Wine me: Surf sushi and Pinot Grigio
Anyone who knows me knows that my mission as VinoGirl is to make the world of wine feel more social and less intimidating. In that name, this article is the first in a new series I will post called "Wine Me," where I review a food and wine combination that I encountered that you can experience as well. If you give it a try, drop a comment and let me know how it went for you!
Last week, I had the pleasure of dining at Surf Restaurant with some dear friends. We decided to split a bottle of wine and some maki rolls. We began with a bottle of 2014 Estate Bottled Il Cavaliere di Bertiolo Pinot Grigio. Here's the bre akdown on this wine:
Vintage: 2014
Alcohol 12.5% By Volume
Estate Bottled by Cantina di Bertiolo
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia (the Northeastern-most corner of Italy bordering Slovenia and Austria, one-third of the famed wine-making region called "Triveneto" or "Tre Venizie")
Grape: 100% Pinot Grigio
Tasting Notes: Green pear nose, sunny pale-yellow with moderate body, notes of grass, white pepper, and lemon ending dry with hints of sandalwood and vanilla. Clean & light. Simple but tasty.
Here's what we decided to pair with it:
SPICY SALMON MAKI - Salmon loin, pineapple smash, sriracha, cucumber topped with salmon sashimi, avocado, kosho mayo, orange tobiko, wasabi peas and chives. Spicy mayo on the plate.
MARINATED MUSHROOM - Brown rice, marinated mushrooms, scallion, basil, sweet potato fries and cream cheese. Topped with yellow tomato jam and crispy shallots.
WARM LOBSTER MAKI - Asparagus and scallion maki tempura fried topped with warm lobster, truffle mayo and yuzu tobiko.
The pairing was great. I really enjoyed the lemony white pepper flavors of the wine with the creamy butteriness of the lobster maki. I also loved how the little bit of lactic flavor on the wine's finish and the sandalwood/vanilla notes played off the earthiness of the mushrooms, brown rice, basil, tomato jam, and shallots in the mushroom maki. My least favorite pairing was with the spicy salmon maki - although it wasn't bad, I would've prefered a wine with a bit more heft and a bit more sweetness to stand up to the spicy mayo and sriracha.
So, here's my opinion, folks: WINE ME! Do yourself a favor and head over to Surf to pre-game your next meal out on the town. Order yourself a glass of the Il Cavaliere Pinot Grigio with a mushroom maki and a warm lobster maki. Give it a whirl and drop your comments here! And, let us know what you decide to have for dinner...!
________________________________________________________
Jen Scumaci, CEO and Cause Entrepreneur for viaONEHOPE, has lived in the New Hampshire Seacoast area for over a decade. Jen's passion for wine began in 2002 when she went to her first wine tasting and it blew her mind. Since then, she has been on a professional journey that has included sales and marketing with The Traveling Vineyard, facilitating wine tasting events, writing as The Portsmouth Wine Examiner, and working on Borghese Vineyard and Winery (Long Island's first vineyard located on the North Fork) as the wine club and marketing coordinator. When she's not doing wine things, Jen keeps her tank full with coffee and craft beer, works in Portsmouth as a full-time project manager, is a mobile DJ, and loves hanging out with her fiancée and their two crazy pugs.
Original article posted at Portsmouth Wine Examiner.
