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?
About a week and a half ago, Mallory and I and another couple met at Chef Bryan Voltaggio's newest establishment, Aggio. The same concept as Aggio in Washington, DC (though this one is stand-alone as opposed to within another restaurant concept), this is Chef Voltaggio's first foray into Baltimore.
His timing is perfect, with the dearth of good Italian restaurants in Baltimore (Cinghiale aside!). And the evening was near perfect as well.
Aggio is located just outside the "gates" of Power Plant Live, where the Asian restaurant Tatu was once located. It is a couple of storefronts down from the Power Plant Live plaza, which limits the noise and the hullabaloo and hopefully restricts some of their patrons from stumbling in. Entering the restaurant seemed to challenge some people, as we saw more than one group attempt to come in via the patio doors, which were locked. A series of planters block the main entrance, funneling diners entering from the west onto the patio. When you go, make sure to enter underneath the awning!
The footprint of the space is the same as when it was Tatu, though there is new lighting, upgraded seating, and a new color scheme. I'm not quite sure why, but Italian and Italian-American movies were being projected onto the wall near the front entrance.
Mallory and I sat down at the bar to wait for our friends and ordered a quick drink. The first thing we noticed? The lights are bright. If you don't like to feel as if you're in the spotlight, the bar proper may not be for you. Ask to sit at one of the tables against the side wall if that's the case. The second thing we noticed? The bar is top shelf. No displays of flavored vodkas or Pucker; just lines of top-notch Italian apertifs and digestifs, fantastic high-end spirits, and an upper shelf of quality whiskey and Scotch.
After our friends arrived, we were seated at our table. Again with the lighting! It was a great table far from traffic patterns and the bar area, but directly underneath a seriously bright, undimmable (trust me, we asked!) CFL. I'm all for lowering your energy costs, but a good doc could have operated by that light! After a few minutes, we spoke to our server and he graciously offered to relocate us to a darker section of the restaurant. We were much obliged.
After being handed the menu - and having a few minutes to look it over - our group decided to forgo main courses and instead make a meal of piccolo piatti, antipasti, and primi. It was a decision we did not regret.
Note: As I cannot speak to the plates our friends had, I will only be commenting on dishes Mallory and I had.
Upon placing our orders, we asked to meet one of the Sommeliers, Chris Coker, who happens to be a bit of a legend on the Baltimore wine scene. Chris has a history of working at some of the best wine-centric restaurants in the city. From Corks with Jerry Pellegrino, to Blue Grass in South Baltimore, to Jack's Bistro before moving to Aggio, Chris has a reputation of finding spectacular bottlings for the price point that pair amazingly well his chef's menus. He did not disappoint! We simply told Chris that we wanted two bottles - a red and a white - that would pair reasonably well with what we were trying to order (not an easy task when we had six plates total, and eight different dishes, to pair). His choices turned out to be perfect.
After we had ordered our food and wine, a server started the meal off on a high note with bread for the table accompanied by housemade whipped ricotta cheese and a Parmesan funnel cake. Yes, you read that right. Parmesan. Funnel. Cake. Now the housemade ricotta put any other ricotta I've had around here to shame. But this was Parmesan funnel cake! The same consistency of the stuff you get at the state fair (though not nearly as greasy!), but with a tangy twinge of Parmesan that elevated it to massive heights!
A few seconds after we were done fighting over the scraps of funnel cake, our wine arrived. Chris had chosen a 2013 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis to match our first few courses, and a 2011 Passopisciaro Etna Rosso as the red to round out dinner. The Roero Arneis went amazingly with the Burrata courses we had. The full bodied white wine matched the creaminess of the burrata and was unfazed by the peaches and prosciutto the cheese was resting on. Fantastic dish + wonderful wine = happy couple! Everything on the plate played off of and enhanced the other ingredients while leaving the burrata as the star attraction. The beets paired well with the wine also, as the combination of pine nuts, rosemary, and beets along with peppery arugula simply shined.
After a bit of a break, the first course of pasta arrived. First the Lasagna, then the Ricotta Gnocchi. We counted at least nine layers on the lasagna dressed perfectly with a lamb bolognese and accented with a unique smoked pecorino. Certainly the most labor intensive lasagna I've ever seen, and one of the best too. Next time, I'll take a double! Then, the Ricotta Gnocchi, which had just the right amount of heat on the back end thanks to chili flakes in the pomodoro, and just a bit of fat from pancetta that made it great with the Etna Rosso and not too bad with the Roero Arneis.
This is where the evening became a bit more interesting. As Aggio has pretty much impeccable service, they employ a team technique to your table, which means you are taken care of by a number of servers, seemingly without one in charge. It makes for a wonderful service, but holes can develop - which is what happened to us. Seemingly our team forgot to fire our second course of pasta! However, after about 40 minutes (thankfully the company - and the wine - was wonderful) Chris returned to our table, apologized for the delay and offered us complimentary dessert and another glass of wine to accompany our final savory course. This was completely unexpected, most welcome, and really topped the evening off. And the wine, a 2012 Bruno Rocca Nebbiolo Langhe, was spectacular, not to mention off-list. Oddly enough for a Nebbiolo, this was bright and fruity with only a hint of tannin for structure.
A few moments later, our final pasta dishes came out. First, the Corn Cappellacci. If anyone has ever been to Volt (Chef Voltaggio's first restaurant, in Frederick, MD), you know how wonderful the Corn Ravioli can be. This is just as good; seemingly summer on a plate with some basil and slowly cooked tomatoes accompanying a bright, fresh pillow of pasta stuffed with corn and ricotta. It was the highlight of the meal. Then onto the Strozzapretti, with an oxtail ragu highlighted by a bit of orange flavoring and bittered by dark chocolate that really hit it off with the Nebbiolo.
We wrapped up the meal with two wonderful desserts, Affogatto and Tiramisu. The Affogatto was the traditional dessert, with a perfectly pulled espresso poured over salted caramel ice cream (our choice!). It was a unique combination to say the least, but one that worked pretty well. But it was the Tiramisu that really surprised us, as when it arrived it looked absolutely nothing like traditional Tiramisu. Instead, it took a page from the Volt book of whimsy and came to the table deconstructed, with mascarpone ice cream, a coffee "cloud", and coffee-chocolate "soil" topping the dish. It was presented wonderfully, and came together rather spectacularly at the end.
After a wonderful evening, our group departed Aggio happy, satiated, and ready to return. The night was incredible, and Chris Coker and the rest of the Aggio team made a group of everyday people feel like the most important table in the restaurant. Though not perfect, Aggio took responsibility for their mistakes, and made things right - something not many restaurants are willing to do nowadays. For that reason alone, we would return. But the food, the wine, and the service made it an experience we soon won't forget. Aggio, we will be back.
"I already love it and I haven't even put it in my mouth."**
No, this won't be that type of blog, but it will be that type of blog! You see, I'm doing this for myself (and, well, maybe a bit because of the pressure from my wife, Mallory, and friends!). Therefore, what I put on this blog will be what I want to be on there. It won't be about telling you what to eat or drink, or where to go next. It will be telling you about what I ate or drank, where I went, and where I want to go next! That means that every now and then, you're going to get quotes like the one you see above.
This blog will be about tales of friends eating and drinking together in the best establishments around Baltimore and the world (totally our opinion, mind you!), thoughts I had about a certain meal or bottle of wine, and musings on our travels around this planet we spend our time on. I've been told that it is I who (apparently) have the book knowledge about the things we do and the places we go, and my wife who has the ability to put her senses into words. That means I'll get this out of the way now - The "notes" you may see on this blog about various wines will probably give you more background about the wine itself and what it may pair with, but will be a bit lighter on what you're "supposed" to smell or taste. If you read about a scent or a taste in a post from me, it's most likely because it smacked me in the face like Daniel Plainview slapping Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood. And you will almost never see me referencing a "score" or "points" in anything I myself write.
You will also most likely not see photos of dishes or presentations. I'm really not one to pull out a camera in the middle of a dark dining room to take multiple-angle photographs of something that will be in my stomach a few minutes later. For me to do so, the plate - or the place - needs to be absolutely striking.
Therefore, I truly hope any who comes across this blog enjoys what they read and maybe learns a thing or two. The posting schedule might be a bit erratic at first until I get a rhythm down, and hopefully my blogging skills will improve the more I do post. It will be my pleasure to share this aspect of my life with you, so please enjoy!
**To be explained in my first "real" post.
