Just last week, Mallory and I had the opportunity to attend a wine dinner at Cinghiale in Harbor East. Now, anyone who knows Foreman Wolf restaurants well knows they put on spectacular wine dinners. It's stellar food (that is created specifically for the event - not just menu items paired with various wines) combined with multiple wines for each course, almost always combined with a winemaker.
This dinner followed the same vein, but had two fantastic winemakers and wineries represented instead of the usual one. In this case it was Köfererhof and Waldgries, from Alto Adige, just on the Italian side of the Austrian border. Once part of Austria-Hungary until annexed by Italy in 1919, the Austrian and Germanic influences on both the cuisine and the wine is evident. Even the winery's literature is in German and Italian.
Winegrowing and winemaking in Alto Adige predates Roman times, and has been ongoing for over 3,000 years. It is not an easy place to make wine, as the region is located within the Southern Alps and Dolomites. Vineyards are often located on steep, terraced slopes that need to be harvested by hand, due to the inability to get equipment on that gradient. While nearly 60% of the wine made here is white, Aldo Adige is actually home to two indigenous red grapes, Schiava and Lagrein. We'll get into that a bit more later. 13,000 acres of land are under vine in Alto Adige, which translates into nearly 4,000,000 cases of wine produced annually. For comparisons sake, the Napa Valley produces over 9,000,000 cases annually.
Anyway, on to the main event! Köfererhof and Waldgries were each represented by their respective winemakers, Guenther Kerschbaumer and Christian Plattner. Everyone at the dinner had the opportunity to interact with Guenther and Christian (sometimes through a translator, as Guenther spoke very little English), and we had the opportunity to hear about each winemaker's philosophy on winemaking, thoughts on the region, and perception of their (and each others!) wine.
From our interactions, we learned that Köfererhof consists of barely 12 acres of vineyard at the base of the Dolomites. Their plantings are at elevations of between 2,300 and 2,600 feet. Guenther's wines tend to be closer to Austrian in style than Italian.
Waldgries began producing wine in 1242 (not a typo!) Only 18 acres under vine here, Christian thoroughly enjoys working with Alto Adige's indigenous grapes, and most of his production comes from them.
Food for the evening began with passed antipasti, including a charcuterie plate that included Speck, Smoked Duck Breast, and Pork Testa Terrine. A skewer of Grilled Calf's Liver and Sweetbreads soon materialized as well, sandwiching a sumptuous mushroom. First of all, let me say I could eat charcuterie all day long. And the skewer, with the creamy sweetbreads and rich liver was much better than I could have imagined. But trying it with Köfererhof and Waldgries wines elevated it to a different level.
Mallory and I started out with a taste of the 2013 Köfererhof Pinot Grigio, which acted as a perfect method of awakening our palates. Much different than Pinot Grigio from farther south, this one was only slightly acidic and had a very pleasant finish. The 2013 Waldgries Sauvignon (Sauvignon Blanc), however, was sublime. The nose was spectacular - I can still remember feeling as if I was standing in a field of wildflowers while inhaling its aroma. Never have I experienced a Sauvignon with such an intense aspect of florality. And on the palate, the balance was exquisite. Barely a hit of acid and with a creaminess more reticent of something that sees oak (think Lail Vineyards Georgia Sauvignon Blanc), it was my absolute favorite of the night. We rounded off the antipasti course with a gem of a red wine that handled itself surprisingly well with the varying tastes and textures of the charcuterie and organ meats. The 2013 Waldgries St. Magdalener Schiava is low in alcohol (session wine?), only moderately acidic, and quite fruity. This could easily be an everyday drinker for me - a high-end "deck wine" if you will. I'm quite sorry to say that after the Sauvignon, it became a bit of an afterthought.
After sampling through the three wines, we were directed to our chairs and the Primo of Schlutzkrapfen, a rye ravioli filled with the perfect amount of spinach and ricotta and served in a light sauce of black trumpet and hedgehog mushrooms. Mallory always says that she knows I like something when I cut it into tiny pieces in order to savor it; this dish fit that bill exactly. I cut each piece of ravioli into four tiny pieces in order to savor it! Accompanying this course were three Köfererhof wines representing the 2013 vintage: Müller Thurgau, Sylvaner, and Kerner (See the theme? Köfererhof only makes white wine). All three wines matched beautifully to the course, but I happened to prefer the Kerner. Most of the dinner guests enjoyed the Sylvaner the most, but for me, the aromatics of the Kerner along with its raciness helped cut through the earthy mushrooms in order to highlight the pasta. Apparently, Kerner is the everyday wine of many who reside in Alto Adige, and you're likely to find it on quite a few dinner tables. I can live with that!
Our Secondi was up next, and was a main course of Pine Smoked Venison Leg with Fermented Blueberries, Roasted Parsnips, and a hint of Lavender. Cinghiale's Executive Chef Julian Marucci and his kitchen team knocked this one out of the park. Looking like a sliced Filet Mignon upon arrival at the table, the meat was cooked a brilliant medium rare and finished with a tasty sear that left an amazingly subtle crust. After first taste it was quite clear this was not a Filet - it was lighter than steak, with a great, lightly-smoked flavor that accentuated the wines with only a slight hint of game. Having it with the fermented blueberries made for an explosion of tastes that instantly transported me to a pine forest. With this we were served a white wine and two reds: 2013 Köfererhof Gewurtraminer (served in Burgundy glasses to accentuate the aromatics) and a mini-vertical of 2012 and 2013 Lagrein from Waldgries. While the Gewurtz was wonderful and reticent of some of the best Alsatians I've had (though still with it's own characteristics, of course), you had to have blueberries on your fork along with the venison to appreciate it. It was the Lagrein that stole the show with this course. The table seemed to enjoy the 2012 better, as it had mellowed quite a bit from when it was bottled and had rounder edges. But I preferred the 2013. Full-bodied and earthy with just the right amount of tannins, this wine powered through the crust, the smokiness, and the hint of lavender to leave nothing but the purity of the venison on the palate. And to me, the tannins helped to extend the finish as well.
Dinner ended with small pours of the 2011 Waldgries Moscato Rosa to accompanya smorgasbord of Dolci: Apple cake, fresh donuts, and hazlenut crescent cookies for the table. Accompaniments were brought out as well, including lemon curd to go with the donuts (Mallory's favorite!) Nothing was too sweet, which certainly contributed to the wonderful pairing with the Moscato Rosa.
All in all, we had an amazing evening. We left full, but not too full. Happy, but not too happy (if you know what I mean). Foreman Wolf knows how to put on an event, and this one was no slouch. Service was stellar, but unobtrusive. Chef Mariucci came out to greet the guests, and Lindsay Willey, Foreman Wolf's Chief Sommelier, was there throughout the evening to talk with guests and answer questions.
Bring on the next one, guys. Mallory and I will be there.
Author's Note: Foreman Wolf goes beyond food and service when it comes to these events - they advertise the cost of the evening as inclusive of tax and tip. While this may not be a big deal to most people, the cost of a $100+ wine dinner skyrockets when tax and tip are included later on. Think about it - add about 7% for tax (food and alcohol are taxed differently in Maryland!) and 18%-20% for gratuity, and the cost of your $100 five course dinner just got a hell of a lot higher. Inclusive pricing also provides one more benefit; no checks at the end of the night. You pay in advance, and when you're ready to leave, you leave. No waiting on servers to deliver the check, then run your card, then bring it back. There is no awkward moment of splitting the check with friends (or with your wife), and you know, up front, what the whole evening is going to cost. Why don't more places do this?
