Happy Happy Sparkling Sparkling

Tastebuds American Bistro hosted a divine sparkling wine dinner last night. We were fortunate enough to have attended the sold out affair. As usual Tastebuds served up thoughtful imaginative pairings.

Course 1

Sweet Corn and Aged Cheddar Flan with Smithfield Ham, Micro Salad, and Blackberry Vinaigrette

Fitzritter Sparkling Riesling, Germany

Probably the best food/wine pairing of the evening. The riesling stood up to all of the flavors of the dish, especially the spicy micro greens. And when sipping with the flan it enhanced the cheddarness of the flan.

Course 2

Autumn Squash Gnocchi with Calvados Gastrique, Crispy Pork Belly, and Local Fuji Apple

Santa Margherita Prosecco, Italy

Hubby could not stop raving about the pork belly and I liked the gnocchi with the syrupy Calvados drizzle. The prosecco was our least favorite of the sparling choices.

Course 3

Pan Roasted Black Grouper with Brunoise of Root Vegetable, Lemon-Fennel Essence, and Lavender Butter.

Baumard Cremat de Loire, France

The French sparkling was very herbaceous with a hint of anise. An unusual taste, but a great choice for this course. The lavender butter that bledned into the dish was pure genius. And I truly enjoyed the grouper. Good restaurants will eventually turn me into a fish eater.

Course 4

Duo of Duck - Sliced Breast with Leg Confit Bread Pudding and Curried Pumpkin Sauce

Barbolini Grasparosa Lambrusco, Italy

I signed up for this wine dinner because of the duck course. The breast was sliced and medium to medium rare. Yummy! But the leg confit bread pudding was to die for. So rich and flavorful. I hope they offer this on the regular menu. And, yes, we had an Italian red sparkler to imbibe. It worked well with the dish and curried sauce.

Course 5

Creamy Brie, Bartlet Pear Marmalade, Polenta Cookie, and Sour Cherry Coulis

Cresta Azul Semi-Sparkling Cava, Spain

I am not a brie fan and am still not a brie fan, but I enjoyed the polenta cookie and cherry sauce. I thought the cava was not as sweet as it should have been for this dish.

What an incredible evening. It was great to have such a warm, glowing feeling on a particularly chilly evening.

Tastebuds ususally hosts wine dinners about once a month. They are $50 per person and are always good.