by Steven Doyle
Attending a winemaker dinner has several layers of opportunity for the average food and wine enthusiast. First, you generally meet an educated winemaker or vineyard owner. This is a special opportunity to chat one on one and feel the passion behind the wines you select. These winemakers can also give hints on upcoming wine lots that may be limited and other advice on wines they enjoy through their extensive travels. This was certainly the case last evening as Del Frisco’s in Fort Worth hosted Andrew Delos, winemaker from Nickel and Nickel out of Napa Valley.
The most interesting point of Nickel and Nickel is that their wines are not blended but instead dedicated exclusively to producing 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines that best express the distinct personality of each vineyard. This gives you a tour of Napa Valley through the series of those single vineyards.
There are actually a number of wines that speak to the soil and vines. In North Texas we have available 14 Nickel and Nickel wines.
Also at these dinners we meet the chefs. Most might be familiar with Del Frisco, and their menu is generally limited to beef and some seafood. But, at these dinners we see the chefs stretch their culinary arms and show you a different dimension of their talents. This was certainly the case last evening as Executive Chef Anthony Felli presented his menu to us.
There are many more Del Frisco winemaker dinners coming in both Dallas and Fort Worth very soon and we will keep you alerted to the dates.
Seared Bay of Fundy Salmon with house pickled jicama salad, guajillo chili oil and crisped skin
2009 En Route, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Red Wine Braised Wild Mushrooms, hand-made egg noodle linguini, shaved Reggiano
2008 Nickel and Nickel Darien Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Syrah
Seared Beef Tenderloin, herb shallot butter, Brussel sprouts and Broiled Bone Marrow with garlic butter and baguette
2008 Nickel and Nickel CC Ranch, Rutherford, Cabernet Sauvignon
New York Style Cheesecake graham cracker crust, salted caramel
2006 Dolce, Napa Valley
