As the season changes from hot summer to wet, cold fall, it is good to remember the wonderful flavors that brought us to this point. At the September wine-pairing dinner, Chefs Ben and Tony's menu led diners through courses that relived the tender moments of spring, the robust growth of summer, and the rich spiciness of the last harvest.

To further the taste experience, Derrick Bangs of Busboy Liquor Corporation brought a collection of wines by George Duboeuf – known for their aromatic qualities – and a special Hungarian dessert wine.

A hollowed out red skinned potato served as a vessel to hold the first course, a fountain of steamed haricot vert, which was in turn draped in smoked salmon morsels. The plate was surrounded by a buttermilk nage, a scattering of crumbled boiled eggs and earthy pan-fried capers.

Patrons enjoyed wines by George Duboeuf

This eye-catching first course was a play between sweetness and salt, and the Duboeuf Regnie Beaujolais Derrick poured provided a fruity tang that brightened the flavors.

The second course was interesting because the taste changed quite strikingly when the different ingredients were taken together rather than separately. A shaved fennel salad usually has a rather pronounced licorice flavor, but when tempered by the candied walnuts, and the roasted mission figs, the flavor went from sharp to rich. The flavor changed again if you added a bite of the globe of fried blue cheese curd and sipped the Duboeuf Macon-Village 2003 Chardonnay.

This Chardonnay had a creamy texture that Derrick said was on account that the Duboeuf winery did not store it in oak casks, which he thought added a chalky taste to this misunderstood wine.

With the duck hunting season about to start in Minnesota, the third course was a tender hint of what you can do with this autumn game bird. A lone duck confit ravioli was served on an island of pumpkin pie puree with a cinnamon jus and a scattering of mache greens. Due to its long cooking time, the confit packed a lot of robust flavor into this petite-sized course.

Served with a Duboeuf New Generation Shiraz, the course was full of spice. The puree’s name caused some diners to look askance until they tasted it. Unlike a store-bought pumpkin pie, this puree coaxed the nuttiness of the pumpkin to the forefront, and only a light use of spices enhanced this flavor. Indeed, the duck confit was the sweetest morsel on the plate.

Duck confit ravioli served with a pumpking pie puree, cinnamon jus and mache

Like a Sunday dinner at its best, the main course was a succulent roasted rack of pork. Served with a caramel apple bread pudding, white onion puree and jus, it was a testament to how carefully the chefs watch their cooking times. The pork was sweet, moist, and flavored with a delicate rubbing of herbs. It was difficult to not pick the chop up by the bone and eat it like a Popsicle.

For this special course, Derrick poured a Duboeuf Chateauneuf du Pape – the Pope’s Wine. Where the bread pudding was rich, this wine was tart. Where the onion puree was mild, the wine was flavorful. An excellent combination all around.

Roasted rack of pork, caramel apple bread pudding, white onion puree and jus

We were almost sad to see the meal come to a close, but the dessert, as always, was worth the wait. Chef Ben mentioned the full spiced orange cake was made with almond flour instead of wheat flour. Cooked in a mold that made the cake look like a cut gem, this tiny cake was rich and nutty. A crisp cookie in the shape of a slide arched off the top of the cake, over a splash of raspberry coulis, and landed in a scattering of slivered candied ginger coated in chocolate.

This intricate dessert was paired with an equally involved wine – a Domaine de Disznokoko Tokaji Aszu 4-Puttonyos. Suffice it to say that this sweet Hungarian wine is hand picked, and only certain grapes from a cluster are used. They are then slowly crushed using only gravity to extract the juice. Its rich flavor is worth all the work.

After this walk through the seasons’ memory lane, it is exciting to wonder what Chefs Ben and Tony will bring together for the next wine dinner on Tuesday, October 25.