8/21/07 Wine Dinner at IRON HORSE INN

After an extended break (exactly 5 months!), the IRON HORSE INN finally hosted another Wine Dinner. Wendy & I were joined by 13 or 14 of our friends for a very nice, fun dinner. Dick Freuwald from Ohio Valley Wine was our tour guide through wines from Australia. Overall, the dinner was very good. A couple suggestions: Go back to 5 courses, and reduce the price back to $50.

First Course
Grilled Vegetable Roulade with Red Pepper Aioli
2006 Annie’s Lane Reisling
The wine didn’t thrill me on its own, but paired with the grilled vegetable roulade and the red pepper aioli, it was a very nice pairing. The roulade was almost more like slices from a vegetable burrito, but the flavors were distinct and pure.

Second Course
Smoked Sea Scallop with Israili Cous Cous Salad, Peach Chutney and Lavender Vinaigrette
2006 Semillion Sauvignon Blanc
I really liked this course and pairing. The smoke on the scallops was not overpowering but added a wonderful warm flavor. I love cous cous and always find myself wanting more of it whenever it’s served. The chutney & vinaigrette were a nice counterpoint — their bright acidity helped cut the smoky, sweet richness of the scallops. A nicely balanced dish.

Third Course
Black Tea Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Shallot Port Wine Sauce and Assorted Mushroom Potato Gallette
2005 Grenache
The black tea on the tenderloin was a bit subtle with the wine sauce, but I loved the gallette (as Chef Doug said to me, “it’s hard to go wrong with potatoes, mushrooms, and cream”!). The Grenache was bold and paired very well.

Dessert
Mile High Butterscotch Banana Cream Pie
Tawny Port
We’re still waiting to verify if this delicious pie was actually a MILE high. Even so, it was wonderful. Wendy went crazy for the tuille crust. The tawny port was not cloying or thick like some others, but very nice and a great compliment to the pie.

All in all, a very successful Wine Dinner. I’m glad the HORSE is back in the saddle (sorry) with the wine dinners, and hope that they continue on a, um, much more frequent basis!