The multiple award-winning master of the grape brings Praleum Wine Bistro with casual conversation, detailed breakdown of your order and his amiable, down-to-earth style. Little wonder Gerald Lu, now General Manager of Praelum, was the head sommelier of the Indochine group, as well as having been conferred 2009’s Best Customer Service award by the Singapore Tourism Board.
The word ‘praelum’ in the vinicultural lexicon is the name for a large wooden device designed to extract the juice from grapes prior to fermentation. Chronologically, it came into use somewhere between being stomped upon by barefooted maidens and the modern pneumatic machines of today. At Praelum, you would be hard pressed to find or discover a wine that will intrigue and entice.
Over the course of the evening, I had the opportunity to taste wines ranging the gamut from old world to new world, from new wines produced in an older continent and experimentation in ancient wine recipes. Always striving to stay relevant, Praelum has consistently stocked about 300 varieties of the good grape. The classics and perennial favourites from France, Italy, Spain and Oceania will hold the fort , but it’s the bold, brash desire to push the envelope that will pique your curiosity. In this collection of 300, you will find a motley crew of standouts from exotic vineyards in Syria, China, Thailand, India, Slovenia, Uruguay and Switzerland, to name a few.
One thing that I liked about this place is the lack of pretension. It’s a place where the staff and management can knock heads with the stuffiest stiff-lipped connoisseur and also, assist the uninitiated wine virgin relate to every bottle and glass savoured. Here, there is no indignity in comparing a vintage to nail polish or not immediately knowing cassis from unctuous, as every experience is recognised to be a personal one.
A Mealtime Medley Fit for Bacchus
The real treat is to be had when food and wine come together. The cuisine at Praleum is predominantly French. The emphasis is on recreating authentic French classics, because the think-tanks at Praleum believe a drink with as much history and tradition as wine is best accompanied by fare with a story just as intertwined with the land. However, in the vein of exploration, there are some items in the menu that were earmarked for a special twist and have been spiced up for local palates.
A cool, crisp prosecco from the hills of Northern Italy, De Stefani, brings the evening to a comfortable start. It is playful and light, with bubbles that tickle. Just the thing to whet your appetite, relax and cleanse your palate, in anticipation of what’s to come. Prosecco, first mentioned in 1593, has a past stretching further back as a recreation of a wine of antiquity, enjoyed by ancient greeks and even mentioned by Pliny the Elder.
Few dishes are as quintessentially French as escargots and the Escargots with herb butter and garlic pesto (six for S$18) won’t give the blue-blooded Gaul much to complain about. The garlic and pesto blanket the escargots, with every bite oozing with buttery, sweet flavour.
Italy has pizza. France has the tarte flambée. Hailing from Alsace, a region with a tradition of wine making from the Roman era, on the Franco-Germanic border, this appetiser (S$16 to S$18) is a favoured paysan pick. There are 3 choices – mushroom, tomato, or bacon and egg. In Praleum’s version, the crust is prepared crisp and given a strong satisfying flavour with liberal additions of bacon and onion. Spread over the tarte, the half cooked egg adds a further delicious dimension that hits the right spot.
The Pork Parcels stuffed with mushrooms, herbs and cheese (S$22) is one of my recommendations. Each parcel is a hearty bite with a melange of flavours. The fruity mango puree sauce on the side helps to balance the taste out a bit. It is a heavyweight dish perfect with a glass of red wine.
Stuffed as I was after the previous dishes, I had to try the Canadian Back Ribs with Honey-ginger Glaze (S$18) which I heard about. Smothered in a caramelised molasses, the dish reminded me very much of a flavourful “Pork Rib King” of local renown. I was not let down after saving space in the belly for this one.
I rounded off the dinner was 2 full sized desserts, but who’s protesting? First, I had the the Crème Brûlée (S$10). The thick, velvety smooth custard is best described as voluptuous, with a satisfying crunch like morning frost on a winter’s morning.
