, sherry good”

 

• “Have had a lovely evening – really surprised by the generosity! Had my first oyster raw; discovered some amazing Spanish wines and developed a new appreciation for Tio Pepe…great fun, very impressed, would come again”

 

Recreate the masterclass at home with Peter McCombie's wine selection

White wines

Albariño, Marques de Frias 2008

Albariño / Rias Baixas, Galicia

Elegant / pears / balanced

 

Verdejo, Flor de Montgó 2008

Verdejo / La Mancha

Soft clementine fruit / sophisticated

 

Naiades ‘Naia’, Viña Sila 2006

Verdejo / Rueda

Full / deep / intense / long mineral finish

 

Red wines

Pinot Noir, Viñas del Vero 2007

Pinot Noir / Somontano

Delicate / balanced / finesse

 

El Gordito, Lobban 2005

Garnacha, Syrah / Calatayud

Smooth mocha flavours / American oak

 

Rioja Elaboración Especial, Beronia 2006

Tempranillo / Rioja

Smooth mocha flavours / American oak