Menu for the exclusive Russian Embassy wine tasting at Cave a manger/ CYNDY ALUOCH.
At Cave à Manger, tucked along Nairobi’s ever-evolving culinary circuit, diners recently stepped into a world few in the city have explored one where Russian wines took centre stage, course by course, sip by sip.
The Russian Embassy Wine Tasting event transformed the restaurant into a guided sensory tour, offering a rare chance to understand Russia not through geopolitics or geography, but through aroma, acidity, tannins, and taste.
For many, it was a first encounter with Russian wine making.
For others, it was a revelation and for all, it was a masterclass in how food can unlock the true personality of a wine.
The evening followed a structured progression—sparkling, rosé, aromatic white, tropical-leaning white, and two reds each paired with a dish prepared to match the wine’s character.
According to the organisers, “the menu served as the sole guide,” offering written tasting notes for each bottle and explaining why the pairing worked.
Before each wine was served, guests first tasted the food designed for it, allowing the palate to recognise the harmony (or contrast) the pairing was meant to express.
From bright bubbles and vibrant herbs to tropical notes, silky reds, and a bold chocolate finale, diners discovered how Russian wines express fruit, minerality, spice, and structure.
The journey, though curated, felt like an adventure.
Chicken liver pate with Kokur classic white/ CYNDY ALUOCH.
A sparkling start: Kokur classic and the Pâté that set the mood.
The evening opened gently, like a curtain lifting.
A plate of Chicken Liver Pâté arrived smooth, earthy, and rich accompanied by rhubarb ginger jam and crisp baguette slices.
It was a comforting and elegant beginning: the kind of dish that warms a palate without overwhelming it.
Then came the star of the first pairing: Kokur Classic White Sparkling Wine (Brut).
Described in the menu as fresh and vibrant with green apple, quince, and a subtle brioche finish, the sparkling wine delivered a crispness that cut cleanly through the pâté’s richness.
The acidity brightened the jam, the bubbles refreshed the palate, and together the combination set a bright tone for the rest of the tasting.
For diners new to Russian wine, this first sip served as both introduction and statement: Russian sparkling wines could easily stand beside global favourites.
Heirloom tomato caprese/ CYNDY ALUOCH.
Rosé and Capresse: Afloral middle course that won over the room.
A beautifully plated Heirloom Tomato Caprese arrived buffalo mozzarella nestled between slices of colourful tomatoes, sprinkled with purple basil and drizzled with carrot leaf pesto.
It was vibrant. Fresh. Alive.
Its pairing, Usadba Sarkel Rosé Wine, was described as light and dry with wild strawberry, red currant, and a hint of white pepper.
The rosé had a delicate fruit profile clean, refreshing, and restrained matching effortlessly with the tomato’s natural acidity and basil’s herbaceous tone.
Nothing dominated; everything complemented.
Guests nodded around the room as they took their first bites and sips, recognising how the rosé’s subtle berry notes lifted the dish’s freshness while its dry finish ensured balance.
This pairing earned murmurs of appreciation—a natural midpoint between the sparkling opener and the aromatic white to follow.
Aromatics and warm cheese: Sibirkovy white meets deep fried camembert.
A warm plate of deep-fried Camembert was placed on the table, crispy on the outside and lushly creamy within.
This dish demanded a wine with enough personality to stand beside its richness and that came in the form of Sibirkovy White Wine.
Described as aromatic and zesty with pear, lime zest, meadow herbs, and a long mineral finish, the wine provided a bright, cleansing edge.
Every sip felt like a refreshing breeze across the warm cheese, the lime zest deepening the dish’s savory notes while the mineral finish reset the palate.
This pairing introduced guests to a different side of Russian whites aromatic, expressive, and confident.
It also set the stage for one of the evening’s most anticipated plates: seafood.
Mediterranean snapper, Wasabi mash, lemon butter and coriander/ CYNDY ALUOCH.
Tropical notes on a mediterranean plate: Snapper meets Vostorg white.
As diners admired the plate, servers poured Vostorg White Wine, described as smooth and fruity with peach, pineapple, floral notes, and refreshing acidity.
Immediately, the match made sense.
The snapper’s lemon butter echoed the wine’s peach and pineapple notes.
The floral aromas brought cohesion to the herbs and coriander. The wasabi mash added a warm kick, which the wine’s freshness gently softened.
Seafood pairings often depend on balance, and here the balance was almost seamless—one of the night’s quiet highlights.
Black Angus sirloin steak/ CYNDY ALUOCH.
A bold midpoint: Sirloin steak and silky Russian red.
A plate of Black Angus Sirloin Steak, accompanied by Café de Paris butter, mushroom brandy, and gorgonzola, arrived as the fifth course bold, aromatic, indulgent.
Its pairing, Tsimlyansky Cherny Red Wine, brought a new dimension to the tasting.
Described as silky and expressive with black cherry, blackberry, and soft spice, the wine offered both structure and elegance.
Its dark berry notes complemented the steak’s savory depth, while the soft spice lingered pleasantly beside the gorgonzola’s pungency.
This was the point in the evening when diners began to appreciate the true range of Russian reds complex, layered, and capable of holding their own beside robust dishes.
The pairing marked the official shift from light and bright wines to serious reds—the kind that complete a meal with warmth and authority.
A powerful finale: Cholate cremeaux meets sober bash
The final plate Chocolate Cremeaux with salted caramel drizzle was rich, elegant, and indulgent.
It promised a sweet ending, but also required a wine with enough intensity to stand up to chocolate.
Enter Sober Bash Red Wine, the most powerful bottle on the menu.
The wine’s description read like a map of depth: dried dark berries, chocolate, tobacco, and firm tannins.
With each sip, its bold character unfolded dark, textured, and unapologetically rich.
Paired with the chocolate cremeaux, the flavors danced: the wine emphasized the dessert’s cocoa richness while the salted caramel highlighted the tannins, making them feel smoother, rounder, almost luxurious.
It was the perfect finale strong, memorable, and reflective of the tasting’s journey from brightness to depth.
A structured journey through Russian wine styles.
According to the organisers, “the dishes allowed guests in Nairobi to explore sparkling, rosé, aromatic whites, tropical leaning whites, and full-bodied reds.”
With each pairing, diners were guided by the menu’s sensory cues green apple, quince, meadow herbs, pear, pineapple, black cherry, spice creating a sensory map that eased them into unfamiliar wine territory.
The tasting’s progression mirrored the structure of many international wine menus: bright sparkling, refreshing rosé, aromatic whites, tropical whites, deep and structured reds
Each shift in flavor, aroma, and texture felt intentional.
While the event was not designed as a winemaking lecture and featured no commentary from sommeliers or producers the curated pairings were instructive in their own quiet way.
They allowed diners to understand Russian wine through experience rather than explanation.
The dishes themselves pâté, cheese, seafood, steak, and chocolate acted as stepping stones, each revealing something different about the wine it accompanied.
A new culinary bridge in Nairobi's growing wine culture.
By presenting Russian wines alongside dishes already familiar to Nairobi diners, the tasting allowed wine lovers, veterans and newcomers alike to interpret new wine styles through accessible flavors.
It wasn’t just a wine tasting; it was a conversation between cuisines.
And for everyone in the room, it was an introduction to the growing universe of Russian wine, guided only by the menu its descriptions, its notes, and its thoughtful structure.
In the end, the takeaway was simple: wine tells a story.
And that evening in Nairobi, Russian wines told theirs beautifully.
