Wine/Food Pairing

Comments

     Thirty people, including five guests attended this event at a very popular, upscale restaurant in Mid-Town Omaha.    The Grey Plume is known for local sourcing, and “Green” practices.   The venue was a novel experience for us in that the wines were from the same varietal , grown and produced in six different vineyards in the in the Rioja area and stored in  Bodegas (small storage areas or wine shops) in  Juan Carlos Sancha in Northern Spain.    

     We started with a Tenaro Blanco (white)  wine, for the quaffing, accompanied by warm popcorn  in a small  (cozy) area in the front part  of the restaurant.   For the dinner, we were seated in a private area, and had 6 glasses of red wine poured in front of us.   We were instructed to sample each of the wines with the courses to see how well we could distinguish the nuances of each of the wines (of the same varietal).

     Jack Volz, wine importer and Rep  seemed very knowledgeable , and did a great job of talking about the history and methodology  of the development of the  wines being served this evening, the area in Northern Spain where the vineyards were located, and the wine was produced.  

    Heather Smith, managee and Sommelier of the Grey Plume  discussed  the menu, wine pairings, and the history of the restaurant.   The presentation of the courses was attractive, and  tasty.  As instructed, we compared the wines, looking for subtle variations.  .   We agreed that indeed there were  minor differences, , and for the most part they paired well with the food.  The Hierloom Squash Soup and the dark chocolate pave  were favorites of many.

       Conversation was lively, and although the wines were probably not highly rated, they were enjoyable with the food, and it was a novel and memorable experience for those in attendance.