Europa Offers Exquisite Pairings at Winemaker’s Dinner
by Susan Montgomery
As wine and food lovers, we have been enjoying the challenges and joys of pairing wine and food for some time, but we always relish new pairing experiences. It is such a wonderful moment when you sip a lovely wine and then savor a beautifully prepared dish and realize that both are enhanced by the pairing. That is what will be happening on April 23 at Europa Village Winery’s Winemaker’s Dinner.
Europa Village Winery is located in the Temecula Valley Wine Country about an hour northeast of San Diego and less than two hours from almost anywhere in Orange, Los Angeles or Riverside Counties.
Europa’s much celebrated Winemaker, George Bursick, has worked closely with the winery’s renowned Executive Chef, Dean Thomas, to create a memorable evening of exquisite food and wine. Bursick joined Europa last fall after a distinguished, much lauded career as the winemaker at Ferrari-Carano in Sonoma and as a consultant with various other prestigious wineries. He has stated that his goal at Europa is to produce “exceptional, first-rate wines in the European tradition.” After an impressive, award-winning career at some top destinations around the globe, Chef Dean has been the innkeeper and chef at the Inn at Europa Village since the winery’s opening in 2011.
Europa has a reputation for hosting elegant, one-of-a-kind wine dinners and this may be the most spectacular one yet. The six-course menu for the April 23 Winemaker’s Dinner, which is based on “Old World Traditions,” is listed below, along with the wines being served:
Appetizers to be passed:
Dried Plum Liver Mousse
Caviar, “Spoon” Fingerling Potato with Crème Fraiche and Chives
Prosciutto and Melon Skewer
Wine: Annabel Brut Sparkling
The Beginning:
Sea Scallop, Truffled Parsnip Puree,
Spring Peas, Kumquat Beurrre Blanc
Wine: 2014 C’est La Vie Sauvignon Blanc
Next:
Chilled Smoked Beef Tenderloin and Quail Egg
Hibiscus Aioli and Asparagus
Wine: 2010 C’est La Vie Pinot Noir
Main:
Chicken, Pheasant and Porcini Mushroom en Croute,
Savoy Cabbage Pork Crepenette, Fava Beans
Wine: 2010 C’est La Vie Grande Melange
Fromage Europa Village:
Twice Baked Souffle and Apple
Gorgonzola, Manchego and Membrillo
Finale:
Hazelnut Mousse, Gianduia Ganache,
Almond Biscotti Crumble,
Raspberry and Candied Grapefruit
Have you ever seen such an appealing and intriguing menu? Because a goal for this special dinner is to encourage interaction with the Winemaker, this will be an intimate event in Europa’s cozy and romantic Italian Wine Cave. So only a limited number of reservations are being accepted.
The time to make a reservation is now by calling 951-506-1818 or emailing events@europavillage.com. The cost is $85 per person with a 10 percent discount for Wine Club members. More information is available on Europa's website at http://europavillage.com/Winemakers-Dinner.
Photos taken by Todd Montgomery