Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! Time just flies. I guess that means I haven't been attending enough wine events!
Well, last night was great! (although, I wasn't surprised). Chef Greg LaPrad did it again. Consistency is not a problem for this man. The meal was amazing. And then there's Sam Pillsbury. You know, you have to love this guy. He has such an outgoing personality, always very entertaining and one of the nicest people I know. Oh, did I forget to say that his wines are always a hit!
We arrived when the sun was going down and The Farm just looked beautiful! I love it when the sun hits the greenery and the flowers in just the right way. I'm still learning how to take great pictures but here's an attempt!
It was fun to meet a Twitter friend at the table - @IAmTimHardy and his wife. It's always great to be able to put a face to a name when social media can be so anonymous!
Dinner started off with Sam's 2008 Rosé "One Night Stand". It's called this because this will be the only wine from those vines. At the time of harvest, it was unknown what varietal this grape was so they subsequently pulled the vines - however, had it been known that they would make a great wine (like this) - they might have changed their minds! Sam's 2007 Rosé was my first experience with this type of wine. It's phenomenal. I always thought pink meant sweet. Boy, was I wrong! This is a great wine that paired perfectly with our first course.
Well, you can't go to Quiessence and not have some of the homemade charcuterie! Luckily, this day was not an exception. Our first course was a plate of Chef LaPrad's signature salumis and pickled Maya's veggies. The plate consisted of coppa, hunter salami, another salami, head cheese, mortadella with pistachios (my favorite of the evening), fresh cantaloupe, pickled fennel and zucchini. Yummeeeeeee! A quick note for those of you who want to know . . . I've always wondered, "Salami, Salumi . . . what the heck?". So it turns out that salami is a type of salume (salume meaning "Italian cured meat products and predominantly made from pork"). Thought it was good to know!
The next course was served with Sam's inaugural Pinot Gris called "Casa Blanca". These particular vines have produced two vintages which have been previously served at the White House (hence Casa Blanca!). Sam said he felt this wine was really opening up and paired incredibly with our second course. It is the perfect wine for summer: cool, refreshing and very smooth.
OK, this next course seemed to be the resounding favorite of everyone I talked to. It was truly amazing! A Day Boat Scallop "Ceviche" with fresh peaches, basil and crispy squash blossoms. OH MY GOODNESS!!! The scallop was not chopped up like a traditional ceviche, instead it was sliced lengthwise and seemed almost like a scallop sashimi. Talk about quality products. This was so fresh and tasty, Josh couldn't stop talking about it. The flavors all went together perfectly and the squash blossom in a light tempura batter added great texture to the plate - just a slight crunch. I hope we are able to enjoy this dish again in the future.
Pillsbury 2006 'Roan Red' was served next. This wine is amazing and I think it just gets better and better every time I drink it. It's a slightly spicy blend of Grenache and Mourvedre with a small amount of Syrah and Petite Sirah. It is the PERFECT food wine. Although it tastes great alone, add food and you really enjoy the complexity and layers of this popular selection. I think this was the favorite wine selection of the night overall - from the feedback I received.
Chef paired this with Hand Made Orecchiette Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Summer Corn and Arugula. I felt this paired wonderfully with the wine. It really brought out the spice of the 'Roan Red'. The little pasta "ears" became perfect tiny bowls for the veggies and sauce, cooked to a perfect al dente. When I saw this course on the menu I thought that the 'Roan Red' would pair better with a meat dish - I was wrong. The sauce stood right up to the wine and created a nice layer of flavors between the dish and the wine.
Next up, one of my favorite red wines, Pillsbury's 2007 "Diva". The first vintage of Diva was a strong, bold wine that could stand alone. This vintage of the Diva is a bit more delicate but I think the new characteristics of the wine will allow it to pair better with food. This vintage is mostly Grenache with some Petite Sirah and Mourvedre. Very nice.
OK, you're going to have to pardon me . . . but . . . the next course we enjoyed was some "wascolly wabbit"! OK for those of you who don't understand Elmer Fudd-ese . . . we enjoyed "Diva" Braised Rabbit with Green Beans, Cipollini Onions and Fresh Thyme. I think that this was probably the prettiest plate of the night. The colors were intense, as were the flavors. This is the first time I've enjoyed a leg of rabbit. It fell right off the bone and the flavors were great. There was some spice, none of us could name it, but it complimented Bugs perfectly (oh no, I didn't just say Bugs Bunny, did I?!). I was assured by the dining room manager that these precious creatures lived a great life before they became dinner! Thanks David!
Whoa Nelly - back to Roan Red, but this time the 2007 vintage. To compare the two vintages, I would say that the newest vintage tastes a bit bolder than the '06 which would make sense considering this blend is mostly Syrah with a touch of Grenache. The Syrah is from an Aussie Shiraz clone planted in 2000. It's a great wine and will also pair well with food, just like its predecessor.
Now we're onto Bambi (as one of my tablemates noted), or otherwise known as Venison. More specifically Wood Grilled Wild Venison, with Heirloom Eggplant Puree, Roasted Red Peppers and Pine Nuts. Wow! The eggplant puree was amazing! Josh loved it from the first bite! The venison was cooked a perfect medium rare, perfectly tender. What a unique blend of flavors but it really worked - a tablemate thought she detected miso in the mix. I was also, again, impressed with the pairing. It's no surprise that Chef LaPrad does his homework when deciding on the proper dish to pair with wines at these dinners. Unique dishes yet paired perfectly with the wines, amazing!
Rounding out the end was the Pillsbury new release Petite Sirah (2007), a small batch vintage (only 30 cases made). When Sam described this wine he used the word "shameless", meaning that he went all out in making this wine and pushing it to the edge! He picks the fruit late which creates a chocolate and blueberry undertone, a flavor that blends perfectly with late night brownies! Although traditionally not a dessert wine it matched perfectly with our dessert, not overpowering, instead coming through with a strong fruit palate.
Holy moly, just when I thought there's no chance another morsel of food will fit in my tummy, out comes the slice of Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake with accompanying Cherry Ice Cream. This was no namby pamby slice of cake either - a huge monster slice (had to take some home . . . darn, will have to enjoy more tonight!). What I loved about it was that it wasn't super sweet and wasn't overpowering with chocolate, instead a nice mild flavor which allowed the fruit of the wine to come through; there was no competition on my tongue!
Well, if I haven't talked you into going to the next Quiessence wine dinner, I really don't know what will work. The portions are great, quality incredible and creativity outstanding! Just when I think that Chef LaPrad can't surprise me, he finds a way to do so. Truly an amazing chef and a beautiful location. Keep updated at
www.quiessencerestaurant.com.
Also, Sam Pillsbury has become one of my favorite people, always with a smile and almost always with some funny comment to make me smile! His wines are quality wines which also showcase Sam's outgoing personality. I'm always excited to attend any wine event of Sam's and I'm never let down with any of the wines I drink. I'm also very happy to say that all of Sam's wines are 100% Arizona grown and 100% Arizona produced. Sam does events all throughout the year, so be sure to sign up for his newsletter and attend an event. Find out for yourself how great the wines are and buy a bottle (or two or twelve!). Check him out on the web at
www.pillsburywineco.com.
Until next time . . .
