A Celebration of Fall

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22 people attended this fall wine event at a small wine bar/restaurant located in the Benson area. The space was perfect for the size of our group, but although the rustic brick wall added to the ambience, the room did get a little noisy!  In addition to a lot of socialization, we celebrated the birthday of one of our members, Richard Murphy!
The passed appetizers which greeted us upon arrival, were accompanied by a light and crisp Pinot Blanc from Alsace and a Beaujolais, (which was more complex and enjoyable than typical Beaujolais, usually served this time of year).

Waldorf salad served for the first course was an unusual choice for a wine dinner, because it is usually a sweet salad with lots of mayo, which would not pair well with wine. But to our surprise, it was actually a lettuce salad with the traditional fruits, and a very nice dressing, with only a hint of sweetness. The salad was remarkable with the Gruner Veltliner Austrian wine, (which tasted of citrus and veggies, with a hint of spice).
The second course consisted of a Pate en Route, and was quite tasty with the various garnishes, and was elegant with the French Burgundy wine (which was had crisp acidity, and nose of orchard fruit and vanilla).
For the third course, we were treated to braised beef served with roasted faro and mire piox; (vegetables most of us had never heard of). We were pleasantly surprised about what a tasty dish this was, It was well complemented by the Brovia Barolo Italian wine, (which was a blended wine with rugged tannins and acidity).
The dessert course (as usual) was probably the highlight of the evening for many of us. The Carrott spice cake , served with a Chinato wine from Italy was an awesome combination. The wine contained aromatized quinine and was slightly bitter, and spicy, with a hint of orange rhine. This was a very nice fall dessert, and a fitting conclusion this wine event.