ZD Wines at the Hyatt Regency

Thursday, November 16, 2018

Eight of us tonight for dinner. I have not been to the  Watertable restaurant at Hyatt in well over a year for a wine dinner.  www.watertable@hyatt.com.   Last dinner was such a disappointment I really did not want to go back.  But the menu tonight looked good and I was not that familiar with ZD Wines that I thought I should try it. www.ZDwines.com.

Dinner and reception was held outside on the patio. Evening was a bit cool but very nice. They did have the overhead heaters for those who needed it.  The appetizers were set up outside also. A two sided small bar table. At first they had two people opening and pouring the sparkling wine. But they were impeding the flow of people accessing the food. Finally someone got smart and had them move away from the line of people. But the line formed on both sides of the table and both sides had different items on it. This was not the best idea someone had. Two lines of people meeting in the middle and no one wanted to give. This was not a common sense approach to the situation. A start at one side, then around to the other and end up by the table where the sparking wines was would have been a much better solution.

But the goodies were very good, numerous cheeses, olive tapenade, nuts etc. This could have been my full meal.  A 50th Anniversary Sparkling Cuvee   ($75) was paired and to me it was probably the best wine of the night. Big negative was trying to get a second pour. Finally the wine rep came around and brought new glasses and poured us another glass.  The waiters had said they were out of sparkling and took the original glasses off the table. To expect one glass per person was a bit short sighted on whom ever made that  decision.

A plate of Grilled Tiger Prawns, gooseberry sauce, poached pear, chicories (greens) and red pepper tuile was our first course. Prawns were very good. I did like the sauce, The wine selected was a 2016 California Chardonnay ($42). Way too oaky for me. Took one sip and set the glass aside. Others at the table loved it. To each their own. I like fruit in my wine not wood. 

Second course is a Roasted Pork Tenderloin, cherry demi sauce, morel mushrooms, charred onion and romanesco. Pork had good flavor but even though it was pink on the inside it was dry to me. Also needed a very tiny  sprinkle of salt. The morels were good but cold. All the food was on the cool side. By time it comes from the kitchen and eating outside in fall weather at the beach something is lost.  Paired with a 2016 Founders Reserve, Carneros, Pinot Noir ($82).  I was really disappointed with this wine. It had a "candy" taste to it, very light fruit and to me no body.  I couldn't get much on the front, mid or back palate.   If they were trying to make a Pinot in the style of Burgundy they missed their mark. Pinot is my favorite varietal so it's not like I haven't tasted a lot before.  Again others at the table thought it was great.

Main dish was a Pan Seared Duck Breast,  fig port wine reduction, celery root puree, chorizo, crisp brussels sprout leaves.  I was looking forward to this dish. The skin and fat underneath had not been rendered down enough and you could actually taste and see a layer of non rendered fat. Such a turnoff. I had one bite and had them pack it up to go. Delius and The Playground has such superior duck breast. Even Arte Cafe has better.,  A 2014 Reserve, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon ($230) was the wine selection. This wine was OK but for the price not too sure. I have had much better cabs at one sixth of the price of this one. It was NOT big and lush like Cabs usually are. I could get no tannins on it and at being only a 2014 there should  have been much more structure to it. Tannis soften with age but these had already shivelred up and gone home. Fruit should have popped but is stayed hidden. 

Dessert is a Honey and Thyme Pear Crumble, cranberry sauce, vanilla gelato, pear chip and toasted sliced almonds. This was a very pretty presentation and it was good Paired with a Rosa Lee Sweet Whim ($60). This wine is made from Petite Syrah, Petit Verdot, Zinfandel, Merlot and Chardonnay. Also wines from 2012 to 2015 were in this 2016 release. Finished in Cognac barrels. Not overly sweet but a rich wine. This and the sparkling were the highlights for me.

For the prices of these wines I had expected more. Apparently they just were not my style of wines. Food was better than the last time I was at the Watertable. Some flaws but on the whole a nice dinner.