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 four-course dinner with a menu prepared by Executive Chef Amanda Langler and pairings selected by Certified 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.

Tarte Flambée à l’Alsacienne

Traditional Alsatian flatbread with bacon, crème fraiche,
Comté cheese, caramelized onions and chives. With a fresh watercress salad
2022 Alsace Pinot Blanc, Sophie & Xavier Schneider "Tradition"
 

Truite poêlée avec sauce beurre blanc et ciboules

Pan-roasted rainbow trout with white asparagus and a chive beurre blanc
2023 Loire Valley Sancerre, Domaine Balland (Sauvignon Blanc)
2022 Loire Valley Saumur Champigny, Vigneron A. Lambert (Cabernet Franc)
 

Rôti de porc aux pruneaux

Crispy roast pork chop with braised prunes, pomme purée,
crispy brussels sprouts and brandy cream sauce
and served with house-baked gougères pastry
2022 Virré-Clessé Dom Gondard Perrin “Symphonie” (Chardonnay)
2022 Beaujolais, Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorees “Le Ronsay” (Gamay)
 

Galette de brie et abricot

Warm rustic brie and apricot tart with toasted walnut ice cream  
2017 Alsace Gewurztraminer , Maison Trimbach