Good Friday Dinner and Good Friday Wine Pairing

For hors d’oeuvres we had Salmon Pizza bites topped with caviar, Sesame chicken and Zucchini Quiche.

For First Course we had crab veloute – this recipe is from Deux Cheminee’s Fritz Blanc. This was paired this with a Batard Montrachet 2002 by Louis Jadot from the Burgundy region in France rated 94-97 WA According to Robert Parker, "Lovers of vanilla wafers and butter cookies will find their mouths watering when they get a whiff of the 2002 . This rich, concentrated, plush nectar is hugely powerful, medium to full-bodied, and exhibits exceptional purity. Minerals, spicy pears, cookie dough, and syrup-laced earth can be discerned in its layered, boldly flavored personality. This top-flight Batard should hit its stride in 2009 -2019"

Our Salad was topped with String Beets, Mango, Strawberry, Goat cheese and glazed walnuts and tossed in a cranberry vinaigrette. This was paired with Montesole Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco DO 2006 which seemed oh so appropriate for Holy Friday. Lacryma Christi means "Tears of Christ." Tradition has it that, when Lucifer was cast down from Heaven, he descended to Vesuvius. Once there, he began to destroy everything. At the sight Christ began to weep. One of his tears fell on the lava and caused a vine to grow. This vine produced the grapes from which the wine is created. Montesole Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco DOC is produced from the Coda di Volpe. This refers to the foxtail shape of the grape bunshes. This Lacryma Christi is a pale straw color with green tints. It has an abunance of fruit on the nose, with aromas of peaches and lemons. Unlike some syrupy wines, Lacryma Christi wines, is dry and friendly. It is balanced with flavors of peaches and almonds, with a mineral finish.

Dinner was Shrimp in a cheese and mushroom sauce, Kasha Bow Ties and Asparagus. This was paired with a Pinot Noir Adrian Fog 2005 $79.99 This is from the  Sonoma Coast, and Numbers Vineyard – Numbers is a two vineyard cuvee comprised of only numbered clones: #667, #115 and #114.   This Pinot Noir is packed with fruit producing full flavors of black plums, massive red cherries, passionate persimmons and a hint of clove and fresh ground nutmeg.

Dessert was Blackberry Cobbler. This was served with homemade lemoncello.