Boca Bacchanal Vintners Featured at Museum of Art "Wine & Food" Event!

Last Thursday's "Art of Wine & Food" tasting event at The Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale, marked my first event back at the Museum since hip surgery. I have to say, it felt pretty darn good! We had a fabulous group of folks turn out and we got to enjoy our evening in the Museum's Marks Gallery which exuded an elegant ambiance. Our theme of the evening was "Wines of the Winter Season: Hearty Wines that Will Warm you Up - Paired with Your Favorite Comfort Foods" - and boy, did they! We enjoyed some wonderful wines that will be featured at the upcoming Boca Bacchanal March 18-20th, and culinary creations by the charismatic Chef Hugh McCauley of Hugh's Catering. It was an evening of some very special pairings!

Butternut Squash Bisque & ZD California Chardonnay

Our first wine of the evening was a 2009 ZD California Chardonnay. ZD Wines was founded in 1969 by Norman deLeuze and Gino Zepponi, two former aerospace engineers who pursued their dream to produce world-class wines. Their goal was to produce wines similar to those from the renowned Burgundy region using the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. If tonight was any indication - they  have definitely succeeded! The 100% Chardonnay had aromas of tropical fruit and green apple with hints of vanilla, pear and honey. It had a lovely roundness on the palate with ripe apricot and oak that integrated nicely with the balanced acidity. Chef Hugh created an amazingly delicious Butternut Squash Bisque with Creme Fraiche, Chives and Paprika Oil that paired beautifully with the creaminess of the wine. I have to say, I have never heard so many men (yes, MEN!) express how much they enjoyed a Chardonnay!

Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops & Louis Jadot Santenay

Second, we poured a 2007 Domaine Louis Jadot Santenay "Clos du Malte" Burgundy. Founded in 1859, Maison Louis Jadot focuses on the classic grapes of Burgundy: Pinot Noir for reds, Chardonnay for whites and Gamay for Beaujolais. The vineyards of Maison Louis Jadot are scattered across 154 hectares (385 miles) of Burgundy, from the Cote d'Or to the Maconnais and down into Beaujolais. Santenay is the southernmost commune of the Cote d'Or located in the southern part of the Cote de Beaune, just after Chassagne Montrachet. "Clos de Malte" is actually a 7 hectare (17.5 mile) "Monopole" (meaning Louis Jadot is the sole owner) situated at the foot of the Montagne des Troix Croix. This 100% Pinot Noir was rife with warm spice, candied cherry flavors and subtle earthy notes. With it's polished tannins and food friendly acidity, this wine was a fabulous pairing for Chef Hugh's Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops and Parsnip Puree. A perceivable hush fell over the crowd as participants savored this mouth-watering duo!

Beef Rossini Tenderloin & Hall Napa Valley Cab

Finally, we served a 2007 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Hall Winery was established by Craig and Kathryn Hall in 2005 amid the legendary Sacrashe Vineyard in the hills of Rutherford, California. The Halls specialize in making single vineyard and limited production wines with their extensive estate vineyards encompassing more than five hundred acres of classic Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in 60% new French oak. It was a deep, luscious garnet color with aromas of blackberry, plum, chocolate and spice. On the palate, this was a BIG wine! Flavors of blackberry, cassis and semisweet chocolate were accompanied by very firm, youthful tannins. This wine could have benefited from more time in the bottle as well as decanting in order to aerate it, and soften it a bit. The Cab lovers in the group were smitten though and the wine paired wonderfully with Chef Hugh's Beef Rossini Tenderloin on Garlic Crostini with Foie Gras Topped with Onion Marmalade. 

Cheers to Chef Hugh and his wonderful team for a fabulous event! For more information on the upcoming Boca Bacchanal & Auction held on March 19th please click here. Our next event at the Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale "Women of Wine: Sample Wines Created by the Fairer Sex. Learn Why Women May Have a Wine-Making Advantage," will be March 24th. For more information, please check the "Events" tab above - hope to see you there. Also, a big thanks to Amy Traiger for the use of her fabulous photos for this post!

 Cheers,