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Dining With Wines of Piedmont |
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Thursday, 20 March 2008 |
Reported by Anna Cullinan
The Guild’s good friend and nice guy, Martin Carriere, had originally organized this dinner for Saturday, March 8, 2008, however, bad weather resulted in a change in date. Some of our members may have heard that Martin had returned from a ski vacation in Colorado the day before the originally scheduled date only to suffer a heart attack the next day. Bill Ellis took up the hosting duties and informed the group that Martin was recovering nicely. We look forward to seeing Martin in his hosting role soon and wish him a speedy recovery.
 The reception wine was a Gavi from Michele Chiarlo (2005 $19.95 11.5%). There was general agreement that it was a crisp, mouth-watering wine that did a good job of getting our taste buds ready for the meal. It had a green apple note, with a small amount of minerality and a slight evanescent finish. Some diners felt that it lacked a bit of zip, but a good choice nonetheless.
Chef Sean Murphy prepared this superb meal. Rob Lafreniere, assisted by Jessica, Jennifer and Anika, headed the dining room staff. We started with an antipasto of roasted oyster mushroom with a confit of teardrop tomato, braised artichoke, sliced prosciutto and baby micro greens. This dish was complemented by a Barbera d’Alba Sovrana Batasiolo (2005 $17.95) and a biodynamic wine—Nuova Cappelletta Minola Barbera del Monferrato (2005 $21.95). Both wines paired well with the antipasto. The first was a vibrant fruity wine and the latter had leather and cherry notes. Some diners felt that the Minola was a better match to course that followed, a creamy squash risotto with pepato cheese, than the chosen Barbaresco (2001 $31.95). Many felt that this Barbaresco needed a veal or other red meat dish as it overpowered this dish. The main dish was a delightful beef ragu with braised cipollini onions, red wine and thyme, served with broccoli di rape. The chosen wines were a Barolo Serralunga d’Alba from Fontanafredda (2001 $39.95) and a Travaglini Gattinara Tre Vigne (1999 $46.95). Both were big wines with a combination of fruit and acidity that stood up to the spices in the ragu. There was an interesting observation that the wine from the risotto course (Barberesco, 2001, Produttori del Barbaresco) paired very well with the vegetables that accompanied the ragu. A delicious panettone with Galliano cream rounded out this sumptuous meal.
Congratulations to all involved in putting together this feast. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 06 April 2008 )
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The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets.