"Wine is sunlight,
held together by water".
Galileo
Diane and Tom decided to integrate their passion for wine and food with learning and adventure. To guide us and our friends on these journeys, we initially partnered with Connie Fowler, wine writer and consultant. Now we host these seminars and wine and food pairing discussions ourselves.
Connie Fowler has worked in the wine industry, in a variety of capacities, for the past twenty years. She is the founder of Let's Have a Taste, and offers wine education, events and dinners for both corporate and private clients. She has served as a wine judge for Wine and Spirits Magazine. Connie was awarded the London based Wine and Spirit Education Trust's Diploma degree in 2002.
Diane and Tom's wine seminars were so well received that we are now making them a regular part of our annual entertainment calendar, one in the Spring and one in the fall. Our seminars have included subjects on: general wine and food pairing principles; dessert wines; wine and cheese matching; Champagne and food pairing, etc. We decide on the theme of the seminar, provide our wine inventory to our wine consultant, who picks the wines to be featured, and then we prepare all the food. For the wine and cheese seminar, all the cheeses were supplied by the Ideal Cheese Shop. The discussion at the actual seminar is also a partnership with Connie discussing the wines and Diane and Tom describing the food, preparation techniques and attributes. The menus for some of our favorite seminars are listed below:
German Wine Pairing Seminar
Aperitif & Amuse Pairing:
Assorted Sushi
Cheese: Pierre Robert, Roblechon, Selles Sur Cher
Prosciutto de Parma With Assorted Olives
Giel Scheurbe Kabinett 2001
Dr. Ganz Scheurbe Kabinett 2001
Starter Pairing:
Salmon, Goat Cheese And Leek Tart
Orange-Scented Crab Cakes With Fresh Tomato Relish
Ratzenberger Riesling Kabinett
Haltrocken 2001
Meullenhof Riesling Kabinett 2001
Entre Pairing:
Chicken Chow Mein And Vegetable Fried Rice
Spiced Pork Tenderloin With Apple Chutney
Carl Schmidt-Wagner Riesling
Spatlese Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg 2001
Dr. Fischer Riesling Spatlese Wawerner Herrenberg 2001
Sweet Pairing:
Blackberry Nectarine Crisp With Vanilla Ice Cream
Raspberry And Lime Custard Tart
Jakoby-Mathy Riesling Auslese
Kinheimer Rosemberg 2001
Alfred Merkelbach Riesling Auslese Erdener Treppchen 2001
Wine and Food Pairing Seminar
This seminar is a bit different that the others in that the intent is to explore the general principles around wine and food pairing, to try a number of different wines with different types of foods and discuss how that changes the taste of both the wine and the food, and lastly to try a number of different sauces with the selection of foods to focus on the role that sauces have in determining wine selections. Participants sample the wines alone and then with the different foods and then with the different sauces and discuss the effects and their preferences. The wines for this seminar were:
White Wines:
Domaine Weinbach Pinot Reserve Clos Des Capucins 2000
Apud Sariacum Sancerre 2000
R. Rostaing La Bonnette Condrieu 2000
Robert Ampeau & Fils Mersault La Piece Sous La Bois 1991
Red Wines:
Robert Ampeau Savingy Les Beaune 1989
Icardi Barbera D'Alba Suri Di Mu 1999
Oratorio Gigondas Caves Des Papes 1999
Chateau Pavie Decesse St. Emilion 1990 Grand Cru Classe
Food Pairings (for all wines):
Pea, tarragon And Goat Cheese Risotto
Grilled Sea Scallops
Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled Filet Mignon
Sauces (For all Food Pairings):
Yellow Tomato And Mango Ketchup
Roasted Red Pepper Coulis
Lemon And Basil Lie
Spicy Szechuan Peanut Sauce
Rick Veal Demiglace
Light Tarragon Cream Sauce
Dessert Wine Seminar
Tangy Lemon Raspberry Meringue Pie
Andrew Quady Orange Muscat 1998
Brandied Apricot Ice Cream
Joseph Phelps Late Harvest Riesling 1993
Spiced Peach Lattice Pie
J. L. Mader Late
Harvest Alsatian
Gewurztraminer 1988
White Chocolate Mousse
Wilfred Schwahn
Rheinhessen Wormser
Liebfrauenmorgan Scheurbe Eiswein 1997
Caramelized Nut Tart
Chateau Doisy Daene Sauternes 1982
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
(Diane & Tom’s Food Fantasy Dessert)
Hooper’s Vintage Port 1980
Wine and Cheese Pairing Seminar
Pol Roget Brut Champagne
Gratte Paille - France
Brillat Savarin - France
Pierre Robert - France
Nierstiner Olgberg Scheurube Kabinett 1997
Cashel Blue - Ireland
Cabrales Blue - Spain
Mont Briac Blue - France
Pont L’Eveque - France
St. Nectaire - France
Gruyere - Switzerland
Domaine Bongars Vouvray 1995
Fromage de Pyrneese - France
Pecorino Nero - Italy
Beaufort - France
Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygag Rioha Gran Reserva Especial 1989
Monchego - Spain
Fromage D'Alpage L'Etivaz - 3 Year Aged Gouda - Switzerland
Prima Donna - Holland
Chateau La Lagune Haut Medoc Grand Cru Classe 1988
Munster Alsace - France
Epoisse - France
Tomme de Savoie - France
Hoopers Vintage Port 1980
Stilton - England
Roblochon - France
Salers Cantal - France
Champagne and Food Pairing Seminar
Aperitif & Amuse
Pairings:
Bites of Aged Parmesan Reggiano
Smoked Salmon Mousse & Cucumber Mini
Open Sandwiches
Francois Seconde
Champagne
Claviers Sillery
Deutz Brut Champagne 1993
Starter Pairings:
Tom's Award winning Spinach & Olive Fritatta
Cold Country Pate With Wild Mushrooms,
Pistachios & Cornichons
TH. Blondel Cru Carte
D'Or Champagne
G. Fluteau Cuve Prestige Champagne 1997
Entre Pairings:
Grilled Australian Baby Lamb Chop
Lobster With Champagne Vanilla Sauce
Serge Mathieu Brut
Champagne
Charles Heidsieck Millesime Rose
Champagne 1985
Dessert Pairings:
Lemon Blueberry Meringue Pie
Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
Moet & Chandon
Nectaire Imperial Champagne
Veuve Cliquot Demi-Sec Champagne
Open a new entertaining window - Host a
wine seminar or tasting!
A really lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon
Updated March 31, 2018
