Iceland – The Land Of Fire, Ice & The Best Wines

For many visitors to The Land of Fire and Ice, the Blue Lagoon Iceland is a world famous natural volcanic hot spring, luxurious spa and five-star hotel, but for some, it is home to some of the finest cuisine and wines offered in Iceland while offering stunning views of the volcanic horizon. Blue Lagoon offers the most diverse wine collection in Iceland.

The land of fire & ice

Luxurious spa treatments

What’s on offer

Says Sommelier Declan Jones proudly, “We have 4500 bottles with vintages as old as 1960, including all the iconic estates from the Old World, but also covering small, lesser-known places around the world with a focus on volcanic wine regions such as Etna and Santorini.”

Three restaurants on the premises, the 2 Michelin star Moss, Lava and the spa restaurant, offer very different culinary experiences but provides upmarket wine and food pairings. Set menus feature the best fresh and seasonal ingredients in Iceland, an extensive vegan menu is available, and sommeliers are at hand to recommend award-winning wines to guests.

Dinner with a different view

The view that beats any sunset in the world – Iceland

Chef Aggi Sverrisson

Icelandic born chef Aggi Sverrisson’s cooking career began at the age of 18, taking him to England where he joined Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, the oldest two Michelin-starred restaurant in the country. Promoted to Head Chef in 2005, he launched his first independent venture in 2007, becoming the chef patron and mastermind of London’s renowned Texture Restaurant & Champagne Bar. Honored with a Michelin star in 2010, Texture retained its coveted award for ten remarkable years.

The finest attention to detail

Chef’s table at the Moss restaurant

Moss restaurant

In 2020, Aggi returned to his native country of Iceland, taking the Executive Chef position at Moss Restaurant, where he integrates Asian flavors as he explores Iceland’s culinary frontiers, transforming seasonal ingredients into timeless gourmet experiences.

Stylish interior at the Moss restaurant

Dawn breaking

The wine list

Says Declan, “The winelist is Iceland’s most extensive and features Australian wines, a wide variety white, red and Champagne from France from the wine regions of Bordeaux, Languedoc, Champagne, the Rhone and Alsace; Italian wines from Piedmont, Veneto and Tuscany and New Zealand wines.”

Declan explains that the winelist is anchored by Old World wines from France’s celebrated wine-growing regions – with a focus on Bordeaux and Burgundy – well as selections from the classic vineyards of Italy, Spain, and Germany and complemented by wines from some of the prominent New World wine producers of the Americas and Australia.”

An exceptional selection of wines are available

South African featured wine

It also features the Mullineux Old Vines White 2019 from Swartland, South Africa. The wine is described by the Mullineuxs as follows: “The Swartland is blessed with an abundance of old vine Chenin, and we use this as the backbone of our white blend. We then add several small parcels of Mediterranean varieties for complexity, balance and aromatic lift. The grapes come from vineyard parcels in different parts of the Swartland:  the stony Shale and Schist-based soils of the Kasteelberg, the decomposed Granite of the Paardeberg and the rolling, iron-rich hills west of Malmesbury.”

This South African wine travelled far to delight guests in Iceland.

At Lava Restaurant a shorter winelist from the more comprehensive Moss winelist is on offer.

The underground wine cellar

Before or after the meal, guests from Moss Restaurant can visit the underground wine cellar where bottles are neatly stacked in layers against centuries old lava rock. The Retreat’s wine cellar is a subterranean sanctuary three meters into the earth of Iceland. A cavern of multicolored, frozen-in-time lava that erupted in the year 1226, is temperature-controlled and evokes images of ancient cave paintings. But the walls, lined with wines from all over the world, were painted by the volcanic hand of nature.

The underground wine cellar

Guests can book for private wine tastings every day from 12:00 to 16:00 where guests taste four wines with a selection of cheeses, or open tastings daily at 17:00. Imagine saying you’ve had a wine tasting in Iceland!

Additionally, various options, including caviar and champagne; and Premium Old World versus New World Tastings are offered. If Iceland sounds too cold of a destination, read about a sunny wine destination here.

Icelandic Cod with Tomato, Avocado, and Broccolini

Icelandic cod with tomato, avocado, and broccolini

Icelandic cod with tomato, avocado, and broccolini, the perfect match with the Mullineux Old Vines White 2019

Serves Four

For the cod

2 lbs. Icelandic Cod (cut into 4 pieces, 1/2 lb. per portion)

1/2 lb. broccolini

10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 c. whole basil leaves, chopped

1/4 c. whole cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 c. whole parsley leaves, chopped

2 avocados, cut in half

I lime teaspoon

2 tbsp. + I tsp. EVOO

Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the cherry tomatoes, basil, parsley, cilantro, EVOO, and salt together. Set aside.

For the avocado, remove the pit and scoop out the avocado. Crush with a fork. Season with salt, lime juice from one lime, and a teaspoon of EVOO.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, submerge broccolini and blanch for 30-60 seconds. Remove broccolini from the pot, set aside, and let cool.

Add two tablespoons of EVOO to a hot sauté pan. Add the cod skin-side down and sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove cod from pan, and place on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven for three minutes. Remove from the oven. Add a bit of the lemon emulsion on top of the cod.

Lemon Emulsion

Juice from 1/2 of a medium lemon

2 tbsp. EVOO (preferably Roland)

3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. water

1 dash of salt

1 dash of sugar

1 dash of Xanthan gum

Method:

Place everything into a blender and mix well. Remove mixture from blender and place into a dressing container, squeeze bottle, or something similar.

Tomato Broth [to be made one day ahead)

4 c. cherry tomato

1/4 fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1/4 of a shallot, finely chopped

1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 small handful of basil, bruised

3 sprigs of tarragon, bruised

4 sprigs of thyme, bruised

1 tsp. salt

I drop Tabasco

2/3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

I drop Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce

Method:

Combine all ingredients and let stand for six hours. After the six hours, place everything in a blender for 1 minute. Pass through a sieve or mesh strainer into a container with a lid. Refrigerate overnight.

Distribute broth between two pots and heat on low heat. Once the tomato broth is heated up, add

broccolini to one pot. Leave on heat for three minutes. Remove from heat. The other pot of tomato broth will need to be heated thoroughly and will be served on the final dish.

To serve:

Place the avocado mixture in an “entrée bowl,” a pasta bowl, or a similar dish. Place the Icelandic cod on top of the avocado and then add the tomato mixture around the cod. Place 3-4 pieces of the broccolini on top of the cod and then pour the tomato broth from the pot for serving around the cod.

A bucket list adventure awaits

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BY Maryke Roberts | October 28, 2022

Maryke is an award-winning, Cape Winelands based journalist who has been writing about local and international wine and travel for over three decades. When she's home, her days are almost exclusively concluded with a walk on the beach and a glass of South African fine wine or spirits.