...The SAU Wine Fest summed up in six words. And the weather couldn't have been better...the rain so consistently forecast was conveniently absent with gentle breezes wafting about. There's almost nothing better than moving from table to table displaying sweet and savory morsels from area restaurants, amidst beautiful women in stylish dresses, while sipping fragrant and full bodied wines.
A few highlights from this year:
Firstly, the food - among my favorites were the lingonberry duck confit with manchego polenta and bread pudding from The Black Watch Room at Pebble Creek. Chef Greg Sanders has put together a fantastic looking menu combining casual golf course dining with elegant fine dining classics. The menu itself is unlike other menus you'll see at area restaurants; kudos to their graphic arts designer. I've yet to make the sojourn to Pebble Creek, after this amuse bouche I will definitely correct that oversight.
Also, the mushroom ragout tenderloin from Bass St Chophouse was tender and very tasty as were the sweet delights from Cafe Indigo. And honestly I was pleasantly surprised by the veal tenderloin with risotto served up by Symposium. I've only enjoyed fare from there on a handful of occasions, this was a nice albeit unexpected surprise.
Now what we came for - the wines!
As you no doubt know, I could blather on and on about the wines....who are we kidding, I could blather on about almost anything and make it both interesting and entertaining. I will stick to a few of the more interesting gems.
I had my first tast of 2009 Bordeaux and while its by no means a high-end representation of the region or vintage, it was very tasty...silky smooth and florally fragrant. It's said 2009 could be the best vintage in recent memory, even better than the stellar 2000's and 2005's, for all French growing regions. I can only imagine how amazing the mid and upper level wines will be and can't wait to try them.
The Hollen Family Vineyards, whose representatives I've met at other QCA wine tastings, were once again well represented by Michael and Michelle Hollen. Normally I am not a fan of Argentinian wines and I did not jump on their "malbec bandwagon" of a few years ago. This time around however, I found a few treasures: The Don Giaroli line of their cabernet and malbec, 2007 and 2008 respectively. They were silky and soft, more than is present in your average run of the mill cab or malbec. Their wines are available at The Grape Life next to Panera Bread in Davenport, I encourage you to check them out. www.hollenfamilywines.com
Another interesting discovery was the Clif Family Winery from CA. www.cliffamilywinery.com If you recognize the name you're not mistaken - they are the makers of the popular Clif energy bars and LUNA bars. They specialize in organic, healthy-lifestyles based food and treats. Their wine is no different, as their vines are all organically and sustainably grown. I sampled their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (actually blended with pinot gris, riesling, muscat and the oft overlooked pinot meunier, the first cousin to pinot noir) and their 2009 Red Wine, a zin-based blend of cab, syrah, merlot and petite syrah. Blends are a favorite of this never to be humble oenophile, and white blends like this, Seven Daughters and Sokol Blosser's Evolution are great Summer sippers. I encourage you to check them all out...and they're all under $20!
I would be happy to discuss further any of the wines or food I encountered, just message me. maestroburke@gmail.com
Footnote: As Chateau Burke is a few scant blocks from SAU, I walked to yesterday's event. The journey home however took many interesting turns...literally. It will be the subject of the next post.....stay tuned.
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