What exactly goes into a well orchestrated wine maker’s dinner? Well, good food and good wine are the obvious answer but it takes a little bit more finesse to pull off a dinner that must pair well enough to highlight a wineries selections. On a recent Wednesday Tampa’s own Toasted Pheasant and Truchard Vineyards nailed both components. Chef Peter prepared a five course meal that married beautifully with wine maker Anthony Truchard’s II five wine selections. Five courses with five wines for only $45, talk about budget friendly.
In a Carrollwood area over flowing with eateries, it was a pleasure to see every seat filled in the small French Bistro style restaurant. Toasted Pheasant doesn’t just concentrate on well prepared and creative culinary meals but also has a strong emphasis on wine and the wine experience. In January the bistro hosted a Beaujolais nouveau dinner on the day of the young wines release. Another wine maker’s dinner is planned in February around Valentines Day with an Italian wine maker.
Truchard Vineyards is a family-owned winery in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, where owners Anthony Truchard I and his wife Jo Ann have run the winery for over 30 years. A converted barn, serves as the winery and the symbol for the vineyard. The Truchard family originated from France and settled down in Houston in the 1885. After realizing Houston was not conducive to wine making, the later generations sought a climate more suitable to grape growing in Napa Valley. After years of growing grapes for other wineries, Truchard began making their own wine in 1989. The grapes are grown in a European style with more acidity than others and with close to 400 acres, Truchard is the largest family owned winery in the area.
The dinner began with seafood bisque paired with Truchard Rousanne, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc made in a Northern Rhone style. The flavors were clean and crisp with hints of apple. Course two consisted of a Poricini mushroom and chicken ravioli paired with Truchard Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir was in a Burgundy style with Earthy aromas and a subtle and elegant finish. The salad and main course of duck confit were paired with Truchard Chardonnay and Truchard Cabernet Franc respectively. The Chardonnay consistently scores 90 pts or higher from Wine Spectator. The Cabernet Franc is only sold at the winery and in the state of Florida. The dinner ended with a dark chocolate truffle paired with Truchard Merlot made in a Bordeaux style with floral aromas and a smooth mouthfeel.
Toasted Pheasant has many budget friendly wine events throughout the year. While they do have an events section on their website, it’s best to sign up for their emails as you’ll be one of the first to know about these great bargain basement dinners and wine pairs. In addition to the great meal, many times you’ll be able to purchase the wines at a discounted price when many of the wines are never sold outside the winery.
Toasted Pheasant, located at 14445 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, FL, 33618.
2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.
http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/
Follow me on:
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=114185461044&ref=ts
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In a Carrollwood area over flowing with eateries, it was a pleasure to see every seat filled in the small French Bistro style restaurant. Toasted Pheasant doesn’t just concentrate on well prepared and creative culinary meals but also has a strong emphasis on wine and the wine experience. In January the bistro hosted a Beaujolais nouveau dinner on the day of the young wines release. Another wine maker’s dinner is planned in February around Valentines Day with an Italian wine maker.
Truchard Vineyards is a family-owned winery in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, where owners Anthony Truchard I and his wife Jo Ann have run the winery for over 30 years. A converted barn, serves as the winery and the symbol for the vineyard. The Truchard family originated from France and settled down in Houston in the 1885. After realizing Houston was not conducive to wine making, the later generations sought a climate more suitable to grape growing in Napa Valley. After years of growing grapes for other wineries, Truchard began making their own wine in 1989. The grapes are grown in a European style with more acidity than others and with close to 400 acres, Truchard is the largest family owned winery in the area.
The dinner began with seafood bisque paired with Truchard Rousanne, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc made in a Northern Rhone style. The flavors were clean and crisp with hints of apple. Course two consisted of a Poricini mushroom and chicken ravioli paired with Truchard Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir was in a Burgundy style with Earthy aromas and a subtle and elegant finish. The salad and main course of duck confit were paired with Truchard Chardonnay and Truchard Cabernet Franc respectively. The Chardonnay consistently scores 90 pts or higher from Wine Spectator. The Cabernet Franc is only sold at the winery and in the state of Florida. The dinner ended with a dark chocolate truffle paired with Truchard Merlot made in a Bordeaux style with floral aromas and a smooth mouthfeel.
Toasted Pheasant has many budget friendly wine events throughout the year. While they do have an events section on their website, it’s best to sign up for their emails as you’ll be one of the first to know about these great bargain basement dinners and wine pairs. In addition to the great meal, many times you’ll be able to purchase the wines at a discounted price when many of the wines are never sold outside the winery.
Toasted Pheasant, located at 14445 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, FL, 33618.
2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.
http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/
Follow me on:
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=114185461044&ref=ts
Twitter:http://twitter.com/WineChicksGuide
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