On this day we attended a masterclass led by Robert Verweij, a Dutch chef and viticulturist best known for his appearances on the TV show Life & Cooking. In addition to running cooking and wine workshops, Robert is an experienced cheese connoisseur.
He began the session by demonstrating how to make ice cream. Using cream, yogurt, vanilla and lemon, he prepared a smooth, flavorful ice cream while explaining different production methods. He described how ingredients and techniques influence texture and flavor, then had us taste several styles so we could compare the differences firsthand.
The morning flew by. I didn’t manage to take a photo of the ice cream, but it was excellent.
After lunch we moved on to structured wine and food tastings. Each participant received a tasting form to evaluate the wines and dishes separately and in combination. We sampled both wine-and-dessert pairings and wine-and-cheese pairings. The emphasis was on objective assessment — noting characteristics such as sweetness, acidity, body and balance rather than simply whether you personally liked a pairing. That approach helps identify which foods complement which wines. It’s a concept that’s easier to understand by doing than by reading about.
Overall, I learned a great deal and would gladly attend another workshop with Robert. If it were up to me, the tasting could have lasted a bit longer.