Wine Dinner Blog Report – German/Local VA Organic Themed
Meal
The menu
On Saturday, May 29th I held my very first
wine/dinner party that included my friend Drew, my brother Robbie, my parents
and last but not least my energetic black lab named Otto. My themed meal paired three German wines with
German cuisine with a couple of interesting twists. I included a few local
Virginia favorites for the appetizer course including crab dip and spiced
shrimp. I also included a Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina to pare with the
red meat in the main entree.
my family- my mother, my father, and brother
my brother and my friend Drew
The reason I chose to hold a primarily German themed meal not
only because I am German and interested in my heritage. Additionally, Germany it was one of the favorite
countries I visited in my European study abroad program. Sadly, I did not have
the opportunity to sample any of the German wine when I was in Germany. I lived with an amazing host family in Germany
and had some of the most incredible experiences and Bratwurst in my life! One of
my favorites was a curry seasoned Brat..I know that sounds horrific, but it was
delicious!
For my first course, I
prepared mini-frankfurters in croissant crust with Dijon mustard. I also served a delicious crab dip and spiced
shrimp from Barham Seafood located at the Magnolia Green Farmers Market. Steve
Barham of Powhatan, Virginia started his business in 2010. There is an interesting
article about Steve and it also indicates where you can buy his wonderful
seafood at http://richmondmagazine.com/restaurants-in-richmond/food-news/barham-seafood-fresh-fish/.
To satisfy the cheese lovers, I served Brie an ginger fig rolls.
my mother with the appetizers
For my second course I served greens with mozzarella radishes
(Germans even use these in beer production) and dressed this in an olive oil
and lemon dressing. These were also
purchased at the Farmers Market at Sprout About Mobile Market aka S.A.M.M. http://www.fodfarm.com/s-a-m-m/
. S.A.M.M. represents several local
farms in Virginia, offering fresh produces with 48 hours of harvest.
Ingredients bought at the Farmer's Market
the salad second course
For my third course, I served Bratwurst and Hamburgers with
bacon and cheddar. Germans’ really take
their Bratwurst seriously! Therefore, I judiciously selected my Bratwurst at
the Farmers Market from Dockery Branch Farms http://dockerybranchfarms.com/our-story/
of South Hill, Virginia. Dockery Branch Farms is a family owned and operated
that uses recipes used by four generations of the Smith family.
third course
For my fourth course, I served ice cream and pound cake with
fresh strawberries also from the Magnolia Green Farmers Market. I selected
strawberries as they are very popular on desserts in Germany. They serve
strawberries on their tarts, cakes and yes, even ice cream!
desserts!
Below are the wines I selected for each course (Dinner Menu
Below) along with my review and how the dishes affect the wines when paired
with them.
Hans
Schiller Liebfraumilch 2010
Alone: I really enjoyed the aroma
as it was of lemon, citrus and grape.
Light bodied and smooth finish.
It was crisp and refreshing. The flavors I picked up on where of lemon
and citrus. It had sweet flavor, but was balanced well with the acids.
With Fig & Ginger Brie Rolls: The figs were extremely sweet and the wine
was less sweet. This made the wine off
balance and dry. This appetizer proved to be a poor choice in the pairing.
With Dijon Fancy Franks: The fruitiness of the wine did not enhance
the flavors. I felt the smokiness of the
Franks was enhanced. I did not feel this appetizer brought out anything new
flavors in the wine.
With Spiced Shrimp: The citrus in
the wine paired nicely with the lemon and spice combination on the shrimp. The acid in the wine balanced out the lemon
and it enhanced the spice level and peppery flavor in the shrimp.
With Crab Dip: The cream cheese
in the dip seemed to neutralize the acid in the wine. The wine also brought out
the creaminess in the cheese and was a fantastic match to this light bodied wine.
Hans
Schiller Rheinhessen Spatlese 2013
Alone: Aroma was very pleasant with a flowery smell
with a hint of Orange Blossom. Medium
bodied and drier than the 1st Course wine, although hints of
sweetness were evident. I noted an orange taste and sweet finish.
With Salad, Radishes &
Mozzarella: The wine’s acidity balanced with the salad nicely and made the
lemon vignette less mouth puckering. The wine brought earthy and flowery taste in the greens and radishes. The mozzarella became more creamy and delightful.
Lexicon Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Alone: This was least favorite
aroma. This wine had an earthy, woody with a dusty smell. This is a full bodied wine that leaves your
mouth puckering with dryness. The taste
was smokey. The tannins were strong and
the finish was not smooth.
With Bratwurst: The Bratwurst
definitely balanced this dish. It removed the mouth puckering dryness. It
enhanced the smokiness in the pork.
With Hamburger: The hamburger and
bun helped take away the dry finish on the wine. The wine enhanced the red meat and gave it a
spicy taste.
Red Vin Sweet Red Rheinhessen 2014
Alone: I absolutely loved the aroma of this fruity wine with
its notes of cherry. This is a sweet
wine, but the acids and tannins balanced it out. I tasted wonderful blackberry
and raspberry flavors. I would consider this a medium bodied wine with a smooth
finish.
With Strawberries and Ice Cream: This sweet red that matched
the sweetness of the ice cream. It enhanced the flavor of the strawberries
making them a bit sweeter. This is a
well-balanced wine and not overly sweet, which surprised me because it is
dessert wine. This wine was excellent choice with the dessert and my favorite
wine at the dinner!
my mother with my dog Otto
