Italian Wine At Arte Cafe

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Mike Levine from Southern Wines and Spirits was the wine rep tonight. Saw Mike last week at Michael's which was the first time in over a year so we have caught up.  Richard the chef/owner at Arte prepared Italian dishes tonight to compliment the wines.  Not quite as sold out as the last two dinners but this was a region of wine and not a specific label.  People are very influenced by labels and not all the times for the best. But it is what it is.  

We started out with a Calamari salad with cranberries and lemon aioli.  The greens were brussell sprout leaves. Leaves had been cooked slightly and then blanched to keep the color. I found it a very likable green for a salad. Calamari rings were lightly battered and deep fried and the lemon aioli was very good with a nice tang  and diced green apples add a crunchy, slightly sweet element.  A very refreshing 2017 Feudi di San Gregorio, Falanghina was paired with the salad. This wine grape originated in Greece. Has a pear, apple note with a bit of spice.

Second course is a Flatbread with spicy Italian sausage, tomatoes and greens. Flavor was good but trying to cut the flatbread was impossible. It also was very awkward to try and pick it up because of the size.  So I ate the sausage. A 2015 Feudi di San Gregorio,  Rubrato Aglianico was the wine. Went well with the spiciness of the dish. Agliancio is an interesting grape. Black fruits, figs, almost a smoke tinge to it. 

Next is a Petite Filet Florentina with Italian roasted purple and white potatoes, green beans, cauliflower and broccoli. Beef was a good cut and had good flavor. Richard redeemed himself with this beef dish. He is not known for doing beef well.  Paired with a 2015 Gaja Ca Marcanda Promis, 55% merlot, 35%  syrah and 10% sangiovese. A good pairing and the wine had black fruit, licorice and some spice to to it. A young wine but seems to be very well balanced.

Dessert is a version of pecan pie with  a raspberry sauce. Not overly sweet. Served with a 2015 Il Poggione, Rosso de Montalcino. Slighty sweet but not overpowering.  100% Sangiovese. This wine is on Wine Spectators 2017 Top Wine list so someone at the table bought it for out tasting later this month.

A good dinner for the price.  Next one at Arte Cafe will be Villa Maria. This winery seems to making the rounds of restaurants  right now.