Last year we visited Gabriele Rausse winery just after the Food and Wine pairing had finished; we knew we had to come back. We had the opportunity to visit this past Thursday, January 16th. We had a few friends join us for their Food and Wine pairing… We found this to be a great experience with delicious food and wine!
We started with freshly baked, warm sourdough bread and olive oil. This was paired with a glass of Chasselas Doré Sparkling 2019. This crisp bubbly wine is intriguing to drink and would be a great bubbly for a celebratory toast! It paired well with the opening course and had a lovely light golden color. The nose was that of green apple with flavors of citrus and pear.
Our next course was sliced sautéed Fin Lina Potatoes served fresh off the stove. This was paired with two white wines. We enjoyed a tasting of Grüner Veltliner 2018, followed by the Chardonnay Reserve 2017. The Grüner Veltliner had a light acidic taste while the Chardonnay Reserve was lightly oaked with a mild buttery finish; both of these wines paired surprisingly well with the potatoes.
The third course was Polenta, Cipolline Onions, and Red Peppers. This was paired with two red wines. First, we enjoyed the Malbec 2018, followed by the Cabernet Franc Reserve 2017. The Malbec was a surprise as we have found few wineries in our area that produce Malbec; both perfectly with this course. Cab Francs have become a staple in our home, and this one stands out as one of the best due in part to the well balanced tannins and long pleasant finish. The Polenta, Cipolline, and Red Peppers were a perfectly paired combination as the flavors and textures meshed well.
Our final course was by far our greatest surprise… We had the pleasure of tasting a generous portion of the Olive Oil Cake. This reminded us of grandmother’s pound cake consistency with a crisp crust and a moist cake. This was paired with their dessert wine Kalian Monbazillac 2016. This sweet wine paired perfectly with the cake and both complimented each other well, and neither were over powering.
If you’re in the area, stop in to Gabriele Rausse winery and give them a try. We know you will be in for a treat! Tell them the VaVineDudes sent you!
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