French Wine 101 Dinner

The idea of tackling French wine, the accents, the growing regions, and the different vintages can feel like a vast ,, unmanageable task for anyone who wants to start learning about wine. The team at Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro is excited to host a truly unique dining experience - French Wine 101 Dinner.

French wines can be confusing because they rarely put the name of the grape on the bottle. Instead, they put a controlled place name, appearing on the label as the "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée." You will often see this abbreviated as AOC. The rules for winemaking and grape growing in each appellation have grown out of each region's long history.

Why put the place on the label instead of the name of the grape? Many people would say that it's because of the notion of terroir. Essentially, terroir is the wine's expression of the place from where it came. When winemakers speak about terroir, they're talking about a variety of things that influence the vine, including the type of soil it's growing in, the slope and elevation of the vineyard, as well as the climate and weather.

Learn more about the different terroirs of France at a three-course dinner with a menu prepared by Chef de Cuisine John Raymond and two pairings per course selected by Sommelier Mariana Popescu. Mariana will walk through each selected wine and give tasting notes on the wine and food pairings. Gather your friends for a night filled with food, wine, and education on the intricacies of French wine.

Warm goat cheese and caramelized sweet onion tart

lemon dressed baby greens and shaved spring asparagus
Loire Valley Sancerre, Domaine Girault (Sauvignon Blanc)
Alsace, Domaine Schlumberger “Les Princes Abbés” Pinot Gris (Pinot Gris)
 

Pan-seared Steelhead Trout

with toasted almonds and sautéed mushrooms, white wine mustard sauce
Bourgogne Blanc, Joseph Burrier- Pouilly Fuisse (Chardonnay)
Bourgogne Rouge, Maison Louis Latour (Pinot Noir)
 

Boneless short rib   

Beef Bourguignon with smoked bacon lardons, Dauphinoise potatoes, and red wine sauce
and served with house-baked gougeres pastry
Northern Rhone, Crozes-Hermitages, E. Guigal (Syrah)
Cahors, Crocus “L’Atelier” Malbec (Malbec)