The Society for American Wines at The Crushed Grape

Hard on the heels of the previous post comes a somewhat less-belated report on the Society for American Wines’ dinner at The Crushed Grape, one of Regina’s newest restaurants, and one that (as the name indicates) specializes in wine, offering the largest selection of wine by the glass in the city.

This evening featured the king of California wines, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Up first: Sterling Vineyard Napa Valley 1999. “Fruity!” says Ed. “Bitter!” says Alice (Margaret Anne’s mom, not our four-year-old daughter, who did not accompany us.) “Very dry, not much flavour!” says Margaret Anne. Take your pick.

Ah, but that was as a reception wine. With the appetizers (Tomato Anchovy and Asiago Cheese Crostinis and Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tartlets)...

“It comes alive!” says Gran. “Anchovies are too salty for it!” says Ed. “It’s better with the onion!” says Margaret Anne.

Oops, we’re not done yet. Here come more appetizers: Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola Cheese in Filo, and Parmesan Cheese Crisps.

Everyone agrees it goes pretty well with those, so the general consensus: it’s best drunk with food. Ed didn’t mind it by itself, but Margaret Anne says she probably wouldn’t buy it.

Except our consensus is early. Here comes another appetizer: Paté with Icewine Jelly on Rye. What do you know? It goes pretty well with that, too. (Or so says Ed: Margaret Anne doesn’t do paté, either. “It’s still liver,” she says.)

It’s time for the soup, specifically Parisian French Onion Soup. A tough match. Is the Kendall Jackson Vintner Reserve 1998 up to it?

Says Margaret Anne, “I love the soup, and I love the wine.” Put them together and...well, they match "well enough." She thinks the wine has a nice earthiness to it that matches the soup.

Just for drinking, Ed preferred the reception wine, but he’s alone in that opinion. Margaret Anne much preferred the Kendall Jackson, although Alice says she found it a "little sharp."

Entrée time. Let’s check the menu: Grilled Meat Trio of Venison, Beef Tenderloin and Rack of Lamb, Blue Cheese Polenta Cylinders, and Olive Oil and Sea Salt Oven Crisped Asparagus.

Two Cabs accompany: J. Lohr Seven Oaks 2000 and Robert Mondavi 1997.

Notes on the J. Lohr: “Nice...berry...green vegetable nose...a bit more complex than the Kendall Jackson, more secondary flavours...goes really well with the polenta.”

Notes on the Mondavi: “Much darker than the J. Lohr, can't see through it ...nicer, too. Very, very nice. Rich, velvety nose, noticeably richer than the J. Lohr. Also velvety on the palate.”

Both wines match the meat dishes very well. Margaret Anne likes the J. Lohr more with the food. Alice prefers the Mondavi, though she prefers the J. Lohr just for drinking. Ed was apparently too busy eating and drinking to express an opinion.

And to wrap it all up, dessert: Bittersweet Chocolate Paté (okay, Margaret Anne admits, she’s not dead set against patés in general, just the livery ones) with Nuts and Dried Fruit. Matching it: Gallo Coastal Vineyard 1999.

Notes: “Kind of thin. Still rather tannic, hasn't really mellowed a lot. OK with the chocolate”

Alice didn’t think it went with the dessert at all; she thought the Robert Mondavi (she still had some left, if you can imagine) matched the chocolate much better. Margaret Anne liked the Gallo more the more she drank (funny how that works), although she didn’t think it went with the nuts, either. She did like it with the chocolate.

And then, to wrap the evening up nicely, Alice won the door prize: a bottle of Leaping Horse Shiraz 2001. Which was most welcome, considering she’d also won the door prize (exactly the same thing) at the event blogged below, at the Creek in Cathedral Bistro.

A good time, as they say, was had by all.