The first wine was a La Lasta Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which was the first classified wine of Italy. Many of the wines we had that evening were DOC or DOCG, which means they have a controlled designation of origin, or a controlled designation of origin guaranteed. In laymen’s terms, it is basically a quality assurance for wine, and we were definitely served the best during this dinner.
The La Lasta Vernaccia di San Gimignano was a lovely, lemony wine that was bright and fresh, with low oak. This wine gets paler and sweeter with time, and its high acidity and bitter almond flavor complemented the crostini with braised Swiss chard and a lemony Ceci Purée (pictured, to right). The lemon in both the dish and wine brought it together, and worked to counter-act that bite you can get from chard. It was a favorite for many of the guests attending, and many enjoyed second helpings of both the wine and crostini.
Our second course was the beginning of the red wines, and we were first served a Fattoria San Fabino Chianti Putto. Chianti, we were told, was the heart of Tuscan wine, and tends to be an “easier going,” more approachable wine, with no oak. This wine had a medium body and a “round taste.” For the course, we were served Pork “parmigiana” breaded pork cutlets, pan fried, with a roasted cherry tomato sauce and Caprino cheese. Caprino cheese is a Tuscan goat cheese, and really, everything is better with goat cheese, right? The pork was so perfectly tender, and the cherry tomatoes burst in your mouth with such a delicious, warm sweetness, mingling and melting with the goat cheese.
There were many completely wiped clean plates when the second course plates were taken away and the third wine poured. This wine, a Bibbiano Cassolone Super Tuscan, went through a wave of popularity, as an unclassified in the chianti zone. This Super Tuscan paired perfectly with baked pecorino Bolognese that had rustic, nutty parm flavors, enhanced even more so by the deep flavor of the wine. Sprinkled with fresh parsley, it was perfection on the palate.
Our fourth course was the “Pièce de résistance,” paired with Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino. This was by far my favorite wine served that evening. It was full bodied, tannic, and aged 18 months in oak. Although it was full of flavor, it wasn’t spicy, which was great, because Paul served the most perfect piece of venison loin (pictured, to right below) I have ever had in my entire life. Readers beware…I am going to gush a bit right now:
I enjoy venison…deer in general really. I usually savor the gamey taste, which might just be the southern in me, but this loin was cooked to perfection, and can only be described as lovely, without the slightest hint of gaminess to it. It was so tender, that my knife slipped right into it almost like warm butter. It was crusted with pistachio and covered with spicy raisin compote. The juices in the meat, and the warm flavors of the compote, soaking and mingling, was heavenly. I didn’t hear one word less than full enthusiasm coming from the dinner guests. The spicy compote meshed with the full bodied wine, and all in all, it was one of the most perfect pairings I have ever had. Period.
Once we all recovered from the delight that was the venison loin and Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino, we settled into our fifth and final course…dessert! The wine for this course, Villa Puccini Vin Santo, was a sweet wine, which Dave admitted was “his thing.” The grapes for this wine were dried indoors, and the wine was oak aged for 12 months, with mandatory oxygen in each cask. The finished taste was pleasantly flinty, and went so well with the Apricot panna cotta that was served.
This dinner was a wonderful experience. I believe everyone walked away both satisfied and thrilled. Taste buds were happy, the wine was phenomenal, and together, Paul and Dave truly did an amazing job with this Tuscan Wine Dinner.
For more information on Pepperoncini’s upcoming wine dinners and events, click here. The second Tuesday of every month will feature a different Italian region and its wine and cuisine. Stay tuned for the menu and wine pairings for their next dinner, to be held on April 10th.
Call 484-924-8429 for reservations. A limited number of seats are available for these private dinners. Pepperoncini Sotto is located at 184 Bridge Street in Phoenixville.
