Locavore II at Tapino

We enjoyed dining last Thursday night at Tapino Kitchen and Wine Bar in Scottsdale at their second Locavore Dinner event. We had such a blast. The way the structure the evening is brilliant.

We started in the bar joining up with friends and meeting new friends. They confirmed 164 people for the event so it was a bit crowded. Luckily we got there early enough to find a spot at the bar. The patio is great but it was over 110 degrees that day so we stayed inside!

For starters, of course, they are serving local foods with local wines! Yea! The wines they were pouring that evening were from Eric Glomski (Arizona Stronghold and Page Springs Cellars) and Sam Pillsbury (Pillsbury Wine Company). The chef, James Porter, spoke to use before we began so that we could learn all about the foods and wines were going to be consuming. Local First Arizona was a sponsor and I believe that everyone had a chance to meet with a farmer or with someone in the supply chain bringing us our local foods. With six to eight to a table, they were able to seat one of the farmer-types or winemakers at each of the tables. We were lucky enough to sit with Tim and Sandy Robinson from Arizona Production Machinery and Supply. It's so much fun to learn about the farm raising practices and get help with what we should be eating (and how to find the foods). Click on the link to learn more about Local First Arizona. We have decided to become members ourselves.

The chef explained that he bought two pigs and a cow for the event. Basically we didn't know what we'd be getting for the pork and beef courses which made it even more exciting. Of course, we also got a chance to hear Sam Pillsbury speak about his wines. If you ever get a chance to meet Sam, don't miss it! He's very passionate and loves to talk about wine . . . not in a pretentious way, in an intense yet loving manner. He's such a character!

Our first course was Arizona desert sweet shrimp lumpia with arizona citrus ponzu. This was a bit of a surprise because it looked like an egg roll. It was very yummy, though. I just love the fact that they grow shrimp in Arizona. I would've never guessed it - from Gila Bend of all places! This was paired with Sam's Rose which I love. I used to think that all pink wines were sweet (such as a White Zinfandel or White Merlot) - however, Rose has become one of my favorite summer wines.

The second course was a desert roots & duncan farms vegetable terrine with sunizona yellow tomato coulis. You gotta' love local produce. The flavor is so incredible. This dish was great. It was paired with the Arizona Stronghold Tazi - a Sauvignon Blanc blend. Eric and Maynard James Keenan are using this label to produce value wines that will be distributed nationally. This wine is another one of my summer favorites. It's just so refreshing and perfectly paired with the veggie dish!

For our third course we got a Konrath Farm roasted "whole pork" duo. As I mentioned before, the chef got TWO pigs and used them to create this delictible pork dish. Although I had no clue which part of the pig my plate had come from, I really didn't care because it tasted yummy. I get a little worried about pork and that it can seem a bit salty - not this dish. I really enjoyed the pairing with the Sam Pillsbury Roan Red. It's a great balanced blend of a wine (a Rhone blend) that goes great with food. In fact, Sam creates his wines to specifically be enhanced by the meal. One of his favorites is Chateauneuf de Pape and I think he's been successful in creating his Roan Red wine to mimic the depths of that greatest of Rhone blends.

Next up, the beef course. Again, no one knew which part of the steak they'd be getting because he was working with an entire cow from O X Ranch in Wickenburg. I got a Flank Steak and my husband got a Short Rib. Both were very flavorful (although I was really happy with mine!). The steak was prepared a nice medium rare and had a lot of flavor. He included a jus on the plate that really enhanced the freshness of the flavor. Boy was I getting full by now. Sam poured his Diva blend with this one, a nice bold blend that works great with steak. In all honesty, this one is my favorite of the Pillsbury wines. Although it tastes completely different with food (very good), I can drink it alone after a great dinner (which is exactly what I did!).

For dessert we had local Fossil Creek goat cheese and Green Valley pecan fudge tartlette. With this we had a Page Springs Zinfandel. It was the perfect way to round out our perfect evening.

They are putting together Locavore III so you'll definitely want to stay on top of things. I'll be putting it up on the Arizona Vines and Wines Event Page so keep a lookout! They had about fifty people on the waiting list for this event who were going to be autimatically included in the next. You won't want to miss it!

Welcome to our new blog!

With all of our travels and tastes of Arizona wines we felt it was time to start a blog and tell you about our experiences with all these great wines and wineries throughout the state.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our website to find more information on wine in Arizona. We are constantly expanding our content and updating our information. Although the wine industry is constantly changing, we do our best to stay current.

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Enjoy and have a great day!