Dinner - The Palisades Restaurant (France and Germany)

On Wednesday evenings the Palisades Restaurant has wine, beer, and food pairings from around the world for $18.95. I attended a dinner on the evening of February 26th, 2013 with my boyfriend and wine enthusiast, Matthew. The theme for the dinner we attended was "Wines around the World with a Hop" with wines from France and Beers from Germany.

Palisades Restaurant courtesy of Yelp.com

This photo shows the quaint front of the Palisades nestled in Eggleston, VA, a general store turned gourmet restaurant. After taking 460 West bound to a windy little road we arrived around 7:45, right on time for our 8 pm reservation. When we were seated, we were given a menu of the drink and food pairings, listed and viewed below.

1. Oven roasted oyster with white wine, lemon and thyme, paired with Domaine des Vercheres Vin de Bourgogne 2011 and Einbecker Pilsner.
2. French onion soup, a blend of beef and chicken broths with red and white wine and onions topped with crouton and provolone, paired with Famille Perrin Ventoux 2011 and Lammsbrau Organic Lager.
3. Puff pastry filled with brie cheese served with a pomegranate pear chutney, paired with La Vielle Ferme Recolte 2011 and Paulaner Salvator Double Bock.

Food Flight Presentation

Burgundy Charddonay and Pilsner

The first wine was Domaine des Vercheres Vin de Bourgogne made from Chardonnay grapes from the region of Burgundy. This wine smelled of citrus, possibly lemon. It tasted acidic, but light, almost like lime. The garlic and cream of the oyster cut the acidity of the wine to make for a pleasant paring. The beer, Einbecker Pilsner, smelled like cat pee but tasted like lemon with a bright aftertaste.

Rhone Grenache Blend and Lager

The second wine Famille Perrin Vertoux is a blended wine from Southern Rhone of 50% Grenache, 5% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, and 10% Carignan. Its bouquet smelled of cherries and rose but tasted lightly oaked with hints of blackberries and tannins that complemented the finish of the wine. The fruit flavors of the wine mirrored the onions. More acids came out of the wine when consumed with the food, which was pleasant. The Lammsbrau organic Lager had no distinct smells on the nose but tasted thick and was bland when drank with the soup.

Rhone GSM and Double Bock

The third wine was La Vielle Ferme Recolte which is a blended wine from Southern Rhone of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. It smelled of raspberries with a hint of something more chemical, it tasted initially tannic and chemical or like tin with hints of strawberry and pepper. It tasted chemical when eaten with the puff pastry but more strawberry jam flavors came out with the chutney. The nose of the Paulaner Salvator Double Bock was sweet and tasted like fig, fruit preserves, with little to no hoppiness. This beer paired perfectly with the pear flavors in the chutney.

Enjoying our Pairing Flight

This was a very enjoyable experience, although I think this wine dinner was too small, so my date and I ordered a white truffle oil and mushroom pizza and a bottle of Columbia Valley GSM. (See CMS tasting.) My favorite wine was the Famille Perrin Vertoux because of its flavor and pairing with the french onion soup. My favorite beer was the Double Bock, also due to its complement in the puff pastry. Although, my favorite part of the dish was the baked oyster, actually my first oyster I've ever eaten! This was definitely a night to remember.

Matthew and I at the Palisades in Eggleston, VA in Feb. 2014