Probation: Swiss precision, Dutch sobriety

Probation: Swiss precision, Dutch sobriety

Being sentenced to probation. It is less punishment than the prison ones, but you still have to keep quiet, listen nicely, make no mistakes...

We don't bother and sit it out patiently.

REVIEW

In the lobby of the Mövenpick Hotel, first brush hands and answer questions. Past several seating areas and cabinets with (art) books, the square dining tables are set up. Sleek interior with casual touch, is how we characterise it. Restaurant by NOA therefore wants it to feel like you are a guest at a friend's house. Noa is a common name in Switzerland, hence.

THEORY

Dining at a friend's house has not meant so much wine choice before. Sixty wines can be ordered by the glass. With the food, or in the wine bar down the road. There, there are 16 bottles to tap out yourself, which are kept oxygenated with argon gas. Restaurant manager Alex Nauta explains: 'You can take a tasting glass, a half or whole, and there will be decanters so people don't have to buy a whole bottle straight away.' Keeping wine fresh is quite a challenge. 'Those systems work with cork, but we have a lot of bottles with screw caps.' So just a vacuum pump - a Dutch invention - is used for the rest of the open wines, which means some have to go after a few days.

INSTRUCTIONS

The wine list fits nicely on an A4 sheet and is arranged by grape variety. Notable: several wines from the United States. Alex is a fan of them and, together with general manager Dimitri Kalaitzis and chef Bas Niehof, was allowed to make a selection from Mövenpick's offerings. He may not be a sommelier, he explains, but he attends many tastings and reads up carefully.

TASTE

A slightly chilled Primitivo from Masseria Pietrosa of San Marzano in Puglia, the increasingly popular 'heel' of Italy (glass €6.50, bottle €36). Poured with the starter of pork belly with fennel, string beans, potato, tomato and tarragon. A light, supple wine with cherries, redcurrants and peppers that wake you up. The acidity of the berries goes well with the glaze of miso and mirin around the pork belly - mirin is sweet Japanese rice wine. The young Italian also balms the tender meat, which has been cooked for 24 hours.

Text Marjolein Schuman 

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