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+--- Thread: 6 course meal with wines? (/thread-1061.html)
- runner - 08-11-2006
I'm planning a 6 course meal for my parents. Unfortunately i know little about wine to decide which to choose. I was hoping to pick 2-3 wines for the entire meal. I'm also open to all suggestions regarding course order or the actual courses themselves.
The courses go like this:
First Course: Salad with strawberries, candied walnuts, and sweet vinagrette. Pumpernickel rolls served.
Second Course: French Onion Soup
Third Course: Fettucini Alfredo (The really rich kind)
Fourth Course: Key Lime sorbet
Fifth Course: Grilled Marinated Swordfish (marinade: white wine, garlic, rosemary) topped with lemon/rosemary olive oil and raspberry sauce
Sixth Course: Chocolate creme brulee
- Innkeeper - 08-11-2006
It is hard to limit it to 2 or 3 wines the way you have it laid out so take your pick. With the salad and soup you could have a Pinot Grigio. With the Fettucini recommend a light red such as a Bardolino. With the swordfish go with a Riesling Spatlese. With the dessert recommend a Banyuls.
- Thraz - 08-11-2006
My two cents: The sorbet is meant to allow people to take a break and transition wines, so it should probably be in the middle. If you're willing to rearrange, I would try to put two dishes before the sorbet that go well with one wine, and two afterwards with another wine (plus dessert). Pairings that I would try: a rich chardonnay with the onion soup and the creamy alfredo; sauvignon blanc with the fish and the salad. The banyuls would be great with dessert (although I have never had choloate creme brulee - I don't know if it tastes more like chocolate or like creme crulee, but banyuls and chocolate is a great combination).
I would go with the less rich wine first (i.e. salad, then fish, then sorbet, then alfredo and soup). If it makes you uncomfortable to have the soup later, one bit of trivia: in France, a frequent use of onion soup is not necessarily at the start of a meal. It is sometimes served at parties that last very late or even all night to tide people over at 4am or so. I kid you not: in France, 4am onion soup is a more frequent occurrence than onion soup at the start of a meal in my experience.
I realize pasta is also supposed to be served at the beginning of a meal but I don't know how to crack that one - except by calling it creative timing.
- brappy - 08-12-2006
You're missing a meat course which would spice things up a bit. Think about changing the menu to include choices of wine not recomended yet. Maybe top the Fet. Alfredo with the swordfish for a more complete course and serve this course with a verdelho. Or serve the pasta as a side and have a small bottle of great cali or burgundian chard.
Red wine, IMHO, needs to be introduced and you have nothing to introduce it with. Woodman's usually carries good meats and a round choice. My suggestion would be strip steak, dry-aged, and 3 inches thick cooked to a stellar rare. Add to that some sliced portobella mushrooms sauteed in a beef, mushroom, brandy demi-gloss. Maybe a touch of cream and you'll have more choices of wine. I don't remember the name of the wine shop in Fitchburg(sp), but they had some '02 Chimney Rock Cab that is unbelievable and will not only impress the family but not break the bank at somewhere near $55 a bottle.
Anyway, good luck to you.... Madison has some great food. If you really want some advice that is close to home, go to L'etoile and check out thier menu and physical grounds. They know what they're doing and you may get advice from just being there......
mark
[This message has been edited by brappy (edited 08-11-2006).]