Zaca Mesa Wine Dinner

Friday, April 30, 2010

Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, http://www.deliusrestaurant.com/, hosted a wine dinner with the wines of Zaca Mesa featured. Edgar from the Henry Wine Group and Jessica Simmons with Zaca Mesa were seated at the table. This was a sold out dinner with a waiting list. I have never been a big Zaca Mesa fan but have heard that in the past few years they have upped their game. The two white wines that were poured tonight were my favorites of the four wines. The reds were good but I think I was expecting more.

First Course: Crispy Pork Cheeks, Grilled Watermelon, Black Radish, Scallions and a Balsamic Honey Glaze. This turned out to be my favorite dish tonight. The pork cheeks were fork tender and the glaze was excellent. It paired perfectly with the 2008 Zaca Mesa Viognier.

Second Course: Duck Proscuitto, Hearts of Palm, Manchego and Shallot Vinaigrette. The Chef de Cuisine, Daniel has been working of perfecting a duck proscuitto and I think he has succeeded. This was a very good, interesting dish and the wine served with it was a 2008 Zaca Mesa Chardonnay. Clean, Chablis like wine. Again a very good pairing.

Third Course: Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, Mushroom Consomme and Micro Arugula. Again a tasty dish but the aruglua could have been left out . Paired with a 2006 Zaca mesa "Z" Cuvee. A blend of Grenanche, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsult. The wine was ok. Not my favorite but others seemed to like it more than I did. It did pair well with the food.

Fourth Course: Pistachio Crusted Lamb Loin, Roasted Pearl Onion-Fennel Cous Cous with a Rosemary Demi-Glace. The lamb was cooked perfectly for me, nice and pink. The Cous Cous had great flavor but I found several grains that needed to be cooked a little longer. But that was my only complaint of the evening so it was minor. The wine was a 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah. It was an good wine but not what I would consider a "really good" syrah. Again a lot of people really liked this wine. Also a good pairing. You can buy this wine at Costco right now at about $4 less than the winery price.

Dessert: Lemon Canele, Caramelized Oranges, Vanilla Foam and a Lemon Tuile. Interesting flavors, not too sweet and a good ending for the dinner.

Another good dinner at my favorite restaurant and I am expecting that the Hartford Court dinner next month will be just as good. I am never disappointed.