Wine & Tapas
Wine & Tapas event was back in action again for 2012 taking place this past Thursday, April 26th, 2012.
Our first Wine & Tapas event took place in April of 2011 and was such a success that Heritage Shores Club decided to make it an annual event.
This year the event doubled in size with guests. This was such great news as the purpose of a tapas party is to encourage conversations amongst guests.
The serving of tapas was created not to focus upon eating an entire meal but to engage in conversation amongst new people. We were able to create four stations for guests to have the opportunity to mingle and to enjoy the small plates and wines for this special event.
The menu included the following:
Station 1: Grilled Chicken and Wild Mushroom Risotto
Paired with: Acrobat Pinot Gris
Station 2:HickoryShrimp in Apple Wood Smoked Bacon with BBQ Sauce
Paired with: Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Station 3: Prosciutto and Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
Paired with: Cupcake Shiraz
Station 4: Silver Dollar Potato Pancakes with Boursin Cheese and Chives
Paired with: Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc
All wines tasted at the Wine & Tapas are available for purchase in the Passwater’s Restaurant and 1730 Tavern.
We hope to continue this special event and perhaps have two Wine & Tapas events a year!
Restaurants and Service
Part1
The evolution of restaurants has a very interesting beginning. Food stalls and public stands were in existence in earlyRomeand Sung DynastyChina. There was no expectation of service other than the vendor setting down some bread and olives and a glass of local wine. EarlyConstantinoplehad some of the first coffee houses and cafes. Pilgrims and travelers found sustenance in taverns and inns.
The meaning of the word “restaurant” is derived from the French word “restaurer” which means “to restore”. Actually, the first French eateries sold “restaurants”-meat based consommés intended to “restore” one’s strength.
The French Revolution brought about the beginnings of real restaurants. People could sit down together and enjoy the same meal if they could pay the price. Royalty could no longer control the sale of food. Menus were introduced to the public for the first time and people had a choice of what they could eat.
Real restaurants did not appear in Americauntil the very end of the 18th century. Even the great hotels had communal dining rooms where the service standards were the “come and get it” mentality. In 1828 the Tremont House inBoston introduced “French Service” in its dining room where customers could sit at individual tables and use the newly invented four tine fork.
By the 1830’s, customers who stayed in hotels were forced to pay for room and board whether they ate or not. Service was crude if it existed at all.
Next time, we’ll look at restaurant service and how it has evolved.
Come on……..
Its wine it’s supposed to be FUN!!!
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Pouring Wine: Be sure to only pour about ¼ of a glassful. Give it a good swirl.
Color and Appearance: Note the overall color, the depth or opacity of the color and the clarity.
Wine Aroma or “The Nose”: Take a good “whiff” of the wine (don’t be afraid put your nose right in there). Start by naming the fruit aromas next try describe the other aromas as in earth, wood, smoke, etc. Does it entice you to take sip?
Wine flavor or “The Mouth”: Take a sip….let it linger in your mouth. Is it sweet or dry, is it light bodied or a BIG full bodied wine. Are the noticeable tannins (the drying, astringent feeling you get in your mouth)
Finish: Pay attention once you have swallowed. Does it linger attractively on your palate or does the flavor die away quickly.