Love meat? Love wine? Then look no further. Fazenda – Leeds’ holy grail of Brazilian gaucho dining never fails to amaze me. If you know anything about me at all, you’ll most likely know that I absolutely love this place. Everything is gorgeous, from the decor, to the food, to the wine. You’re in for a treat of all the senses as soon as you walk through the door. After my first week of teacher training (more to come on that later) I was in desperate need of something to look forward to, and luckily for me, that was a Fazenda Wine Masterclass. I have shared my love of these masterclasses here before, but, as every class is different and an event in its own right, I wanted to express my love one more time.
If you’ve never been to a wine masterclass before, I cannot urge you enough to start here with Fazenda. I was always a rosé kinda girl, never venturing into reds and just assuming I didn’t like whites, until I attended my first ‘class’ many moons ago.
When I say class, it’s not really. Yes, you’re learning, but don’t worry, you won’t be tested or picked on, or banned for not liking a wine. It’s purely about trying new things and seeing which wines go with which types of meat and why. It’s awesome, relaxed and a eye opener to all the tasty things out there in the world of wine!
This months masterclass was focused on American producer Charles Smith, a super cool and modern brand created in 2006, with the tag line ‘it’s just wine – drink it’ it was completely up my street. And it’s safe to say, as usual, I absolutely loved all of the wines that I tried (which is six in total – and the servings are generous).
The meat is served in order to match the wine; white wine is accompanied by the white meat – pork & chicken – and as the wines get heavier, as does the meat – sirloin, fillet, lamb – to name but a few of the 12+ cuts.
The beef is cooked medium-rare, but the super attentive staff are always more than happy to accommodate anyone who wants it any differently. There’s also a handy little menu on the table, in case you’ve missed any of the meat selection, or you’ve found a new favourite and simply want some more! So although you’re dining along with the other wine masterclass customers, it’s a truly personalised experience.
Overall, I left super full and super happy. It’s always a pleasure to dine at Fazenda and I can’t recommend their masterclasses enough to anyone and everyone. It’s such a great thing to do with friends, family, or wine buffs alike. It’s something everyone will enjoy (they even have vegetarians covered), no matter what their preference of wine!
If you’re not a Leeds resident, luckily for you, masterclasses are now happening in Manchester and Liverpool, so make sure you check them out if you’re a Northener (how lucky we are, in more ways than one!)