Spring Wine Dinner in 7 Courses

Last night Jodie and Rob played hosts for a first run at something we are hoping to start doing three times a year or so. It is a dinner that is created much like a vintner's dinner but not confined to one winery. We were able to pair up wine to food for each course. You will note that the second course had two wines as did the sixth course. This was done to compare and enhance each course.

We look forward to our next dinner in autumn to honor the bounty of the harvet and another in early 2011 to visit the comfort foods we all love and tastes from EuropeFollowing is a summary of what we had and hope that it might inspire you to join us next time:

First Course - Appetiser

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus w/ Balsamic Drizzle
Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe

Wine - Riesling - Alsace Domaines Schlumberger - Les Princes Abbes - 2006
Alc. 12% by volume Dryness indicator #3

"This floral white offers lots of apple blossom aromas and flavors, along with quince, kumquat and a light smoky underpinning. Dry and well-defined, with a nice finish. Drink now through 2010. 87 by Wine Spectator.

Comment: This first course was a nice light kick-off and really allowed the group to begin the meal with a fresh dry white after a round of champagne to get things going to honor Rob's upcoming birthday. The asparagus was small enough that 3-5 were rolled in each slice of bacon. enough was left over to enjoy with my leftover omelet from breakfast yesterday. A perfect brunch combo with a bagel this AM. The wine was an early favorite.

Second Course - Spring Salad

Baby Spinach with Jicama, Strawberries, Slivered Almonds w/ Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Wine - Pinot Grigio: Alois Lageder - Dolomiti – 2008
(Indicazione geografica tipica)*
Alc. 12% by volume (dry white wine)

Wine Spectator: "Has Apple, honey and banana aromas and flavors. It’s Full-bodied, with good fruit and a crisp finish. Minerally, drink now. (7/31/09)" Producer notes: "Brilliant straw yellow with a green shimmer. Quite pronounced and expressive aroma with flowery and somewhat spicy notes. Rich flavored in the mouth, with a slight smokiness at the back and a good, fresh finish. Suggested Food: Starters (both fish or meat), pâtés and terrines, salads, fish and shellfish, poultry, white meat and mushrooms."

Pinot Bianco: Alois Lageder - Dolomiti - 2007
(Indicazione geografica tipica)*
Alc. 12.5% by volume (dry white wine)
2007 Dolomiti Pinot Bianco is brilliant straw yellow color with a green tint. Very fine, fruity (apples, peaches), forward varietal aroma. Pronounced, clean, elegant, grapey flavor, light to medium-bodied with a fresh mouth-watering finish.

Bottled: January 2008 Released: February 2008

*Indicazione geografica tipica is the second of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with the locality of their creation, but do not meet the requirements of the stricter DOC or DOCG designations, which are generally intended to protect traditional wine formulations such as Chianti or Barolo.

Comment: Jodie got a great tip from the wine steward at Ballard Market who suggested a white balsamic vinegar. She macerated strawberries in the vinegar for a while and then strained them for the dressing. It made the salad very fresh and the Jicama really gave a nice crunch. While the Grigio really settled on the back of the palette, the Bianco held its' own on the front end. Many of us had never tried a Bianco before and that made for a real treat.

Third Course - Pasta Course

Bow Tie Pasta Tossed With Shrimp, Spring Peas, Garlic and Shallots all sauteed in bacon drippings and lemon zest added for freshness

Wine - Semillon: L'Ecole No 41 - 2008 - Columbia Valley
Alc. 12.5% by volume. (dry white wine)
89% Semillon 11% Sauvignon Blanc

Remarkably brilliant with rich fruit and balanced acidity, this wine shows fragrant citrus blossom, lemon and floral aromas, with melon, pear, lychee nut and key-lime flavors on a honeysuckle mineral-rich finish. Wine Enthusiast 90 points!

Comment: I had enjoyed a similar dish at a wine maker's dinner and thought it was the right time of the year to serve again. Also, like a Semillion and many are afraid of it. Not sure why? Jodie shared that the wine steward was quite pleased that I had opted to add one to our menu. Little did anyone know that L'Ecole No 41 is one of my favorite wineries. YEAH!

Intermezzo - Sorbet

Comment: Light and lively - At this point in the meal it is time to cleanse the patate and I was not sure what it would be until the day of the dinner and then in the store it hit me, how about a blood orange sorbet to bid farewell to the light courses with the white wines and then add a blackberry cabernet sorbet to welcome our entry into the heavier courses to come. It worked out even better when the former was a bit on the icy side and the latter was creamy and so there you go.

Fifth Course - Poultry

Deviled Eggs and Bourbon Chicken

Wine - Beaujolais: Appellation Controlee Domaine Dupeuble Pere et Fils - 2008.
Alc. 12% by volume. (dry white wine)
Mis en bouteille a la Propriété

Vivid ruby. Alluring aromas of cinnamon, strawberry and flowers, with a subtle undercurrent of pungent herbs. Velvety in texture and showing no hard edges. Smooth, sappy and gently sweet, with good finishing cling. Serve this with a light chill alongside some garlicky sausages or salty cheeses.

Comment: OK, so this was a hoot to enjoy. The wine had rested for a while and so had really had a chance to open up and then Jodie serves up the eggs. She had chopped bacon into the eggs and when we bit into them we were trying to decide had she also used chili flakes or peppers perhaps? Maybe a jalapeno or Tabasco? None of the above. She had put in some of the white balsamic and it had gotten the peppery overtone, even she and Rob were surprised! All the eggs were consumed during the dinner. What is it about deviled eggs? Rob grilled the chicken and oh my goodness. So moist and flavorful. Quite a treat.

Sixth Course - Surf 'n Turf

Grilled Copper River Salmon and Bacon Wrapped Top Sirloins

Wine - Zinfandel: Reserve - Quenett - Columbia Valley - 2004.
Alc. 15% by volume.

A vigorous and spicy Zinfandel with dark berry middle and a strong pepper finish. There is nothing subtle about this Zin. Savor it with lamb shanks, duck, or pasta.

Zinfandel is considered America's own great indigenous grape, even though its origins lie on the Adriatic coast. Planted throughout California and the Pacific Northwest, Zinfandel is at its best in warm regions with cooler temperatures during harvest. The wines can range from off-dry Rosés, White Zinfandels, and light bistro styled wines, to big, rich powerful wines - even luscious wines for dessert bottling. The flavors range from plummy to raspberry, although deep blackberry fruit and brambly spice tones are most common.

Comment: Oh my goodness, are we in heaven or what? This was a stunning moment of the dinner. We were all enjoying the wine and the Zin had been open for a while and it had come out of Jodie and Rob's private cellar. Can you say velvet! Rob had been the master griller and the fish and steaks were superb. Who knew that starting around 5pm would have us at this point just before 10pm. What an amazing experience. We were enjoying ourselves that Jodie even agreed to bring out a 2nd bottle of Zin from Bogle Vineyards. Quite nice to be sure.

Seventh Course - Dessert

Chocolate Lemon-Meringue Tart

Wine - Pinot Gris Port: Eleven – 2006
Alc. 12% by volume.

Light and fruity, the white port is a wonderful change of pace from heavier red ports. The typical flavors of Pinot Gris shine in a new light when joined by some additional sweetness. It goes wonderfully with creamy desserts that might be overwhelmed by a late harvest or ice wine.

Comment: We had six courses that just kept getting better and it was a kind of bummer in that Jodie had made such a beautiful dessert. When you took a bite, the flavors just did not mess well. Almost too much going on with the chocolate crust and the bed of raspberries plus the lemon and meringue. The port did not work with the dessert at all and reserves were pulled out at once to compensate. Bummer, but no one was sad, we had just enjoyed the most amazing meal and the finale was not horrible, just not something that would be repeated. You get to live and learn and the evening was all about that. What fun to be sure!