Saturday Night – Snow Problem

Mick was planning on grilling up some beef tenderloin for our Saturday night dinner but a large dumping of snow on Friday and Saturday put those plans on hold. Mick switched gears and shifted the menu.

"Look out Martha, here comes Mick!"

The first course was Prosciutto-wrapped Melon with a Balsamic and Olive Oil dipping sauce. When Mick breaks out the melon baller, you know he means business. Mick served a Bottega Brut Prosecco with the appetizer. We haven’t had much exposure to Italian sparkling wine and this made a nice change of pace.

"Good wine - Great price!"

The next course was Pan-seared Scallops with Crab garnish and was also paired with the Bottega. We had this dish about a month ago –

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/02/saturday-night-micks-cooking-up-storm.html

Last time, the Sauvignon Blanc he served with the scallops wasn’t a great pairing. So, I suggested that a sparkling wine might be a good match. Mick decided to hold me to that suggestion. I’m pleased that he did as the pairing of the scallops and the Bottega was perfect. The Bottega has a really good crispness to it that worked to bring out the flavours of the scallops.

LCBO Information - BOTTEGA VINO DEI POETI PROSECCO

LCBO 897702
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 13.30
11.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content: 1
Made in: Veneto, Italy
By: DISTILLERIA BOTTEGA

Tasting Note - Pale straw colour, fine bubbles; fresh & fragrant with delicate apple, pear, citrus and hints of honeysuckle & white fruit on the nose; dry, with barely a hint of sweetness on palate & flavours of green apple and citrus; refreshing finish.

Serving Suggestion - Serve as an apéritif or try with spring rolls, shrimp, sushi, with melon and prosciutto, light fruit dishes or cheese and fruit.

I had no idea of the price of this wine until looking it up for this article. At $13 per bottle, this is a “must buy” as it is a steal for that price. That just made my day!

"Not quite right..."

Caesar Salad and Beringer 2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay were the next course on the menu. The Beringer Chardonnay poured out a little darker than usual which had me worried. The nose of the wine was fine but it didn’t taste quite right. It was at best OK with the Caesar which was funny as we have had this combination many times before in the past and it is usually excellent. I think there were two problems – 1. The wine was slightly off and 2. We have been drinking a lot more French Chardonnay recently and I’m starting to prefer them.

"Hit me with those yummy Carbs!"

The main course was a Veal and Spinach Ravioli with Mick’s own homemade tomato sauce. Each portion was baked in the oven with cheese. I grabbed a bottle of 2001 Dievole Sangiovese off the rack as our contribution to dinner. This was a funny wine as I had picked up twelve bottles years ago – some were the 2000 vintage and others were 2001 -- and nine of the bottles were excellent and two were awful. It was a $12 bottle at the time so I wrote these differences off as quality control. This was the last bottle of the twelve and I was praying it would be ok.

"A tear in my eye once this was gone."

As I poured out the first glass, I knew my prayers had been answered as there was a wonderful rich aroma coming off the wine and not a trace of cork taint. It went very well with the ravioli. The depth and complexity to this wine were far greater than anyone has the right to expect from a $12 bottle. Unfortunately, it was the last bottle and the LCBO isn’t carrying any of the Dievole label any more.

After we put a good dent in the Dievole, Mick had a wine that he wanted to try with the ravioli – a Hecula Monastrell from Spain which is made from the Mourvèdre grape.

"Twins!"

The first taste I got off this wine was a dish soap-like taste and it didn’t get much better from there. When I mentioned this out loud, Amy thought I was crazy. Then, she had her first sip and her eyes went wide -- “Oh my God! It does taste like dish soap!” Mick liked it and thought we were all crazy. He told us that he had another bottle on the rack that he was going to age and not share with us. At this point, Amy and I burst into laughter and we proceeded to ride Mick pretty hard about this wine through the rest of the evening.

I do want to apologize to Mick as I give him kudos of credit for trying something new – both a wine from Spain and the Mourvèdre grape which we had very little exposure to.

I couldn’t find any information on the Hecula on the LCBO’s website but on the upside you can pick up a case of Sunlight at your local Wal-Mart for a lot less… sorry buddy couldn’t resist.

Amy had picked up a selection of LaRocca cake slices for dessert which I couldn’t have found room for if I tried.

All in all, it was a wonderful night that was a great break from the lousy weather outside. Mick out did himself on all the dishes he served.

Cheers!

Mark