Passport Wine Series Ft. Lauderdale

 

Events by Grateful Palate hosted its third Passport Wine Series Ft. Lauderdale on Friday, July 29th. Each month, a new country is on display in its full culinary splendor with wine and food pairings. I got the chance to come in for the month of July when the Passport Wine Series Ft. Lauderdale made a stop in Italy. Showcasing a new region of wine each month, the third tasting event of the series featured five native Italian wines with paired cuisine. The monthly tasting event takes place on the last Friday of every month where patrons can experience dinner on a breathtaking waterfront space, offering a prime location for guests to enjoy their wine and food pairings while overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway at sunset.

First Course and Wine Pairing:

Ravioli Di Caprino is a homemade goat cheese ravioli & primavera sauce that was paired with Bertani ‘Bertarose’ Veneto, a bitter tasting rose that can stand up to the richness of the ravioli.

Second Course and Wine Pairing:

Orecchiette is a pasta salad with seared lamb sausage, broccoli rabbe, ricotta salata & crispy porcini. The salad was paired with  Barbera d’Alba, Pertinace, Piedmont. The star of the dish was the seared lamb sausage which delivered deep savory flavors that only lamb could provide. Be warned, if you’ve never had broccoli rabbe before, it is one powerful tasting green vegetable! I loved the inclusion of fresh ricotta and porcini to complement the lamb.

Third Course and Wine Pairing:

Spigola Nera is the roasted black bass with caper berries & olives. The bass was paired with Falanghina, Feudi di San Gregorio, Campania. The seabass was delicious with perfectly cooked crispy skin and soft white flesh. There are few things I enjoy more than a nice chunk of white fish paired with a good white wine to enhance the palate.

Fourth Course and Wine Pairing:

Medaglioni Di Manzo is charred beef medallions, artichoke a la giudia, watercress salad & herb vinaigrette. The beef medallions were paired with the Super Tuscan, Villa Antinori ‘Toscana Rosso’ Tuscany. By nature beef medallions tend to be a very tender cut so it’s no surprise that the soft texture of the medallions stole my heart that night. The artichoke a la giudia was an exquisite bite. I’m partial to red wine so this wine pairing was my favorite of the night.

Fifth Course and Wine Pairing:

Grappa Panna Cotta includes brutti Ma Buoni, fennel, pear & pickled cranberries and is paired with the sweet Moscato d’Asti, Prunotto, Piedmont.