Goodbye Winter Wine Dinner

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There was a pent-up demand to convene a like-minded group of food and wine lovers for a dinner that offered a sharing of interesting bottles of wine paired with specific dishes of a multicourse meal. Chef Michael Tornillo of Gaia Bistro in Monmouth Beach likes nothing better than rising to the challenge of creating a dinner menu comprised of unique dishes that are both delicious and wine-friendly, and as always, he set a high benchmark with this special menu.

The opener was an amuse-bouche that was a play on Italian nougat candy. The tasty square of goat cheese nougat, pistachio, pecan, hazelnut, apricot and panettone was a great palate teaser and was paired with a 2009 Champagne Marie-Noelle Ledru Cuvee du Goulte Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Brut, a less frequently seen Champagne which was pleasant with a spicy nuttiness, but seemed to be a bit young and still evolving. By contrast, a 1995 Krug Brut, was at its peak; it was bigger and richer, with layers of fruit and honey, and was the preferred bottle by most guests.

The amuse-bouche was a whimsical take on an Italian nougat candy, with goat cheese and panettone as the main ingredients. Bob Sacks
The amuse-bouche was a whimsical take on an Italian nougat candy, with goat cheese and panettone as the main ingredients. Bob Sacks

An antipasto course of homemade burrata cheese, with truffle oil and sweet, fire-roasted red peppers, was enjoyed with Chablis from two highly respected producers, a 2015 Dauvissat Chablis La Forest and a 2017 William Fevre Chablis Les Clos. The creaminess of the dish was contrasted perfectly by the crisp acidity of both these two whites. Each was drinking well, still in its prime, and very enjoyable; there was no clear-cut consensus as to a favorite.

We paired two more white wines with a fish course of pan-seared, citrus-marinated halibut, done in a Mandarin-rum reduction with trout roe, sitting upon an irresistible house specialty of fried Spanish polenta. This course matched a 2015 Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne Burgundy against a 2018 Far Niente Chardonnay. The California Chardonnay was pleasant, with well-integrated alcohol and not overly oaky, but was no match for a big, fruit-driven Bouchard, which had a long lingering finish and was voted wine of the night by many in the group.

Pasta puttanesca, consisting of egg pappardelle, kalamata olives, capers and eggplant in a savory tomato sauce, called out to be paired with Italian red wines. The 2004 Sandrone Cannubi Boschis Barolo was still surprisingly youthful and continued to improve the longer it sat in the glass. By contrast, a 2020 Masseria Susumaniello from the infrequently seen grape of the same name, was pleasant and had some modest weight, but was outclassed by the rich, far more complex Barolo.

Three very special bottles of Bordeaux were paired with a Tuscan veal chop and provided much enjoyment. Bob Sacks
Three very special bottles of Bordeaux were paired with a Tuscan veal chop and provided much enjoyment. Bob Sacks

A course of beautifully rare pan-seared Long Island duck breast, plated with apricot, sage and pistachio chutney and a roasted corn and banana puree, was voted by many guests as a contender for dish of the night.

It was served with a 1988 Meo Camuzet Clos de Vouget Burgundy and a 2005 Domaine des Perdix Echezaux. Both wines had good color and were nice enough but unremarkable and, considering their price points, disappointing. Wines with more fruit would have been preferable; maybe younger Burgundies, or even California or Washington State pinot noirs.

We enjoyed three special wines from Bordeaux with a course of Tuscan veal chop, done with a honey brandy reduction, a hint of Calabrian chili peppers, citrus zest and a tasty, portobello Grana Padano risotto: a 2002 Ch. Ausone, a 1982 Ch. Ducru Beaucalliou, and a 1982 Chateau Palmer. 1982 was an epic vintage in Bordeaux, and both the Ducru and the Palmer offered plenty of lush, ripe fruit, layers of complexity in the finish, and no signs of aging. Even when compared to those 1982s, the 2002 Ausone showed very well, with a long lingering finish, and was actually the preferred Bordeaux wine by some guests.

Perfectly rare pan-seared duck breast with apricot, sage and pistachio chutney, was deemed the dish of the night by many guests. Bob Sacks
Perfectly rare pan-seared duck breast with apricot, sage and pistachio chutney, was deemed the dish of the night by many guests. Bob Sacks

The imported cheese course that followed was served with 2009 Patrimo Feudi di San Gregorio, a southern Italian, merlot-based red, which was soft but not flabby, and had lots of ripe fruit; and 2020 Kobayashi, a Yakima, Washington Cabernet Franc that seemed a bit young and light and was clearly still evolving and probably could have used more aeration/time in the glass.

The chef’s wife, Kalina, made her signature homemade Italian cheesecake with ricotta, citrus zest and graham cracker crumble for dessert. We had planned to open a sweet white Bordeaux with this course, but the consensus was that we had already reached our maximum capacity of wines and it would not be appreciated. We chose to savor this delicious dessert on its own; a rare moment where discretion in how many bottles to open in an evening prevailed! Many times, if there are too many tempting bottles opened, palate fatigue sets in, and the wines later in the evening do not get the full appreciation and attention they deserve.

The combination of the unique, delicious dishes, an assortment of fine wines, and guests with varied palates and perspectives, made for a special evening that was worthy of the time and effort invested in it.

Bob Sacks, longtime food and wine buff, writes about food, wine and restaurants in this column. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwithbob.

The article originally appeared in the March 30 – April 5, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.