Via Vino Traveling Table

Since I cheated and had already visited Via Vino on Mother’s Day, I knew this was going to be a fantastic Traveling Table with STLwinegirl, Angela Ortmann.

We started off the three-course dinner with Scallops that was dressed with peaches, arugula, and balsamic vinaigrette. I was definitely sad there was only one scallop on the plate. This was paired with an Albert Mann Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France, which was my favorite of the night. The crispness of the wine helped to cut through the rich and tangy sauce on top of the scallop.

I quickly forgot about the lonely scallop after the “main course”, Veal Carciofi served with Grilled Artichokes, Lemon, and Wine Butter. I don’t have veal too often so this was a real treat and the cream sauce on top gave it even more of a “melt in your mouth” flavor. My friends and I wanted to lick the plate but we decided to be proper and use a slice of bread instead. This was paired with Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc from Sonoma, California. To me, Cab Franc is drier than regular Cab Sauvignon but STLwinegirl says otherwise. While I understand that you’d want a bold wine to stand up to the richness of the veal, it overpowered the dish too much for me. Of course all the red wine drinkers just loved it.

Dessert was also a huge success, Chocolate Amaretti Torte served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from Serendipity. Yet again, I could have made a dinner out this course as well, although it’s probably better than I didn’t. I actually was able to enjoy the dessert wine, Gerard Bertrand Banyuls from France, without it tasting too sweet! But it still needs to be sipped slowly.

Resources:

Photo by Angela Ortmann

STLwinegirl = http://www.stlwinegirl.com

Via Vino = http://www.viaviavino.com/