June 2022
Chuck 's Reviews
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the most difficult grape in the world to cultivate. Pinot Noir. He’ll tell you his juice is grown in the Sonoma Coast appellation. But if you close your eyes and savor it in your mouth you’ll swear it comes from the Russian River Valley. Stop by and meet Christopher. We’re glad we did. Great Wines in Grand Houses – Wine Dinners We joined wine marker Lynn Penner-Ash of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. She teamed up with Five Diamond award winning chef, William Kovel for a celebration of American Red Wine and farm-to-table sustainable cuisine. The event was held in a private home and was limited to fifteen lucky guests. The cost was $650.00 per person. The gracious owners Michael Hite and Dianne Zuckerman hosted the event at their spectacular Nantucket home, mid-island. They are patrons of the arts and their lovely home has many works by local Nantucket artists displayed on its walls. Back in the day Dianne lived in Paris, France and her sprawling French country kitchen with its exceptional La Cornue range must remind her of those days. It was an intimate atmosphere to meet and greet new people in a private home. You almost felt like it was a special family get together and your relations traveled from far and wide to attend. It’s time to break some bread with some new friends and sit down for an over-the-top meal paired with some fabulous wines. Our first course was a Fluke Tartar with Cucumber, Watermelon and Celery Broth and it was paired with a Penner-Ash, Viogner 2012. The wine was smooth and had lively aromatics of peach, apricot, honey, and orange blossoms. The second course was a Roasted Monkfish with Green Garlic, Sunchokes and Five Spice Jus. This dish was paired with a Penner-Ash, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2010. Lynn described the wine body as having Bing cherry, plums, and exotic spices on the nose. I especially liked the long finish and the wood spice overtones. Next up was the Bacon Wrapped Saddle of Rabbit with Fava Beans, Morels, Round Carrots, Parsley, Thyme Jus. The wine paired with this course was Penner-Ash Dussin Vinyard, Pinot Noir 2011. It had aromas of black cherry and dark chocolate and was very lush. Our final main course was the Painted Hills Strip Loin with Fiddlehead Ferns, Roasted Onions and Potato Mille-Fille. The fourth course was paired with a Penner-Ash, Syrah 2010. We especially are keen on Syrah lately and really enjoyed this vintage. Its been described by some sommeliers as having wood and vanilla flavors and a complex nose of black cherry, plum with hints of peppercorn. It was definitely delicious and the wood overtones made it even more special. We enjoyed our dinner and the wines thoroughly and would like to give Michael and Dianne a special shout-out for hosting this event in their home. We’re grateful. Thank you. One thing to keep in mind before you consider attending one of these events in a private home is that if you’re the kind of person who wants to leave the party early, then this might not be an event for you. There are many courses and the meal can last well past 10:00 p.m. Plan accordingly. Nantucket is also home to many fine dining establishments and some offer special dinners that are hosted by other wine makers too. Last year Chateau D'Esclans, Cote de Provence’s Rose "Whispering Angle" hosted a special dinner at the Summer House Restaurant in Sconset with celebrity chef Todd English cooking back in the kitchen for everybody. Afterwards, patrons sang songs to live piano music and laughed it up in the Moby Dick bar.
The Summer House
Nantucket Wine Festival Office .... |
