WINE DINNERS
Coordinating and executing wine dinners can be a large task, but can also be so much fun. I live in a private Lake Club Community, Candlewood Lake Club in New MIlford, CT. Each year, I organize a Wine Dinner.
I always pick a theme of the dinner to make it a bit more interesting. In the past number of years, some of my themes have been
Champagne Night
Regional Wines (CT and NY)
Around the World in 80 Wines
Dont wine for me Argentina
The easy part is pick out the theme. Once I have that in place, I start to select a group of wines that I would like to use at the dinner. All of the dinners are 7 course meals, so, I start with about 30 or more wines that I would like to go with. I pick out several “Welcome to the Dinner” wines, wines to go with the initial course, and step through right up to the desserts. I spend some time going over these list of wines, until I have the ones that I really want to use.
My next step is to start working with our caterer. Since the caterer is the one that does all of the club’s social events, I get to know them very well. I sit down with their head chef and tell them about my theme and then identify the wines I want to use at each course. From that point on, we work together on coming up with the best pairing dish for that particular course. This can go on for weeks. I always give myself about 2 months lead time in preparing for these dinners, because I know there will be a lot of give/take, discussions, tastings about the different food that will be served. I rely on the chef’s experience about food, and I rely on my experience on wine and food pairing. Plus I have an additional resource. My son is a formal chef, so I have always bounced things off of him. I have had some battles with the caterer , mainly because he would want to serve this dish and I didnt think it went well with the wine I selected. Since it was my dinner, I would continue ‘discussing’ these concerns until we had a joint agreement.
So, now I have the Theme, I have the Wines and I have all the Courses of Food.
Now I begin on preparing the various materials I provide for each table.
I like to name each table after a specific wine or wine region. I place a 5×7 laminated card at each place setting identifying each food course, the wine and a brief description of both. Then at each table , I provide some basic information about the Wines being served, How some of the food was prepared, general tasting instructions and whatever I think is appropriate for that given tasting.
I love using props. For the Sparkling Wine dinner, I gave a simple presentation of sabering (which failed). I explained how each champagne, sparking wine, or beer caged cork cage will come off in exactly 5 and 1/2 turns. Told people they could win bets on this, since it is valid for any cage I have seen from any country. For the Around the World in 80 Wines dinner, I had a large map in front of the room, which large colored pins pointed to the country/region of the wines that we would be tasting. I would use a marker to draw the paths we took from one place to another. (ie staring in California, flying to New York, jetsetting over to Europe, , etc) My most fun was at the Dont Wine for me Argentina. I dressed up as a Argentina Gaucho. Black pants, white shirt, a fake knife (facon) and a cloth belt (Faja). I put on a gaucho Hat and wore typical gaucho boots. To me, it was fun doing that, plus it lightens the mood of the audience.
Through out the evening, between courses, I would stand up and talk about various items that pertained to that particular dinner theme. I talked about how Champagne is made, why Champagne can come only from France and the rest is Sparkling Wine. That Torrentes is a grape that is unique to Argentina, that Malbec originated in France, and was used more for blending, etc.
My objective was to make the wine dinner a perfect pairing of food and wine.
To demonstrate just how much correct pairing can enhance both the food and wine. I love to educate anyone on wine, but I also wanted everyone to have fun and enjoy the evening.
Wine Dinner Menus and Wines
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CLC Wine Dinner 2006
Sparkling Wines
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Introduction Spanish Frexinet
Parmesan Reggiano (Italian)
Camembert (French)
Spanish Manchego (Spanish)
First Course Blanc de Blanc
Fresh Tuna Trio
Tuna tartar, tuna roll and tuna tonnato
garnished with a cucumber amuse
Second Course Italian Processco Brut
Goat Cheese and Herb Polenta topped with
grilled portabella mushrooms and a balsamic
buerre blanc
Third Course French Rose Champagne
Grilled Pesto Shrimp served over a saffron-tomato
Risotto sauce with kalamata olives and crumbled feta
Fourth Course California Brut Vintage
Shitake Crusted Filet Mignon. Sauced with an
Asian demi-glace served over a cold sesame noodle
salad.
Fifth Course SEC
Rocky’s Angel Food Cake with two sauces
lemon and raspberry)
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CLC Wine Dinner Menu 2007
Wine Pairing with Food
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Welcome Chardonnay with Cassis (Kir)
Cheese and Crudites Platter
First Course 2006 Villa Rosi Gavi
EGGPLANT and White Bean Tapa
Diced eggplant sautéed with zucchini , white beans, tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs garnished with pesto
Second Course 2006 Saladini Pilastri Rosato
Mini-Potato and Forest Mushroom Lasagna
In a chive béchamel sauce
Third Course 2006 Coopers Creek Dry Riesling
Fresh Crab-Crusted Cod
Served over a vegetable risotto with a lobster sherry sauce
Fourth Course 2006 Joel Gott Zinfandel
Braised Short Ribs
Done Osso Bucco style with vegetables and herbs served with wilted spinach and mashed potatoes
Fifth Course 2005 Hayman Hill Meritage
Assorted Cheeses and Jellies
Sixth Course Taylor Fladgate 10yr
Triple Chocolate Mousse
Three layers of mouse, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate on a thin layer of chocolate cake sauced with a raspberry puree
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CLC Wine Dinner Menu 2008
Regional Wines (CT and NY)
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Welcome Hopkins Dry Cider
Apples/Pears Chutney, Chicken Pate and Nuts
First Course Stonington Seaport White
New England Clam Chowder
Classic New England fresh clam chowder seasoned with bacon, fresh thyme, carrots, celery and red potatoes.
Second Course Chamard Chardonnay Reserve
Fresh Corn-Fried Oysters
Served with a horseradish cream, avocado salad and cherry tomato salsa
Third Course Stonington Triad Rose
Layered Vegetable Tower
Portabella mushrooms, wilted spinach, roasted peppers, tomatoes
Zucchini whipped goat cheese served on a bed of mixed greens
Fourth Course DiGrazia Fieldstone Reserve
Pumpkin Ravioli
In a fresh sage butter sauce garnished with pecorino romano fresh sage butter sauce garnished with pecorino romano cheese.
Fifth Course Pellegrini Cabernet Franc
Beef Braciola
Filet mignon pounded thin, rolled and stuffed with pancetta, spinach, mushrooms and ricotta cheese sauced a tomato-demi glace
Dessert Tomasello Blackberry wine
DiGrazia Blacksmith Port
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Served with a raspberry puree and mocha whipped cream
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CLC WINE DINNER – 2011
Around the World in 80 Wines
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Welcome – Selection of Cheeses and Dips Domain Chandon Brut
First Course Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
House Cured Salmon and Salmon Tartare
with grilled flatbread and a noodle salad
Second Course Dr. Loosen Riesling
Brats and Slaw
bratwurst in a light mustard sauce
served with German potato salad and red cabbage slaw
Third Course BrainCain Tre Super Tuscan
Fresh Domestic Mozzarella and CT Farm Tomatoes
layered with Parma Proscuitto and drizzled with fresh basil,
garlic, extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic reduction
Fourth Course Les Lauzeraries Tavel Rose
Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart
served on a pool of French vichyssoise
Fifth Course Clos de los Siete
Grilled Sirloin Steak
topped with chimmichurri sauce on a bed of Spanish risotto with chorizo sausage, red bell pepper and corn
Dessert Fonseca Bin 27 Port
Chocolate Mousse Torte
served with a raspberry puree
and mocha whipped cream
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Candlewood Lake Club Wine Dinner 2012
“Don’t wine for me Argentina”
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Had to dress like a gaucho from Argentina!
Welcome Pascual Toso Brut
Selection of Opening Snacks
First Course Crios Torrontes
Provaleta
toasted french round topped with provolone cheese
sprinkled with oregano and chili pepper
drizzled with chimmichurri
Second Course Felino Chardonnay
Grilled Shrimp
wrapped with bacon served with a cilantro butter
Third Course Crios – Rose
Grilled Short Rib and Manchego Empanadas
wrapped in pastry with wild mushrooms
Fourth Course La Posta Cocina
Grilled Baby Lamb Chops and Chorizo
served with a tomato sofrito glaze
and a mango-black bean salsa
Fifth Course Felipe Rutini Malbec
Grilled Filet Mignon
Topped with a Argentinean cabernet-smoky chilpolte reduction
served on a bed of Spanish paprika roasted sliced potatoes
Sixth Course
Flourless Chocolate Cake
served with mocha whipped cream,
grilled pineapple and a mango puree