But we had already planned to attend a dessert and wine pairing at J.Lohr Winery for my birthday celebration before the cell phone fiasco, and I wasn’t about to suggest cancelling that. We’d never been to the winery, located conveniently near downtown San Jose and I was looking forward to the event.
It turned out to be a wonderful evening. We were greeted by Lawrence Lohr, the Director of Wine Education and his wife Emily. While everyone gathered, they served a savory nut mix along with a rosé and a viognier. When we were seated at the table, I was beside Steve Lohr, the COO. I was impressed that it was such a family operation they would actually be at the evening's event.
The pairing menu consisted of :
Plum and Marscapone Trifle
2009 J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay
Apricot and Blueberry Spring Roll
2009 J. Lohr Estates Wildflower ValdiguieChocolate Goat Cheese Ice Cream
2008 J. Lohr Estates South Ridge Syrah
Blackberry Pot de Crème
2009 J. Lohr Gesture Zinfandel
Cherry Upside Down Cake
2007 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon
Peach and White Nectarine Galette
J. Lohr Late Harvest White Riesling
The desserts were created by Chef Jaimie Casey of JC Culinary who was recently featured in an article in the San Jose Mercury News. She graciously shared all her recipes with the attendees and her loyal followers assured everyone that her creations were easily reproducible.
All the desserts were fabulous. The chocolate goat cheese ice cream was quite unique. I am not a huge syrah fan, but the rich and creamy ice cream reduced the bite of the tannins for me and made the pairing quite enjoyable. The cabernet paired with the cherry upside-down cake had a lovely cherry bouquet which enhanced this pairing. The cabernet sherbet served with the cake was a magical touch.
As much as I loved all of these, I guess I’m still a sucker for the sweets. My favorite dessert was the Peach and White Nectarine Galette paired with the Late Harvest Riesling. I wrote FABULOUS! in my notes. It was the perfect ending for the evening. We had such a great time, we will definitely return for more of their pairing events in the future.
Oh, I can just imagine how well a late harvest riesling would go with any peach or nectarine pastry. Mmmm. Lucky you to have such a fabulous food and wine pairing celebration. ;)
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