Dinner - Palisades (Wines from France and Beers from Germany)

On Wednesday, February 26, I ventured out to the Palisades restaurant in Eggleston, VA with three friends for their weekly tasting dinners that they offer. On the night that we chose to go, they were serving wines from France and beers from Germany paired with three complementary food dishes. I was especially excited for this visit because I had heard from friends how nice the Palisades restaurant is and how their menu was worth the trip. It wasn't a long drive at all, and it offered beautiful views on its windy roads. 

My friends Hannah and Steven outside of the Palisades restaurant

When we got to the restaurant, I enjoyed the aesthetics of the antique decorations in its rustic interior of what used to be a General Store. We were quickly seated and waited for our drinks and food, which came all at once. We took notes solely on how the wines tasted paired with the food rather than the beers, but I've included which beers were paired with each course for personal reference.

Our three dishes along with beer and wine samples. The wines were tasted in order from
left to right, but the food ran the opposite - tasted from right to left.

Our first course had the following menu:

• Food: Oven roasted oyster with white wine, lemon, and thyme
• Wine: Domaine des Vercheres Vin de Bourgogone (2011 vintage)
• Beer: Einbecker Pilsner 

The Domaine des Vercheres had the following description:

Domaine des Vercheres is a family domaine located in the northernmost part of the Macon region, just south of the Cotes Chalonnaise. The 10-hectare Macon Villages vineyard is planted entirely with Chardonnay on south-east facing slopes at an average altitude of 250 meters. This particular wine is a well-balanced, crisp chardonnay with flavors of apples, pears, and hints of lemon with a smooth finish.

Personal Review:

This wine had a classic gold hue to it. As we swirled and sniffed it, I sensed strong floral aromas with hints of honey - similar to a honeysuckle flower. I also could detect hints of pear within its nose. I tasted strong tart and citrus flavors, almost like a grapefruit. I could also taste sour green apple flavors. This wine was light-bodied and its flavor was short-lived on the tongue, but I enjoyed it very much. The oyster balanced quite well with its tart flavors. The white wine, lemon, and thyme that the oyster had been roasted with tasted similarly to the wine, but it brought out its flavor and it was a delicious pairing.

Enjoying the food and wine in front of me - the French onion soup pairing was my favorite

Our second course had the following menu:

• Food: French onion soup - a blend of beef and chicken broths with red and white wine and onions topped with crouton and provolone
• Wine: Famille Perrin Ventoux (2011 vintage)
• Beer: Lamsbrau Organic Lager

The Famille Perrin Ventoux had the following description:

The Perrin family, also owners of the famous Chateau de Beaucastel, search for the most suitable terroirs to produce a fruity and fresh wine. This deep cherry looking red wine releases the aromas of ripe fruit, rich and spicy. Yet on the palate it reveals its red fruit (blackcurrant and blackberry) spice with a fresh finish.

Personal Review:

This wine had a beautiful color - deep ruby and orchid. It smelled like a jar of blackberry jam, with hints of cherry. It also had the scent of worn leather. I felt that the taste was awfully dry at first, but as it lingered in my mouth I grew to enjoy it. It tasted smoky when on its own. However, after pairing the wine with the soup, fruity flavors came out to play and it became quite nice on the palate. The pungent flavors of the onions brought out the sweetness in the wine in a perfectly balanced pairing. The tastes were very similar to its nose - it tasted just like a blackberry jam. I very much enjoyed this pairing - it was my favorite of the three.

Our third and final course had the following menu:

• Food: Puff pastry filled with brie cheese, served with a pomegranate pear chutney
• Wine: La Vieille Ferme Recolte (2011 vintage)
• Beer: Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

The La Vieille Ferme Recolte had the following description: 

This blend is generally made from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, and the wines are cherry red in color and have a rich nose of spices and ripe fruit. The mouth is powerful and balanced with notes of cherry, blackberry, and spices. The altitude of the vines gives great elegance to this wine with an alcoholic content of 13.5% per volume. 

Personal Review:

This wine's deep, dark red color encompassed the quintessential classic and sophisticated glass of wine. It was spicy on the nose, and I detected a hint of smoky tobacco aromas. On the second sniff, I got more of a pungent, red fruit scent. There was some heat upon tasting it. It was also buttery and smooth in the mouth, which I enjoyed very much. Similar to its scent, it had earthy and spicy tastes - hints of herb and wood came through on the palate and made the wine very interesting. The sour chutney made the wine taste sweeter and more fruity, which was interesting to experience. I felt that the chutney was the slightest bit overpowering - its sour flavor distracted from the wine. Therefore, I don't think that this was the best wine pairing of the three but it was not bad. Overall, I very much enjoyed this wine and the puff pastry made its flavors sweeter, which made it even better.

I had a great time at the Palisades restaurant and found the experience to be satisfying. The restaurant itself was beautiful, and the food presentation and service was enjoyable. This is a great memory to have, and I'm excited to try more wine and food pairings and hopefully take a trip to a winery before this course is over. My friends and I had a great time with the pairings, and I will recommend this experience to anyone that is curious about wine in the least, as it was a great learning opportunity.

All of us enjoying ourselves after the wine/dinner pairing was completed