Vino Ristorante

I wrote this tonight after eating in Queens for a Wine Appreciation and Management Class. Normally I dont like to write about the experience until at least one day after so I can "finish the experience" (digest) and as I wrote that my stomach gargled a little bit of hate. I also did not write about the dessert, or finish a conclusion yet, because im tired and the reflection paper I actually wrote this for is not due until friday.

But, here it is..

In a private room on a Monday night just off of Union Turnpike, Dr. Sung’s Wine Appreciation class met for their second and final restaurant visit. Four tables, each six feet in length, pushed together, covered with white linen and set for sixteen. With the dark red and light red contrasting on the walls, both reminiscent of the red storm, and the comfort of knowing we were on a field trip but still close to home, the familiar faces assembled to enjoy some well prepared and perfectly served Italian Cuisine.

A delicious amuse bouche was served in an espresso cup once our class had filled the table. An amuse bouche, normally complimentary, immediately gives me the feeling that the restaurant cares about every single detail in what is about to follow. Although I could not tell whether it was a lentil soup or pea soup thickened with potato, it was still delicious and got my attention, which I’m sure is what the restaurant intended.

Our first course was a Crab Cake served with mesculen greens and wasabi mayo paired with a Tuscan Montepulciano Rosato produced by Valle Reale. This young 2006 vintage was crisp and could easily stand alone but paired surprisingly well with the crab cake dish. I first tasted each element individually. The wasabi mayo was expectedly spicy and the crab cake was exceptionally creamy. The mesculen greens were definitely tossed in a vinegar and sesame oil but the nutty flavor of the sesame oil could only be detected when the greens were tasted alone. Once all three elements of the dish were put together they balanced well and tasted delicious. Unlike other food and wine pairings, this course paired in a unique way because the spiciness of the wasabi mayo was offset by the temperature of the wine. I always enjoy spicy food with a cold drink and the temperature of this Rosato wine helped me enjoy this already enjoyable dish.

Homemade Ravioli, stuffed with creamed spinach and a pistaccio vermouth cream sauce was served as our second course paired with a 2006 Argentinean Chardonnay. At first, this wine smelled similar to other Chardonnay’s we had tasted in class, green apples, greenish tint, but tasted a little grassier. Our plate was garnished with a single whole pistaccio to accentuate the crushed pistaccio’s in the sauce, I ate this pistaccio after my first sip of the Chardonnay. Then I sipped the wine again after and the Chardonnay immediately took on a different level of earthy flavors. Some of the people ate the table detected this earthy element in the nose but I could not sense it until after eating the pistaccio. The pasta had strong garlic flavor but was slightly muted by the freshly grated parmiggiano garnish. The pistaccio brought out an earthy tone of the wine while the cream sauce made the acidity of the wine more subtle, making this a great pairing as well.

During a pause before our third course was served, we were informed that the wines served tonight were all similar in that the grapes used in producing them were all grown at much higher altitudes. This was interesting to me because I had recently read that this was a growing trend in the industry today. Montepulciano is a high Italian mountain town responsible for our first wine and our second wine was produced from grapes grown in Mendoza, Argentina which is over three thousand meters high. Our third wine, which was being served, was a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Alto-Maipo, Chile, which happens to be in the unique climate of the Andes Mountains. This Reserve wine was served with salmon over black basmati rice and a baby lamb chop. The pairing did not catch my attention as much as the food but the wine was deliciously balanced, fruity, and aromatic.

The food, unfortunately, caught my attention for the wrong reasons. The baby lamb chop was under seasoned. Salt and pepper would have gone a long way in its preparation, so simple yet so frequently overlooked. The salmon was overcooked and the green peppercorn Dijon mustard sauce squirted on top of this fish in the unappetizing, boardwalk hot dog fashion actually tasted better on the lamb chop served next to it. Perhaps this dish is not normally served, I would actually guarantee it was a convenience rather than an expense to serve that salmon, but it left me unsatisfied. However, everything leading up to this point was absolutely perfect and arguably eye-opening.