Wine-pairing dinners, no matter the theme, make me happy. The patrons are always upbeat because we’re all here to share an event. An exciting event, and we know if will be satisfying, but how?
At the March 31 Seafood Wine-pairing Dinner, we were satisfied through the means of rich ingredients that surprised us each time a new course was carried out. Throughout the night’s four courses, the level of richness and heartiness was built up. It started with a rather innocent-looking seared scallop with citrus vanilla broth, grapefruit and jicama salad.
Sounds pretty light on the palate, doesn’t it? To our pleasant surprise, we found the opposite to be true. Flecks of sweet green jalapeno were scattered across the plate like little zingers for the tongue. The scallops’ crisp edges of caramelized sweetness and the vanilla broth made it sort of feel like we were eating our dessert first.
The 2008 Babich Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, poured by Belen Fleming, of Grape Beginnings, brought the first course back to earth. It was a bit flinty in flavor, but with a meaty finish that reminded the palate that there was a whole dinner yet to come.
Cream always ups the richness factor and it certainly did the job in the next dish – a lobster bisque with old cognac, chive, lemon zest and a host of minestrone-like vegetables. The addition of cauliflower, zucchini and green beans lightened the flavors a bit, however.
The unctuous taste of the lobster would actually have been lost among all those vegetables if it weren’t for the 2007 Felino Chardonnay from Mendoza, Argentina. It’s smoky, nougat-sweet flavors lifted up the sweetness of the shellfish.
I was just reading the other morning in a newsletter from NPR Radio Host Lynne Rossetto Kasper that roasting vegetables “deepens flavors like no other method,” and that certainly was the case in the third course of the evening – roasted herb marinated walleye, glazed rutabaga, pear puree, charred Brussels sprouts and golden beet vinaigrette. Sweetness and bitter char wrapped themselves around the roasted flavors on the plate. There was so much going on – almost a whirlwind of flavor – but within it all was the smug richness of the walleye. This course was also a feast for the eyes because the walleye’s herb crust retained its green color.
Before this perfectly smooth melding of flavors could lull us into a satisfied food coma, Belen’s wine choice gave us a much-needed slap in the face. The 2005/06 Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly from Beaujolais, France, had a surprising pungency hidden in its sweetness. It had an aroma of vanilla, but a bright fruit underpinning on the palate cut through the caramelized vegetables on the plate.
Last, but not least, we hit the jackpot on rich foods. If this dinner had been five courses instead of four, I don’t think we could have made it through the whole towering confection on our last round of plates! On a base of roasted pineapple, Chefs Ben and Tony layered dense almond pound cake with hazelnut pastry cream and crème Anglaise. Oh, it took such wonderful effort to eat the whole thing! And, the Lillypilly Noble Blend from South Eastern Australia, was an absolute nectar to drink. It brought out the flavor of the nuts used in the dessert.
Join us next month, 6:30 pm Tuesday, April 28 for our “Spring Fling” wine-pairing dinner.
