A REVERSE WINE DINNER

A wine dinner in a restaurant is an ideal opportunity to sample several wines and to have a wine expert explain why a specific wine is paired with each dish. Knowing that several of my friends enjoy such events, I thought it would be fun to invite them to my home for an informal wine dinner. But the dinner had a couple of surprising twists they discovered only when they arrived.



This was a "reverse wine dinner", one at which the wines were selected before I planned the menu, just the opposite of most wine dinners for which wines are paired with the food. Visiting the Wine Rack, on Frankfort Avenue, gave me the idea for the dinner and led me to seek the expert guidance of the shop's owner, John Johnson. I explained that I wanted to introduce my guests to interesting wines they probably would not have tried before. I told him there would be a second twist to the dinner. Because I know there are some excellent wines that don't cost a fortune, I asked John to suggest wines that retail for no more than $15 a bottle.
    Far from finding both objectives daunting, he was as enthused as was I about the dinner. When I returned to the shop a couple of days later, he had selected four wines to be featured at the dinner. After we discussed the characteristics of each wine, I consulted him about creating the menu. The menu was a collaborative effort of his culinary training and knowledge of wine, and dishes that intrigued me as I pored through an assortment of my cookbooks.
    Once the wine and food pairings were completed, I concentrated on designing a table that was simple and in keeping with the wine theme. I placed two tall amber mosaic candle holders with amazingly realistic, but forgivingly faux, grapes and grape leaves on top of a gold color tablecloth.  Napkin rings in the shape of grape leaf clusters further played up the theme. A quick and easy craft project turned out menu cards that doubled as place cards. Guests appreciated the menu cards because they included the wines that accompanied each dish. Grape leaves and a cluster of grapes were glued to the front of dark green and purple card stock. I also glued a cork above each person's name, adding a little more interest to the cards.



    Of course, you could host a similar wine dinner with little or no themed table décor, but I like to welcome guests to a beautiful table. Small decorative touches don't have to be time consuming, but I believe they make guests feel special and turn even an informal dinner into a dinner party. John Johnson's comments about each wine appear with the menu selections.

Mini Tortillas with Chorizo Salsa
Wild Mushroom and Pastry Puffs
Scallops with Goat Cheese and Crispy Prosciutto

Baqueano Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2007
(Patagonia, Argentina)
This wine calls out for shellfish. The Sauvignon Blanc's crisp citrus acidity and subtle minerality, and the Semillon's roundness and richness make it ideal for the scallops. Sauvignon Blanc, with its inherent herbal notes, is also a natural for pairing with goat cheese. By combining scallops with goat cheese, enhanced by the sweet and salty nature of prosciutto, you can truly bring out the best in this wine.


Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay 2006
(Casablanca Valley, Chile)
This wine offers pure Chardonnay fruit notes of apple, pear and citrus, while the subtle use of  oak adds creaminess and nuance. The dish brings out the buttery nature of the Chardonnay. Another interesting pairing would be to match the wine with something spicy. The tortillas with chorizo salsa were chosen as a way to
highlight the wine's fruit forward nature and to keep things from getting too rich.


Salmon Soup

Apaltagua Pinot Noir 2007
(Curico Valley, Chile)
There are few better matches in the world of food and wine than that of salmon and Pinot Noir. Dark fleshed fish like salmon are ideal for lighter bodied reds like Pinot Noir and Cotes du Rhone. Salmon easily stands up to a red that isn't too tannic, and the natural high acidity of Pinot helps cut the oiliness and richness that can come with the fish. A salmon soup was chosen as an appropriate way to highlight this wine's fresh red berry and black cherry qualities, spice and earthiness.


Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb with
Cherry Wine Sauce and  Chestnut Wild Rice  

Trapiche "Broquel" Malbec 2006
(Mendoza, Argentina)
Malbec is an ideal substitute for Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon when choosing a  hearty red wine. The pistachio crusted rack of lamb was the choice to bring out the wine's earthy notes, and to match its full body and firm structure.The cherry wine sauce nicely complements the wine's plum and blackberry fruitnotes and helps offset the natural peppery qualities of Argentine Malbec.

Chocolate Torte Topped with Chocolate Pâté and Butter Pecan Mousse